Travel Ireland by rail and bus

You may find this more challenging than you expect.

Ireland does have a rail system, and it's not bad. But it's nothing like what most foreigners expect when they think of rail travel in Europe. The trains are fine, comfortable if not particularly fast (no TGVs). But I think the network is not what tourists are hoping to find. Tourists often want to cruise along the coasts, and it doesn't do that. It's a "fishbone" shaped network (with a lot of fishbones or "hubs and spokes"), which works pretty well for residents who want to make their way from Dublin to various towns, and back. But if you want to go from the end of one spoke (say, Sligo) and go to another (say, somewhere in the southwest near Dingle), that will take some work: you need to travel back along the bones to some junction (sometimes all the way to Dublin), then go outward along another thin line. You can get to many places by rail, but there are parts of the country that are just not served well, or not at all. Here's a map:

Irish Rail Map

You would need to supplement the rail network with regional or local buses to each many places (especially in the southwest or far northwest). It's possible, but it's going to eat up some of your time (buses, like the trains, are sometimes slow, don't run very frequently, and are set up for locals, not for tourists).

If you want to get around to places in the west, especially the southwest (some would argue the best, most scenic parts of the country), private car is the ideal way to go, if that's an option. You can certainly piece things together by public transport, but it may be more complicated than you were thinking it would be.

I did a three week tour of Ireland with a bus/rail pass several years ago. It requires a lot more planning up front in order to make the best use of your time. I used several towns a bases to to see the sights from, and then made use of guided day tours to actually get to the sights. I started in Dublin, then took the train to Killarney then back to Cork where I took a bus to Kinsale, then on to Kilkenny and Galway, and finished in Belfast, flying home from there. A lot of people want to stay in Dingle, but you will find that getting there via train and bus will eat up a lot of time. This is why I stayed in Killarney and did a day tour to Dingle from there. You have to realize that any time you have to travel from one town to the next you will be limited in the sights you can see on that day because most of the guided day trips leave in the morning when you will likely be sitting on a train or bus, and by the time you get to your next town there may not be any tours available. Some tour companies do offer half day tours. Cities like Dublin and Galway will have public transit, but it still may not get you to the more out of town sights you want to see. One place I really wanted to see was the Rock of Cashel, and it was quite complicated to get there, and involved several bus and train transfers to do it, but at the time I couldn’t find a day tour from where I was in Kinsale. My suggestion is to start with three main places, Dublin, Galway, and Killarney, then figure out what you want to see in those ares, then figure out how to get to those sights, and that will tell you how many days you need to accomplish it. Then add in your travel days to get from one town to the next, and look at the schedules and always try to catch the earliest train. If you have any days left over then you can make a stop in one or two smaller towns. When travelling this way it is best to stay in a town longer so you aren’t spending too much time sitting on a train or bus when you could be sightseeing. I spent four nights in each of Dublin, Killarney, Galway and Belfast. Remember, four nights means only three days in a town to see the sights, less if you have to spend time on a train or bus.

We did a trip in Ireland about 6 years ago – that combined public transportation & short tours. Totally doable & fun with advance planning. And, I am currently getting a similar train/bus/walking itinerary ready for a 2nd trip next spring.

There may be a difference between March & July about what places are open – depending on what you want/where. There will surely be a cost differential for lodging.

The train system is fair – it is much less convenient or frequent than the Netherlands, but much more frequent & convenient than the west coast of North America. Expect fewer options on Sunday for both the train & intercity coach bus (buseireann.ie). Currently there seem to be potential last minute cancelations of scheduled bus departures (staffing shortages), so find a social media platform that will give you last minute info. (Bus Eireann have been providing daily updates via twitter, but that may change.)
Also, if you are anywhere but Dublin, the train may go back to Dublin to connect to another train for your destination. It is not always that way, but check the details on timing & number of connections. AND, there are two train stations in Dublin.

Here’s our previous itinerary:
Dublin (3-4 days) – there’s an Aircoach to take from the airport into the city.
We did several day trips in/from Dublin that are listed in the Rick Steves Ireland book:
Dublin historical walking tour + day trips to Newgrange and Wicklow/Glendalough. Coach buses pick you up at a designated stop for the day trips.

Train to Killarney so we could be in Kerry for a short 2 day visit.
(walked from the train station to the b&b with backpacks)
There are tour operators that will get you to the Gap of Dunloe for a nice hike (starting at Ross castle & lake) They pick up at the other side.

Train from Killarney to Limerick.
Spent the day walking around Limerick.
Then, we connected with a local bike tour operator – which was a fantastic way to see the counties of Clare & Galway at a leisurely pace & talk with people. (They transported our luggage from one town to the next. You can bike at your own pace.) Includes biking through the Burren, up to a Neolithic tomb, trad music in Doolin, one of the Aran Islands, around a fjord, and up to Clifden, and more.) The coast is beautiful, as are the lakes in Connemara.

After the bike tour ended in Galway, we stayed one night at the Shannon airport hotel which is across the lot from the airport entrance – with a designated walking path. It was a relaxing airport to leave from – especially with an early flight.

Next trip is 12 days (not counting the long travel days)
Starting from Cork after a long ferry ride from Brittany.
3 or 4 days each in Cork & Kinsale.
Train to Galway for 5-6 days – still planning the day trips for all cities.
We’ll probably take the train to Ennis for a short time, then take the bus to Shannon airport.

We pick & choose tourist destinations – there’s so much to savor in each place.