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Questions on WHEN to book travel in Ireland

Posted by (Charleston) on

I have some questions related to the timing of booking travel while in Ireland this May. We'll be moving around the country on bus, rail, and plane. I want to buy the necessary things now, but I don't want to obsess about it either.

I'll break down my questions by mode. Here goes:

Bus:
Three of us will be travelling by bus from Dublin airport to Galway upon arrival on a Saturday morning. Is there any reason to think that we couldn't just buy a bus ticket upon arrival? Given flight delays and customs, I can't imagine a scenario where I could accurately predict which bus to book online now.

Train:
We'll be taking the train from Cork to Dublin on a Wednesday afternoon/evening. Same question as with the bus. Do I need to book now, or can I wait and buy at the station? Will I save a significant amount of money by booking now?.

Plane:
I'll be flying from Dublin to Edinburgh on a Saturday morning. The flights are wide open right now. I'm reasonably sure that I will stick to my schedule and NOT need to change the flights, but you never know. Am I safe with purchasing the tickets when I arrive in Ireland (about 4 days prior to the flight), or should I book now?

Thanks much!

Posted by
333 posts

Bus: http://www.buseireann.ie/ Look at the website and see for yourself. A lot of times they have specials which may be a significant savings.

They do run a Translink bus service from Dublin airports to places all over the country. http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=164 I think those prices are fixed but check just to see. It also has a printable schedule

Train: Sorry. I defer this one. I've never taken an Irish train

Plane: Book early on the low cost carriers for the biggest savings. It gets exponentially more expensive closer to the date and with all the volcano problems chances are routes may still be backlogged.

Posted by
9371 posts

No need to book the bus ahead, but you need to book the plane soon (or at least start watching prices). RyanAir has a sale on right now if that works for you, and other airlines will no doubt be having them along the way, too.

Posted by
54 posts

Thanks for the advice on air. Btw, do you know what kind of planes RA uses? I see that Aer Lingus uses turbo props, but can't find anything on RA.

Posted by
8700 posts

Citylink buses run frequently between the Dublin airport and Galway. The standard walk-up fare is 15 EUR.

The walk-up fare for a train from Cork to Dublin is 66 EUR. If you book in advance on the Irish Rail site, you can get a fare of 36 EUR.

If you're going to fly on a budget airline from Dublin to Edinburgh, book NOW. As more seats are sold the price will keep going in only one direction: up.

Aer Lingus's own planes are Airbus A320s. If your Aer Lingus flight is on a turboprop, then the plane is operated by Aer Arann.

Ryanair uses Boeing 737s.

Posted by
80 posts

Book online for the train if you know the dates and times you need. It is usually cheaper then buying at the station.

Posted by
54 posts

Booked Ryanair. The "fine print" is pretty extensive on baggage carry-ons, but we're travelling with mid-sized backpacks, so I'm thinking a 737 overhead should be fine.

I'll book the train online as well.

It's hard to be spontaneous in this economy. Darn.

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