Getting Around Ireland

Fast spoke routes out of Dublin to every major city. Slow or absent everywhere else.

Book at irishrail.ie. Fares jump if you walk up the same day, so book a few days ahead. Trains are comfortable, on time, and have a quiet coach.

The Leap Card is not useful for inter-city travel. It works on Dublin commuter rail, DART, and city buses. For inter-city, buy your specific journey ticket online.

Trains beat buses for long routes where comfort matters, Dublin to Cork or Belfast for example. They lose to buses (or cars) wherever the rail does not go: Connemara, Donegal, the Beara and Iveragh peninsulas, most of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Fares quoted are typical advance-purchase singles. Walk-up fares run higher.

Cheaper than trains, slower, and they reach towns the train skips.

Bus Éireann is the national operator and covers basically everywhere with a town in it. Private coaches like Aircoach, Citylink, GoBus, and Dublin Coach run frequent express services on the busy corridors, often beating Bus Éireann on both price and comfort.

Major corridors run every 30 minutes or so during the day. Smaller rural routes drop to a handful per day, sometimes one. Check timetables before you commit, especially on Sundays.

Dublin to Galway on a private coach is usually €15–€25 vs €25–€45 on the train.

The island is small. Flying inside Ireland is rarely the right call.

Aer Lingus and Ryanair run a small number of domestic routes, mainly Dublin to Kerry and Dublin to Donegal. By the time you factor in airport transit on both ends, security, and waiting at the gate, the train or a car normally wins.

The exception: if you fly into Dublin and only want to spend time on the Wild Atlantic Way in Kerry or Donegal, a domestic hop can save a real half-day of driving. Fares run €40–€120 each way.

If you are renting a car anyway, drive. The scenery between Dublin and the coast is the trip.

The only way to bring your own car from Britain or France.

Stena Line and Irish Ferries run the main crossings from Britain. P&O and others cover the Northern Ireland routes. Crossings range from 2 hours (Dublin–Holyhead fast craft) to 18 hours (Cork–Roscoff overnight).

Ferry usually beats flying when you want your own car, are travelling with more than two people and a lot of luggage, or are bringing a dog. For a foot passenger flying solo, a Ryanair flight is almost always cheaper and faster.

Bringing a car? Book early. Foot passenger only? A flight is usually cheaper.

Uber exists in Dublin but it just hails a regular taxi. Free Now is the actual app you want.

Uber in Ireland is “Uber Taxi” mode only. There is no UberX. Open the app in Dublin and it dispatches a licensed black taxi at the standard meter rate, the same car you would have flagged on the street. Outside Dublin, Uber does not operate at all.

Free Now (formerly Hailo, formerly mytaxi) is the dominant taxi app in Ireland. It works in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Belfast, and most larger towns. Cars typically arrive in 5 to 15 minutes in cities. Rural areas, do not assume a taxi is on tap, book ahead by phone if you can.

Fares are metered. A short city ride runs €8–€15. Dublin Airport to the city centre is typically €25–€35 depending on traffic. Tipping is not expected but rounding up is appreciated.

Ireland has a growing network of traffic-free greenways. They are excellent.

The Great Western Greenway runs 42 km along an old railway line from Achill to Westport in County Mayo. Mostly flat, scenic, and family friendly. The Waterford Greenway is similar at 46 km between Waterford city and Dungarvan. Both are paved, well-signed, and have bike rentals at the endpoints.

Dublinbikes is the city bike-share scheme in Dublin. Buy a 3-day pass for €5 at any station. First 30 minutes free, then €0.50 to €5 per hour. Covers most of the city centre and Phoenix Park.

Cycling between cities is feasible on the quieter R-roads but bring patience and a high-vis jacket. Irish drivers tolerate cyclists rather than welcome them. The greenways are where cycling in Ireland actually shines.