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The United Kingdom and Ireland

CIE is the national statutory transport service in the Republic of Ireland. The CIE group of companies comprises a holding company and three subsidiary operating companies which provide train, bus, coach and ancillary services throughout the country. The Fáilte Ireland (Online Tourist Office) has information on getting to Ireland from a number of countries.

Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) operates the nationwide mainline rail services; the Dublin Area Rapid Transport (DART) and other suburban rail services as well as rail freight services. For train and rail services in Northern Ireland please refer to the ("Northern Ireland Railways"). They operate with four routes from Belfast, one of which links up with the Republic's rail system. As a note, Eurorail passes are valid for train travel in Ireland but not in Northern Ireland, and will get you 50% discount on Irish Ferries crossing to France. InterRail passes give you 50% reduction on train travel within Ireland and on Irish Ferries and Stena Line Services. (Prices are subject to change, please visit their official website before planning your journey.)

In recent years there has been a significant increase in investment in public transportation aimed at providing an efficient, integrated and safe system, accessible to people throughout the country. Dublin is to receive a new light rail system, called LUAS, and the Government is advancing plans for a metro for the city.

Bus Éireann (Irish Bus) operates a comprehensive network of bus services outside Dublin City, including expressway inter-urban coach services; city buses in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford; rural bus services; and international services. Along with Ulsterbus they also operate in Northern Ireland. Bus Átha Cliath (Dublin Bus) operates urban bus services in the Greater Dublin area.

Public transport can be expensive (particularly trains), and sometimes, having your own transport -car or bicycle- can be a major advantage.

Typical rental costs for bicycles are €10 to €20 a day or around €50 to €100 a week. For more information, please visit the Raleigh Rent-a-Bike agencies allocated all over Ireland:

*Note that bicycles can be transported by bus if there is enough room; it usually costs €10 per trip. By train, costs start at €2.50 for a one way journey. (Prices are subject to change, please visit their official website before planning your journey.)

The national airline is Aer Lingus Group It is a State-owned enterprise incorporated in 1936. It operates services in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe and the United States, and is part of the Oneworld Global Alliance. Ryanair is a privately owned Irish airline and Europe's largest low-fares airline. It operates routes between Ireland, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.

There are plenty of Ferry services from Britain and France. Prices vary depending on season, time of day, day of the week and length of stay. One-way fares for an adult foot passenger can be as little as £20, but can exceed £60 in summer. Please visit Irish Ferries

€10 at Knock International Airport only, payable by everyone over 12 years.

Dublin airport

Dublin Airport (DUB) is 10km (6 miles) north of the city.

To/from the airport: Taxis are available into the city center cost approximately €; passengers may be charged extra for large luggage. An air-coach service runs to and from the airport, 24 hours per day. Citylink runs a service from Galway to Dublin Airport (journey time - 3 hours). Dublin Bus offers many routes throughout Dublin to the airport, including an AirLink Express bus from Heuston and Connolly railway stations.

View Dublin (DUB) Airport Guide

Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport (SNN) is 24km (15 miles) north of Limerick City (journey time: 25 minutes).

To/from the airport: Bus services are available to and from both Limerick and Clare. A daily express coach travels between Limerick and Shannon, plus to Ennis bus station. Citylink operates a service from Galway to Shannon Airport (journey time: 1 hour 15 minutes). Taxi services are available, 24 hours, to Limerick City.

View Shannon (SNN) Airport Guide

Cork Airport

Cork Airport (ORK) is 8km (5 miles) southwest of the city.

To/from the airport: Buses travel between the city center and airport (journey time: 15 minutes).

Knock Airport

Knock International Airport (NOC) is 11km (7 miles) north of Claremorris (Co Mayo) and receives scheduled international flights from the UK only.

At other times of the year, chartered flights operate between Knock and a number of European destinations, such as Salzburg, Majorca, Crete and Lisbon.

To/from the airport: Taxi services are available to Claremorris, where onward rail and bus connections are available to the rest of the country.

Galway (GWY) is approximately 8km (5 miles) from the city center.

To/from the airport: Bus and taxi services are available into Galway center.

Sligo (SXL) is 8km (5 miles) from Sligo.

To/from the airport: Taxis need prior booking. Bus and taxi services are available into Sligo.

Carrickfinn (CFN) is in Co Donegal, Carrickfinn. It is a small airport mainly used by international routes and low cost airlines.

Kerry (Farranfore) (KIR) in Co Kerry is 19km (12 miles) from both Killarney and Tralee.

To/from the airport: Taxi services are available to both these towns and to the nearby railway station. Car hire is also available.

As well as the airports listed above, there are various small licensed airstrips which receive passenger services; enquire at Tourism Ireland for details of operators and routes.