DIRECTIONS
By bus or train
- Iarnród Éireann operates six trains per day (four on Sunday) from Dublin Heuston Station.
- Bus Éireann buses run frequently from destinations through the country.
- CityLink buses provide direct service to Shannon Airport, Dublin and Dublin Airport.
- GoBus buses provide direct one stop service to Dublin and Dublin Airport.
National bus and rail both arrive at the same station, just east of Eyre Square on Station Road. CityLink and GoBus buses arrive and depart from the Galway Coach Station, one block north of the CIE bus/rail terminus.
By plane
- Galway Airport, at Carnmore (IATA: GWY) is serviced by Aer Árann. The schedule changes occasionally, but it may have flights to/from: Dublin, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle,Cork, Cardiff, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, London Luton, and Lorient (Brittany now doing Amsterdam via Waterford).
The airport is about 10km east of the town, but public transportation links are poor, with only three buses per day - and their times are not co-ordinated with flight times. (If you do take this route please let them know this is poor!). A taxi cost €15 - €25 depending on traffic: this high rate is because the Airport charges €5 to taxis serving it. (You could walk to a nearby address [5mins] and call a taxi from there, saving €5.)
Car Rentals are available.
- Shannon Airport is the main airport serving the west of Ireland. It is an international airport with many more flights available than Galway Airport, is served by an hourly bus to Galway, car rentals are also available. It is about 1 and 1/2 hours in the bus to Galway, but about an hour by car.
- Others: many people going to Galway travel via Dublin, Cork or Ireland West (Knock) airports. This page has detailed about public transport between Galway and all airports.
By car
- From Dublin, take the N4 west until the N6 splits off to the south. Follow the N6 for the rest of the trip.
- As in most places in Ireland, parking is expensive. However there is long term parking next to the cathedral available €3/day, and if you are leaving in the morning, many pay and display lots offer cheap or free overnight parking (18h-6h).