Best ways to travel from Dublin to Galway

If You are lucky enough to get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit the Emerald Isle, do it! Nothing can beat the friendly people, pints of Guinness, open green pastures, Cliffs of Moher, hearty food, and the ‘craic’ — if you spend enough time here, you’ll figure out what that means soon enough.

Even if you are just here for a few days, there are plenty of ways to see both the bustling city of Dublin and the good ol’ West of the country. Arguably the West is the best — just ask anyone, well, west of the center (Roscommon area). Don’t trust us? Visit for yourself and let us know

With the best music in the country, Cliffs of Moher, sharp peaks of Connemara, seaside town of Galway City, the university town of Limerick, and the rugged wildness of County Kerry, there is so much to see. 

So — what is the best way to get from Dublin, the hub where everyone flies into, and the charming seaside town of Galway? Find out here.

Train


 

Train in Connolly Station Dublin – By William Murphy, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54832711

Although not the most common, the train from Dublin To Galway is a great experience. Sure, this way is more expensive than convenient buses, but it provides a different point of view. You can coast along the rail line and take insights that you wouldn’t get on the busy motorway.

For those who just want to kick back and relax in style, this is the way to go. Sure, it can get hectic sometimes — we were just on a train yesterday from Galway to Athlone, and it was packed! But if you plan ahead, you can get a train seat that gives you a great vantage point of the surrounding countryside.

Head to Irish Rail to purchase tickets in advance. Called “Iarnrod Eireann,” meaning Irish Rail, this site is where you can buy single and return tickets for your airport transit. Click on From ‘Dublin Heuston’ and To ‘Galway’ for your train. If you can’t find ‘Dublin airport’ as one of the departure stations, we know — you are going to have to get from the airport to the city center to get to Dublin Heuston (the central rail station). 

Take the Dublin Express bus from Dublin Airport Terminal 2 towards Dublin custom House Quay and get off at the Dublin Heuston Rail Station, coming in at just over a 30-minute ride to the city center. 

Total Price: €40 Return Train, €9 Bus to City Center 

Coach Bus

New Buses for Dublin City – By William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland – 90 NEW BUSES FOR DUBLIN CITY [AUGUST 2015] REF-106947, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88236541

The second way to get from Dublin to Galway is by coach bus. Arguably the most convenient and cost-effective option, this is the best and fastest way to travel across the country. If you are traveling from the airport, head to the bus departure stations outside of Terminal 2. From here, you can choose between two main coach companies — GoBus and CityLink.

The good thing about having two companies that travel to Galway is that they operate at different times. CityLink operates at :15 of each hour, and GoBus departs at :45 of each hour. Keep in mind — the CityLink services stop running after the 12:30 am bus service until 6:15 am, so any late night/early morning arrivals into the airport will require a few hours of waiting in the terminal or an overnight stay in Dublin.

You can purchase tickets online before departing or from the bus driver on your arrival. If you are not sure when your flight is going to land, we recommend purchasing directly from the bus driver. This way, if you buy a CityLink ticket ahead of time and just miss the departure, you can head to GoBus and depart sooner.     

Both buses will stop in the city center of Dublin and then continue on towards the West. If you want to spend a half-day or night in Dublin before continuing to Galway, chances are you can purchase a ticket from the Dublin Airport to Galway and use the same ticket to get to Dublin city center, spend a few hours doing tourist activities, and continuing onto Galway later that day. 

Total cost: €28 Return Bus

Info: GoBus Zone 10 Stop 1 and 2, CityLink Zone 12 and 13

Drive

The prehistoric hill fort of Dun Aonghasa, Inishmore – By Ronan Mac Giollapharaic – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35810137

If you are planning on driving around to the other parts of Ireland on your way from Dublin To Galway or you want to rent a car while you are on the West Coast, then renting a car is often a good idea. Not only are car rental prices cheaper in Dublin than in other smaller cities and towns of Ireland, but you can also save on purchasing a bus or train ticket. 

The main car rental companies at the Dublin airport include Budget, Avis, Enterprise, NewWay, Six, Thrifty, CARHIRE, Europcar, and National Car Rental. We recommend using the widely-known names to rent a car and avoiding the “budget” car rentals, as this typically requires a higher deposit and picking up the car at an off-site location. 

Once you rent a car, you can take your time traveling from Dublin to Galway, checking out the other counties and sights along the motorway. Some of the most common sights from Dublin to Galway include Kilmainham Gaol, Tayto Park, Irish National Stud & Gardens, and Athlone. 

One thing to keep in mind while driving is the tools you have to pay for while driving on the motorway. The motorway toll rates are typically €10 for the entire journey. Although this may seem expensive, if you have a few people in your car, this can break down to only about €2-3 per person. 

Total cost: Average €30 per day/manual car 

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