Galway is one of the easiest places in Ireland to reach without a car: frequent trains and non-stop coaches link it with Dublin and Dublin Airport. Beyond the city, public transport thins out quickly.
Routes at a glance
| From | By | Time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin (Heuston) | Train | ≈2 h 30 min | Several a day to Ceannt station on Eyre Square; cheapest booked ahead. |
| Dublin city / Dublin Airport | Coach | ≈2 h 30 min | Non-stop motorway services, very frequent, some direct from the airport. |
| Dublin | Car | ≈2 h 15 min | M4/M6 motorway, about 210 km, with tolls. |
| Shannon Airport | Bus or car | ≈1 h 15–45 min | Expressway coaches via Ennis; M18 motorway by car. |
| Limerick | Train or coach | ≈1 h 20 min–2 h | Coach is usually quicker than the train. |
| Galway → Clifden | Bus or car | ≈1 h 30 min | Several buses a day along the N59. |
Times are typical and fares change — check current timetables and prices before you travel.
Arriving
Trains and most coaches arrive beside Eyre Square, a few minutes’ walk from the Latin Quarter. If you are driving, use one of the multi-storey car parks and leave the car there: the centre is largely pedestrian and street parking is limited. Traffic into the city is slow at rush hour and during festivals.
Into Connemara
The N59 runs from Galway through Oughterard and Maam Cross to Clifden (about 80 km), and on past Letterfrack and Kylemore to Leenane and Westport. The slower coast road via Spiddal and Roundstone is more scenic. Buses reach Clifden and Letterfrack, but to explore freely you need a car, a bike or a day tour. Roads are narrow and bumpy across the bog, and sheep wander — allow more time than the map suggests.
To the Aran Islands
- From Rossaveel (about an hour west of Galway): ferries to all three islands all year, around 40 minutes to Inishmore. A shuttle bus from Galway connects with sailings.
- From Galway city docks: a seasonal direct ferry to Inishmore, about 90 minutes.
- From Doolin in County Clare: seasonal ferries, shortest to Inisheer.
- By air: small planes fly from Connemara Airport at Inverin in about ten minutes.
Getting around locally
Galway city is walkable; local buses run to Salthill and the suburbs and accept the Leap Card. For the Cliffs of Moher, a bus route links Galway with Doolin and the cliffs, with more departures in summer.
