Moving to Ireland Forums

Ireland Info · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 18 Home Country: ireland

GETTING AROUND IN IRELAND

AIR

If you need to get around Ireland, there is a large selection of operators offering flights in Ireland from Irish international and regional airports, including Dublin, Shannon, and Northern Ireland.

Regional Airports:
Internal flights are available from the major international airports of Belfast City, Cork, Dublin, and Shannon as well as the regional airports of Aran Islands, City of Derry, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Knock and Sligo.

Aer Lingus
Dublin to Shannon

Aer Arann
Cork to Belfast City
Dublin to Cork
Dublin to Donegal
Dublin to Kerry
Dublin to Knock
Dublin to Galway
Dublin to Sligo

Logan Air
Dublin to Londonderry

Aer Arann Islands
Galway to Aran Islands

TAXIS & HACKNEYS

There are metered taxis in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick, but in other areas you’ll have to agree on the fare beforehand or get a hackney.

In Belfast and Londonderry there are share-taxi services, which operate rather like a mini-bus.

Taxis generally tend to wait at ranks in central locations; alternatively, you can call a taxi service to collect you from a private house or establishment.

BUS & RAIL

Ireland has a good network of both bus and rail services. Bus Eireann and Irish Rail service the Republic, while Ulster Bus and Northern Ireland Railways service Northern Ireland.

The DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) serves the Dublin area from Howth and Malahide in North County Dublin via Dun Laoghaire in South County Dublin to Greystones in County Wicklow. Dublin Bus also services the Republic's captial city.

In Belfast, you'll find Belfast City Bus and Northern Ireland Railways ensure that you can make your way around the city with ease.

Visitors travelling around Ireland by public transport should always enquire about special discounted fares or Emerald Card/Irish Rover tickets, which offer unlimited bus/rail travel for three, five or 15 days.

Bus travel around Ireland tends to be cheaper than rail and special tickets of varying duration are available, offering very good value for money.

TRAMS

In Dublin city and outskirts, the LUAS state-of-the-art light rail system has arrived. Cool, clean and comfortable, it will get you hassle-free to and from the city centre. Simple to navigate, the red line takes you from Tallaght to Connolly Station, while the Green line brings you from Sandyford to St Stephen's Green.

CAR RENTAL

Most of the major car hire companies have desks at airports, ferry terminals and cities across Ireland. Car hire companies, in general, don’t rent to those under 21 or over 70 years. All intending drivers need to hold valid licences. For terms and conditions, always check with the car hire company before you travel.

Car hire tends to be more financially favourable if you make your bookings prior to arriving in Ireland. Make sure to book in advance if you’re travelling during the high season. The majority of rental cars are standard shift, ie: not automatic. If ordered in time, automatic cars are available for an additional charge.

A child's seat should also be ordered in advance to ensure availability. Advise the car hire company if you’re planning to travel between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Licence and Insurance
Visitors to Ireland should be in possession of either a full valid national driving licence or an international driving permit issued abroad. These are readily available from motoring organisations in the country of origin.

Driving laws
*Driving in Ireland is on the left and seat belts must be worn at all times in the front and the back of the vehicle; likewise, motorcyclists and their passengers must wear helmets.
*There are very strict laws on drinking and driving and those found to be contravening these laws will be heavily penalised.
*In both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, speed limits are 30mph/50kph in built-up urban areas, 60 mph/100kph on the open road and 10mph/110kph on the motorway.
*Motorcyclists and their passengers must wear helmets.

Signposts
In the Republic, signposts denoting distance are now in kilometres per hour. All signposts and place names are displayed bilingually in both Irish (Gaelic) and English (except in Gaeltacht areas where only Gaelic is used). In Northern Ireland, all signposts and speeds are in miles per hour and place names are displayed in English.

Fuel
There is a good network of petrol stations throughout Ireland. Prices may vary, but for more information regarding prices in both the North and the Republic, visit AA Road Watch at www.aaroadwatch.ie

FERRIES

Half the fun of getting to an offshore destination is taking the ferry. There’s nothing quite like bobbing up and down on the choppy ocean with a craggy island rising up ahead of you.

It’s advisable to check out island boat services before you travel because the weather can affect services. Regular island boats operate to the Aran Islands off the Galway coast, Aranmore off Donegal, Clare Island off the Mayo coast, Sherkin and the Cape Clear Islands off the coast of West Cork.

BICYCLE

Public transport in Ireland is improving its capacity to carry bikes and lots of places to stay are upgrading facilities needed to keep bikes secure. Also, baggage transfer schemes are operated by some local companies.

Ireland is well served by bus and rail transport, and boat connections to offshore islands. The regional tourism companies or the local tourist office (when you are in Ireland on holiday) can supply full details of their island transport services, which offer combined passenger/bicycle tickets at very reasonable rates.

On the buses
Bicycles can be carried on public buses, provided there is room in the luggage compartment. Special bus tickets of varying duration are also available offering very good value for money, so enquire before you purchase your ticket.

The Dublin-Belfast Express Coach runs seven times daily (four times on Sunday) and takes three hours. (Bikes are charged at a quarter of the adult fare).

On the trains
Bicycles can be taken on most trains for a small extra charge and are stored in the guard van. All the main cities and towns are easily reached from Dublin, with other rail connections from principal ports of arrival. The DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) operates along part of the coast north and south of the city serving the port of Dun Laoghaire. Special rail passes can save money, depending on particular requirements.

The Dublin-Belfast express train takes two hours, with eight trains Monday to Saturday in both directions (five on Sunday). The cross-border Enterprise service, Dublin to Belfast, has a single journey fee of £5 per bike, with storage in the guard's van.

Bicycle Hire
Bike hire is available from £35/€50 a week and one-way hire is also available. Most towns and cities have bike rental shops. Some allow you to rent a bike in one place and drop it off in another for a small extra charge. Helmets, panniers and accessories can also be hired.

Hire includes lock, pump, repair kit, mudguards and carrier; and insurance cover is given with all bicycles hired. Children's bikes are also available. In all cases, it’s best to book well in advance, especially in high season.