A Guide to Traveling in Ireland
You have excellent options for traveling in Ireland, including plane, train, public bus and private car rental.
Airports
Dublin Airport is the largest, most important airport in Ireland and will most likely be your first port of entry into the country.
However, two other major airports with international connections are located in Shannon and Cork. In addition, two regional airports–located in counties Donegal and Kerry–provide limited, lower-cost connections to smaller airports in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Shuttle buses at the airport will take you to your hotel in downtown Dublin as well as to the train and bus stations.
Trains
One comfortable way to travel in Ireland is to go by rail. An excellent network of rail lines connects travelers to major cities throughout the country. In the Republic of Ireland, the rail network is Irish Rail, and its hub is in Dublin. In Northern Ireland, the rail network is Translink, and its hub is in Belfast.
Irish Rail has two major train stations in downtown Dublin. Heuston Station provides connections to travelers coming and going between the south and west of Ireland, whereas Dublin Connolly Station provides connections to travelers coming and going between the north and southeast of Ireland.
A dedicated train called the Enterprise also provides a fast (2 hours), comfortable connection between Dublin and Belfast. Travelers from Dublin board the train at Connolly Station.
Irish Rail travelers can pre-book their tickets and reserve their seats on the Irish Rail website; travelers on Translink must buy their tickets in person at a rail station or on the train itself.
Fast, clean and comfortable
I really enjoy traveling on Irish trains because they are clean, comfortable and efficient. They also offer free wifi connections, and visitors with bikes can bring their bikes onboard for free except during peak times.
When my husband and I are traveling to Dublin to catch an international flight, it is much easier to ride in comfort for four hours than to drive for four hours and pay the high costs of long-term parking at the airport.
For more information on planning your rail journey, see Ireland by Train and Travel Information.
Buses
Another option for traveling in Ireland is to go by bus. Buses link small and large communities throughout Ireland and offer a viable alternative to driving. Bus Éireann, the major public bus line, offers service throughout Dublin as well as all over the country.
There are also numerous private bus companies and tour operators that can handle all of the logistics for you–from airport pickup to the booking of hotels and restaurants.
For more information, see Ireland by Bus.
Taxis
Private taxi drivers are surprisingly plentiful all over Ireland, including the small towns and communities. Just do a google search using the words ‘taxi’ and the location you are interested in and you will most likely discover several options.
Driving in Ireland
The best way to experience all the wonders that Ireland has to offer is by car. With a car, you can decide on the spur of the moment to take a detour that leads to a magnificent deserted beach. You may well discover a small, insignificant sign that points you to some awe-inspiring standing stones that were not on your tourist map. (This is exactly what happened to us when we discovered the Uragh Stone Circle.)
You could also decide to stop in at an out-of-the-way pub, order a delicious bowl of fish chowder accompanied by thick slices of Irish soda bread, and listen in awe as an impromptu traditional music session suddenly starts happening.
If you decide to take this highly recommended option, however, you need to be prepared for some of the driving challenges you will experience!
You shift manual cars with the left hand
First of all, people in Ireland drive on the left side of the road. This means that the steering wheel is located on the right side of the car. The vast majority of cars in Ireland use a manual transmission, so you shift gears with your left hand. If you prefer to drive a car with an automatic transmission, plan to reserve it as far in advance as possible.
Always look to the right first in an intersection
Every time I get in my car, I say this mantra: drive left, look right. This is the opposite of what we do in countries that drive on the right, so it is important to keep it in mind. Furthermore, you always yield to traffic coming from the right in an intersection.
Traffic roundabouts are much more common than traffic signals
Maybe roundabouts are common where you come from, but in Portland, Oregon (where I come from), they are not.
It has therefore taken me a while to get used to them–especially since there are often two lanes of traffic going the same direction in the roundabout, and you need to be in the correct lane to choose the correct exit. (There are often three roads exiting from a single traffic circle, sometime even four.) You also have to remember to signal correctly and to always yield to cars coming from the right side.
Once you get used to them, roundabouts are actually a great solution because they keep the traffic flowing.
Most roads in Ireland are narrow!
Although Ireland does have some freeways connecting major cities, most roads in Ireland consist of two-lane highways that are quite a bit narrower than those in the United States or continental Europe.
In addition, MANY roads in Ireland consist of just one narrow lane. As a result, one car needs to ease into a turn-out in order to let the oncoming car pass. If no turn-out is handy, one car will need to back up until a turn-out can be located!
Note: When it comes to steep mountain roads, it is generally the responsibility of the car driving up the hill to pull over to allow the driver coming down the hill to pass.
One-lane roads frequently wind and curve over mountain passes, through small villages, and along hedge rows separating farmers’ fields. They consequently have numerous blind spots, so you need to be particularly conscientious when navigating them.
Rent a small car when traveling in Ireland
For all of these reasons, it is a great idea to rent as small a car as possible. At least until you become accustomed to the varied driving conditions and have a good sense of how far the boundaries of your car extend on both sides!