Table of Contents
Coach or Carriage?
Don’t worry, you didn’t open up a Disneyworld post by mistake. In Ireland, buses are called coaches, and your train car is a carriage!
Both buses and trains run regularly between Dublin and Galway. You have three basic options:
Irish Rail, Train from Heuston Station to Galway Eyre Square (2.5 hours, runs 6-10 times per day)
Citilink bus, Non-stop express bus from Dublin Airport to Galway Eyre Square (2.5 hours, runs every 30 minutes)
Citilink bus, Express bus from Dublin Airport that stops at Connolly Station, Bachelor’s Walk and Heuston station in downtown Dublin, then goes non-stop to Galway Eyre Square. (3 hours total, 2.5 hours from Heuston, runs every thirty minutes)
We took the train out to Galway, and the non-stop express bus to Dublin Airport on our last morning in Ireland.
Miles of Smiles on the Rail to Galway
We boarded a 9:30 train from Dublin and arrived just before noon.
Passengers are expected to carry their own bags on and off the train, and lift them on the rack above the seat. Our carriage was set up with seats in groups of four, each set around a table. We had reserved three forward facing seats on opposite sides of the aisle.
The Irish Rail was a treat to ride. Smooth, quiet, and comfortable. We loved watching the rolling green hills dotted with sheep farms and castle ruins as we sped through the Irish countryside.
About an hour into the trip, a college aged student sat down with us and immediately struck up a conversation. Niamh told us that she goes out to the Aran Islands to practice Gaelic one or two weekends every month. She made a special effort to engage with G, who was thrilled to make a new friend.
A short while later, our fourth seat was taken by a man who noticed that we were American, and who thought a few stories about the Galway region and its history would make our trip more enjoyable. The time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, we were in downtown Galway.
Back at home, our extra seat on a train is always the last one taken. What a difference – Irish friendliness really made us feel welcome in Ireland!
If you need a train reservation, click here to buy an e-ticket. If you plan to save the ticket to your Apple wallet, open an account with Irish Rail during the checkout process.
Citilink was a Great Link to the Airport
We had 9 AM tickets from Galway to the airport, and arrived at the Coach Station at 8:29. Since there were empty seats on the 8:30 bus, the driver cheerfully loaded our bags under the bus, told us to take our seats, and promptly drove away.
The Coach was fairly new, perfectly clean, and had wifi and USB outlets at the seats. The seats were a bit smaller than on the train, but had adequate leg room. Our trip from Galway to Dublin Airport was uneventful, arriving at the airport a little bit ahead of schedule, and dropping us off right at our terminal door. It couldn’t have been easier.
If you need to make a reservation for a Citilink bus, click here.
Where to Stay in Galway
This section contains affiliate links, which allow us to maintain our website and deliver content free of charge.
If you’re only going to be in Galway for a few days, and don’t care about the view from your window, stay in the Eyre Square neighborhood. This central location is the transportation hub for Galway, with the train station, bus depot, and tour company departures located here. We stayed at St. Bridget’s Apartments, operated by the Western Hotel, about 2 blocks from Eyre Square.
The Salthill neighborhood is ideal if you’re looking for a hotel with nice outdoor space and a swimming pool, or if you want a view of Galway Bay. If you don’t have a car, you can get back to Eyre Square in a 20-30 minute walk or 5-10 minute taxi ride.
