Public Transport

Getting to Ireland

Travelling in Ireland

 

Getting to Ireland

Ireland is an island so to get here it is necessary to travel by sea or air.  

Arriving by sea

If you plan to join EuroVelo 1 at the start/finish of the section of the route in Ireland this is easily achievable. Conveniently, there are ferry ports at both the southern and northern end of the route in Rosslare Harbour and Belfast respectively. 

The other locations where ferries arrive in Ireland are Dublin and Cork. EuroVelo 1 goes through Cork, which is on the south coast of Ireland. Dublin, which is the capital city of Ireland, is not on the EuroVelo 1 route (although it is the start/finish point for EuroVelo 2 in Ireland). From Dublin you can join EuroVelo 1 at various locations by travelling by either train or bus. (See below for more information on rail and bus transport). 

If bringing your own bike to Ireland, travelling by sea on a car ferry can be the most relaxing option, avoiding the potential stress related to the necessity to partially dismantle your bike and pack it suitably to go into the luggage hold of an aeroplane.  Traveling by sea ferry is also more environmentally friendly than by air. 

If you choose to travel by sea here are some of the Ferries which travel to Ireland:

From the UK

From France

From Spain

All ferry options may be researched booked through this website

https://www.directferries.ie

Arriving by air

There are a number of airports in Ireland which vary greatly in size covering everything from internal flights, flights to the UK, Europe and transatlantic flights. If you see an airport on the map that suits your EuroVelo 1 Ireland start point check it out to see if it also suits your place of departure and travel schedule.

Travelling in Ireland

Travelling by train in Ireland 

If arriving in Ireland via Dublin, although the EuroVelo 1 route does not go through Dublin, the route is well serviced by trains. From Dublin the following towns/cities on the route can be accessed. 

  • Rosslare Harbour
  • Waterford
  • Cork
  • Killarney
  • Tralee
  • Limerick
  • Galway
  • Westport 
  • Ballina
  • Sligo
  • Belfast

 

However, train service running from one point on the route to another point on the route are limited to connections between 

  • Killarney and Tralee
  • Limerick and Athenry (14km form the route near Oranmore co Galway)
  • Belfast and Derry

Travelling by train with a bike 

Republic of Ireland – Rail services are provided by Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)

  • Bicycles can be carried on all  Intercity services and are welcome after 9:30 and up to 16:00 and after 19:00 on other trains during weekdays. No restrictions on weekends
  • Customers must book bicycle spaces for Intercity services, in advance, online via the Irish Rail  Journey Planner 
  • The majority of Dublin to Cork services and all the Dublin to Belfast services have a bicycle storage area which is separate from the passenger area of the train out of line of sight
  • On all other InterCity routes the bicycle spaces are within the passenger compartment. Bicycles are only permitted within the passenger compartment if they fit into the dedicated bike space on-board, with the exception of ‘Fold-up’ bikes. The likes of ‘Tricycles’ cannot be accommodated within the passenger compartment. For bike space dimensions, please see below section.
  • Customers who are already in possession of a ticket, not purchased online and would like to travel with their bike will be required to book their bike online free of charge using the ‘Free Travel Pass or Valid Ticket‘ option on the Journey Planner 
  • Bicycles that are folded and covered can be carried on all services
  • For your convenience, please board the train at the door with the bicycle image

If you are travelling with your bicycle, please note the following:

  • Please note that Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) reserve the right to refuse to carry more than two bicycles on an Intercity service where only two bicycles spaces are available, so it is advisable to book online in advance
  • The carriage of bicycles on Commuter services is at the discretion of station staff
  • Customers should walk with their bicycles when they are in the station. It is not permitted to cycle in stations or on platforms
  • Customers should use ramps and lifts rather than stairs within stations to gain access to platforms
  • Customers should stay with their bicycles on board trains
  • Always use available bicycle storage spaces provided
  • Never obstruct exits or passageways. We reserve the right to remove bicycles if staff feel they are obstructing other customers or if they are a safety hazard
  • A bicycle can be carried up to maximum of 1.8 meters in length and up to 0.865m in width
  • Bicycles with attached trailers are only allowed on Dublin to Belfast and Dublin to Cork services that have a separate bicycle storage compartment
  • Intercity Railcar (ICR) bike spaces can accommodate bicycles with the following dimensions:
    • Overall length – 1800mm
    • Overall width – 865mm
    • Maximum tyre width – 65mm
    • The above dimensions will accommodate all road, mountain, and reasonably loaded touring bike types. Unfortunately, ‘fat-tyre bikes’ with a tyre width greater than that specified cannot be accommodated in our bike rack/s

Northern Ireland – rail services are provided by Translink 

  • You can take your bike on the train after 9:30am Monday to Friday. On a Saturday and Sunday you can travel any time. Capacity for bikes is limited and is available on a first come first served basis.

Note: to travel to Donegal by train the option would be to take the train to either Sligo (from Dublin) or Derry (from Belfast, Northern Ireland) and catching a bus or a taxi from there.

Travelling by bus in Ireland 

Bus services are available throughout Ireland are although none of the services currently have dedicated bike spaces, all bus service providers in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will facilitate the transport of bikes in the luggage hold if space permits. 

Republic of Ireland bus services are provided by Bus Eireann (Irish Bus) . This is the largest bus company and it provides services throughout Ireland. There are also a number of smaller bus companies which provide services on specific routes. These can be found using an internet search.

 

Travelling by BUS with a bike

Bicycles will be carried if sufficient space is available on a first come first served basis. Bikes must be placed in the luggage compartment or other designated area of the vehicle and are subject to a charge, per single journey, of €10.00.

 

Folding bicycles which are packed and wrapped in a suitable carrier bag/protective covering will be treated as passengers’ accompanied luggage and carried free of charge in the luggage storage area.

 

Folding bicycles which are NOT packed or wrapped as described above will be charged at the full cycle rate, per single journey, of €10.00

In Northern Ireland the main provider of bus services is Ulster Bus which is operated by Translink 

Bringing a bike by bus

You can take your bike on Goldline coach services only where there is space.  Bikes must be carried in the luggage compartment, but luggage is given priority. There is no charge.