Getting to Dublin by Thomas Hollowell and Katie Kelly Bell
It is no surprise that over half the travelers coming from North America fly directly to Dublin. Because of its central location, it is an unrivaled starting point.
Exploring eastern Ireland from Dublin is a good way to orientate oneself to the country. Belfast, in Northern Ireland, is 160km (100 miles) away; the interstate (with partial toll road) or train makes the trip rather quick. The pastoral hills of Wicklow and the timeless medieval city of Kilkenny are respectively one and two hours away. Dublin is 300km (185 miles) from Killarney and 215km (133 miles) from County Galway, roughly four hours by car.
Flying
The Dublin International Airport (01 814 1111, www.dublinairport.com) is the largest travel hub in Ireland. Other major airports are Cork Airport (021 431 3131, www.corkairport.com) for internal flights and Shannon Airport (061 712 000, www.shannonairport.com). From the United States you can often find deals with Aer Lingus (via American Airlines) (1 800 474 7424 U.S. or 0818 365 000 in Ireland, www.aerlingus.ie) from New York, Chicago, and Boston. Delta Airlines (1 800 241 4141 U.S., www.delta.com) and Continental Airlines (1 800 231 0856 U.S., www.continental.com) also fly into the Republic.
You can also fly into Dublin from London on British Airways (www.ba.com), Aer Lingus (see above), Air France (www.airfrance.com), and the budget carrier Ryanair (www.ryanair.com).
Ferry
Ferries arriving from Britain come into the Dublin Ferry Port (01 855 2222) and at the Dún Laoghaire Ferry Port (01 842 8864). You can find out more through Irish Ferries (0818 300 400, www.irishferries.ie) or the international group of Stena Line (01 204 7777, www.stenaline.ie).
Alert
If you will be starting your trip in Dublin, it is recommended that you do not rent a car while in the city. With congested traffic, one-way streets, and expansive highways that change names every few miles, your trip will be much more relaxing if you take advantage of the public transport options available.
Train
The Irish Rail (Ianród éireann) (01 850 366 222, www.irishrail.ie) has service from all over the Republic and Northern Ireland into Dublin. Heuston Station serves trains coming from or going to the south (Cork and Killarney) and west (Mayo and Galway). Pearse Station serves trains coming from or going to the southeast (Wicklow and Wexford). And, Connolly Station serves trains coming from or going to the north (Belfast) and northwest (Sligo and Northern Ireland, but not Donegal). You can save money by booking trips online.
Bus and Car
Bus éireann (01 836 6111, www.buseireann.ie) runs express routes to and from all major cities in Ireland from the Bus Aras (Busáras) station on Store Street (on the other side of the Trading House premises off of O'Connell Street). Bus éireann offers discount rates to students holding a Student Travel Card (www.studenttravelcard.ie). If you are driving into the city, the M50 circumnavigates the greater Dublin area, while the East Link and West Link (toll roads, 2–3) allow you to skip the busier city center.
Getting into the City Center
AirCoach (01 844 7118, www.aircoach.ie) departs every fifteen minutes (every hour after midnight) from the airport to the city center (Grafton Street and Trinity College). It costs 7 one way, 12 roundtrip for adults, and 1 for children under twelve.
Airlink Express (01 844 4265) runs every twenty minutes but does not currently offer service after midnight. It runs to the Dublin city center, to the Heuston and Connolly Railway stations, and to the Bus Aras (Busáras) central bus station. It costs 4 for children and 7 for adults one way.
The Dublin Bus (01 873 4222, www.dublinbus.ie) has connecting routes from the airport to the city center and costs 6 one way. Bus 747 goes from the airport to the city center at O'Connell Street, while bus 748 goes from the airport to the Tara Street Station, Aston Quay, Wood Quay, and the Heuston Rail Station. The Travel Information Desk is helpful with any questions. Taxis are also available and will cost 30-plus. Tip taxi drivers a minimum 10 percent.
