We will be flying into Dublin on 6/20 at 10am. We need to check into a B&B in Galway that night, as well as pick up our rental car. We are looking an getting a rail pass to make this trip, (my kids really want to take the train), but have been told that the Aircoach is the same price and less hassle. If I make train reservations, I understand I would need to make them for probably noon or later to give time for customs and luggage. Suggestions?
Posted by
Tempe, AZ, USA
1266 posts
Dawn - Here are links to the Irish Rail(www.irishrail.ie/home/) and Irish Bus Service(www.buseireann.ie/) websites. Go to the sites and have a look around. It looks like the 20X express bus leaves Dublin Airport at 12:20pm and arrives Galway Bus station at 3:10pm.
Posted by
OP
Tucson, AZ
3 posts
Thanks for the info. I really appreciate your help.
Posted by
Galway, Ireland
1 posts
Hello, I live in Galway and I will tell you straight away that you are better off on the bus in Ireland. The bus is faster, cheaper and often as, if not more comfortable(at least with private operators). You can also travel directly from Dublin Airport to Galway with either: Citylink http://www.citylink.ie/index.php or GoBus http://gobus.ie/ Always buy returns if possible(normally valid for 1 month), buy tickets online in advance if possible as you can get very cheap prices, on Citylink you can even get SMS tickets. Citylink and GoBus almost always have toilets onboard and are very friendly and helpful (Often Bus Éireann are a cranky bunch(with very honourable exceptions).
If you wanted, perhaps you could bring the kids for a short train trip for the novelty but unless you have a lot of money and don't mind paying more for less, I'd not even attempt to travel by train through Ireland, it's slow and badly connected, if connected at all, I've travelled by train twice in my entire life!!. Poland, Germany and France are very nice for going by train!!