Ireland Transportation In Ireland

In most of Ireland, public transportation is regular and extensive. Most travelers go by bus, as trains can only effectively be used to travel between urban centers. Travel in Counties Clare, Kerry, and Donegal can be difficult without a car.

Fares on all modes of transportation are either single (one-way) or return (round-trip). “Period returns” require you to return within a specific number of days; “day return” means you must return on the same day. Unless stated otherwise, Let’s Go lists single fares. Return fares are generally 30% above the one-way fare.

Roads between Irish cities and towns have official letters and numbers (“N” and “R” in the Republic; “M,” “A,” and “B” in the North), but most locals refer to them by destination (“the Kerry road”). Signs and printed directions sometimes give only the numbered and lettered designations, sometimes only the destination. Most signs are in English and Irish; destination signs in outlying gaeltacht are most often only in Irish. In the Republic, all black-and-white signs giving distance in miles were removed in 2006 and replaced with green-and-white signs that use kilometers. Speed limit signs are in miles per hour in Northern Ireland and kilometers per hour in the Republic.

• By Bus

Buses in the Republic reach many more destinations and are cheaper than trains. Bus drivers are often very accommodating in where they will pick up and drop off. The national bus company, Bus Éireann ...more

• By Train

Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), is useful only for travel to urban areas—you’ll need to find another form of transportation to reach villages and wilderness. Trains from Dublin’s Heuston Station ...more

• By Car

Traveling by car offers speed, freedom, and easy access to the countryside. Disadvantages include high gas (petrol) prices (about €1 per liter), unfamiliar automobile laws, and driving on the left ...more

• By Bicycle

Many insist that cycling is the way to see Ireland and Northern Ireland. Much of the island’s countryside is well suited for pedaling by daylight, as many roads are not heavily traveled. Single-digit ...more

• By Thumb

 Let’s Go never recommends hitchhiking as a safe means of transportation, and none of the information presented here is intended to do so. Let’s Go strongly urges you to consider the ...more