Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
By Bus to: Belfast
(hourly, most via Dublin Airport, 2.75-3 hours),
Trim
(almost
hourly, 1 hour),
Ennis
(almost hourly, 4-5.25 hours),
Galway
(hourly, 3.25 hours; faster
on CityLink—hourly, 2.5 hours, tel. 890-280-808,
www.citylink.ie
)
,
Limerick
(hourly,
2.75-3.25 hours),
Tralee
(7/day, 6 hours),
Dingle
(4/day, 8-9 hours, transfer at Limerick
and Tralee).
Bus info:
Tel. 01/836-6111,
www.buseireann.ie
.
Dublin Airport:
The airport is well-connected to the city center seven miles away; for
transportationoptionsintothecity,see“ArrivalinDublin”on
here
(airportcode:DUB,tel.
01/814-1111,
www.dublinairport.ie
)
. To sleep at Dublin Airport, a safe bet is the $$
Ra-
disson Blu Dublin Airport
(Db-€79-119, best prices if booked online, tel. 01/844-6000,
Spend a few minutes online researching your transportation options across the Irish Sea.
Mostairline andferrycompanies routinely offerdiscounts fortickets purchased fromtheir
websites. And if you have to buy a ferry ticket in person or by phone, you'll be hit with
an additional €3 fee. Before sorting out rail/ferry prices with individual companies, try
www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/sailrail
, which deals with several companies and has fares
low enough to compete with cheap airlines.
Flights
If you're going directly to London, flying is your best bet. There's no need to waste a
valuable day going by slower surface transportation.
Ryanair
dominates the discount airline market, but note that its London-bound flights
often put in at Luton and Stanstead—airports some distance from the city center (1.5
hours, Irish tel. 1520/444-004,
www.ryanair.com
). Options to Heathrow include
British
Airways
(Irish tel. 1-890-626-747, US tel. 800-247-9297,
www.ba.com
) and
Aer Lingus
(tel. 081-836-5000,
www.aerlingus.com
)
. To get the lowest fares, ask about round-trip
ticket prices and book months in advance (though Ryanair offers deals nearly all the time).
Ferries
Discount airlines have cut into ferry business in a big way. But there are still seven daily
crossings from Dublin Port (two miles east of O'Connell Bridge) and one daily seasonal
crossing from Dun Laoghaire (seven miles south of city center) that all connect to Holy-
head, Wales. The route is split between two competing companies; both charge more to
take a fast, two-hour crossing (€39) instead of a slower 3.5-hour sailing (€35). Keep in
mind that you must board at least 30 minutes before the scheduled sailing time or risk be-
