Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
travelers, blitz tourists, and city-to-city travelers; and those who don't want to drive in Ire-
land. Ireland has a good train-and-bus system, though departures are not as frequent as the
European norm. Most rail lines spoke outward from Dublin, so you'll need to mix in bus
transportation to bridge the gaps. Buses pick you up when the trains let you down.
Given the choice of either a bus or a train between the same two towns, I prefer trains,
because you can get up and walk around onboard. Trains are also faster, make fewer stops,
and are not subject to the vehicle traffic that can delay buses.
I've included a sample itinerary for drivers (with tips and tweaks for those using public
The best overall source of schedules for public transportation in the Republic of Ireland
as well as Northern Ireland—including rail, cross-country and city buses, and Dublin's
DART and LUAS transit—is the Tourism Ireland website:
www.discoverireland.com
(se-
lect “Plan Your Visit,” and then “Getting Around”).
Trains
To research rail connections online, check
www.bahn.com
(Germany's excellent Europe-
wide timetable). Be aware that very few Irish train stations have storage lockers.
Ireland's various passes offer a marginally better value than BritRail's pricey “BritRail
plus Ireland” pass (see chart on
here
). It's easy to purchase Irish railpasses in Ireland at
major stations (Dublin info tel. 01/836-6222). For a free summary of railpass deals and the
latest prices, check my Guide to Eurail passes at
www.ricksteves.com/rail
.
