A great way to get around Ireland

Trains are a pleasant and relaxing way to get around Ireland.  Modern air-conditioned intercity trains were introduced a few years ago as part of a massive investment programme, allowing frequencies to be increased.  This page will get you started.

  Where do the trains go?

  How to check train times & buy tickets

  Which station in Dublin?

  Dublin to Cork InterCity trains

  Dublin to Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford, Tralee, Westport & Ballina by InterCity railcar

  Dublin to Belfast by Enterprise express

  Belfast to Londonderry by train

  Belfast to the Giant's Causeway by train

  Recommended hotels in Dublin & Belfast

  SailRail tickets Dublin to/from London or any station in Britain

  SailRail tickets Belfast to/from London or any station in Britain

Where do the trains go?  Route map

As you'd expect, most rail lines radiate out of Dublin, see Irish Rail's map of the Irish rail network.

How to check times & buy tickets

To check train times & fares in the Republic of Ireland and Dublin north to Belfast, use the Irish Railways website www.irishrail.ie.

To check train & bus times in Northern Ireland and from Belfast south to Dublin, use the journey planner at www.translink.co.uk.  Translink is the Northern Ireland transport authority which includes Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) and Ulsterbus.

You can call Irish Rail enquiries on 01 836 6222 when in Ireland or on 00 353 1 836 6222 from outside Ireland.

If you don't mind paying for a full-price ticket you can buy at the station on the day, no need to book in advance.  Full-price tickets cannot sell out, they've a fixed price and unlimited availability.  Reservation is optional on Irish intercity trains and not possible at all on local & suburban trains (including all Northern Irish domestic trains), if you choose not to reserve a seat you just board the train and sit where you like, in any empty unreserved seat. just as on trains in Great Britain.

However, for longer journeys if you're prepared to book in advance and commit to a specific train with limited or no refunds or changes allowed, you can save money with a cheap advance-purchase ticket bought from www.irishrail.ie.

You print your own ticket (not possible to/from Belfast) or can collect tickets from the self-service ticket machines at any main station.

Tip:  How to travel 1st class, cheaply.  Irish Rail has no 1st class semi-flex or advance fares, only 1st class full-flex.  But you can buy an upgrade to 1st class for the difference in price between full-flex standard and full-flex 1st, which can be used with any standard class ticket, even an advance-purchase one.  Simply buy a cheap standard class ticket, then use www.irishrail.ie again, this time clicking the Free travel pass or valid ticket link beneath the journey planner.  Read the advice here (external website, please let me know if that link stops working).  This works from Dublin to Belfast, too.

Which station in Dublin?

Dublin Heuston

Heuston station is the terminus for trains heading west & southwest from Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford, Tralee, Westport & Ballina.  Opened in 1846 as Dublin Kingsbridge station, it was renamed Heuston in 1966 after Seán Heuston, a young railway worker who commanded a nearby post in the 1916 Easter Rising.  It's located 3km (2 miles) west of Dublin city centre so it's best to take the frequent Luas tram (www.luas.ie) which links Heuston station with the city centre and Connolly station every few minutes from early morning to late at night.  It has 9 platforms.  As it's a terminus, there is easy level access between tram stop/taxi rank/street, concourse and all platforms.  For more about the station's history see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heuston_railway_station.

Dublin Heuston station, showing the LUAS tram stop right in front of the station.

Heuston station concourse, looking towards the platforms.

Dublin Connolly

Ireland's busiest station, Dublin Connolly is the station for Belfast, Sligo, Wicklow, Wexford, Dun Laoghaire & Rosslare, sitting on the north-south tracks which pass through Dublin on a viaduct.  Concourse & platforms are one floor up from street level.  Platforms are numbered from east to west, platforms 1-4 are north-facing terminus platforms (trains to Belfast use these), platforms 5-7 are through platforms (DART suburban trains & southbound trains to Wicklow, Wexford & Rosslare use these).  The station opened in 1844 as plain Dublin Station, later renamed Dublin Amiens Street.  It was renamed Dublin Connolly in 1966 after Irish revolutionary James Connolly.

This is the LUAS tram terminus at street level below Connolly station to the south.  You go up that escalator to the main station entrance...		This is the main entrance to Connolly station, one floor up from street level, south of the concourse & above the tram terminus.  Most people enter here.

Once inside the main entrance, the ticket office is now ahead and to your right.  Photo courtesy of Andrew Smith.		The old station facade on the west side of the station.  You can also reach the concourse up the steps from the entrance in the centre of this building.

Connolly station concourse, looking north towards the platforms with the main entrance behind you & ticket office out of shot to the right.

Dublin to Cork by InterCity train

Smart modern trains link Dublin & Cork virtually every hour in 2h50, via Limerick Junction (for Tipperary) and Mallow (for the line to Tralee).  Change in Cork for the local train to Cobh.  These trains have 1st & standard class and free WiFi, although no catering.  The full Irish breakfast on morning trains from Dublin used to be as good a breakfast as you'll have on any train anywhere, but catering was suspended in 2022.  It may yet return at some point.

InterCity to Cork:  An InterCity express train to Cork waits to leave Dublin Heuston.

Standard class seats, 2+2 across car width.  Larger photo.		First class seats, 1+2 across car width.  Larger photo.

Buffet counter (currently closed)		Cooked breakfast - currently unavailable.

Dublin to Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, Wexford, Rosslare by InterCity railcar

These smart modern air-conditioned intercity railcars (ICR) were built by Hyundai and introduced in 2008 onto all intercity routes from Dublin, other than the Dublin-Belfast and Dublin-Cork routes.  Trains run roughly every 2 hours from Dublin to Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wicklow, Wexford & Rosslare.  Dublin to Galway takes 2h45, Dublin to Limerick 2h45.

An InterCity railcar from Dublin arrived at Limerick.

Luggage goes on the racks.		Seats line up with the windows beautifully.  Larger photo.

Dublin to Belfast by Enterprise

Enterprise trains link Belfast Grand Central and Dublin Connolly in around 2 hours, jointly run by Translink and Irish Railways. 

Trains leave every hour on Mondays-Saturdays, every 2 hours on Sundays.

These trains started using Belfast's new Grand Central Station near Great Victoria Street in downtown Belfast from 13 October 2024, they no longer serve Belfast Lanyon Place.  The original every-2-hours service was increased to hourly on Mondays-Saturdays from 29 October 2024.

7 departures are operated by the excellent Enterprise trainsets powered by a diesel locomotive as shown below, with standard class, first class (Enterprise Plus) and a cafe-bar.

However, with the increase to an hourly service from 29 October 2024, 5 departures are now operated by Irish Rail Intercity railcars (ICR) like those shown above (also with 1st & 2nd class and catering) and 3 use Translink class 3000 diesel units like those show in the Londonderry/Derry section.

How to tell which train type operates which departure? 

The Translink class 3000 diesel units are easy to spot, they're shown in the booking system on www.irishrail.ie as 2nd class only with no catering. 

It's harder to tell the difference between ICR and Enterprise departures:  However, the ICRs are the departures with the cheaper 1st class fare.  For example, at the time I write this I'm seeing €25.99 in 1st class on departures operated by ICR, €31.99 in 1st class on departures operated by original Enterprise trainsets.

Needless to say, the original Enterprise trainsets are the best quality, followed by ICR, followed by the class 3000.

How much does it cost?

You can buy cheap tickets from as low as €14.99 each way if you book online in advance.

How to buy tickets

Buy one-way or round-trip tickets starting in Dublin at www.irishrail.ie, you must collect hard-copy tickets from Irish Rail ticket machines in Dublin.

Buy one-way or round-trip tickets starting in Belfast at www.translink.co.uk, you must exchange the confirmation email for a hard-copy ticket at Belfast Central station or another staffed Translink/NIR station.

Tip:  On the Enterprise, find a seat on the left hand side going south to Dublin, right hand side going north to Belfast, for the sea views north of Dublin.

An Enterprise train.		Standard class on the Enterprise.  Larger photo.

First class on the Enterprise.  Larger photo.		Buffet car on the Enterprise.  Larger photo.

Video guide:  Dublin to Belfast by Enterprise

The video shows the old Belfast Lanyon Place station, from 13 October 2024 these train now use Belfast Grand Central.

Belfast to Londonderry (Derry) & Giant's Causeway by train

• Smart modern air-conditioned trains link Belfast with the historic walled city of Londonderry, or Derry if you prefer, every hour, journey time around 2 hours 12 minutes.

  From 13 October 2024, these trains leave from Belfast's new Grand Central station, near Great Victoria Street in downtown Belfast.

• To check train times, use the journey planner at www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways.  These new trains have revolutionised rail travel in Northern Ireland, increasing in passengers by over 60% in the last few years.  With comfortable seats, carpet, toilets, air-conditioning and a scenic route through the countryside and alongside the sea approaching Londonderry, it's definitely the way to go.

• I recommend a seat on the right hand side of the train going north to Londonderry, as that's where the best scenery will be, alongside Belfast Lough and along the Foyle estuary.

• For Belfast to the Giant's Causeway, see the Giant's Causeway page

The famous Giant's Causeway on the Northern Irish coast.		New trains are revolutionising travel Northern Ireland Railways, with 60% more passengers.

New train interior:  Inside one of the smart new Northern Ireland Railways C3K trains which link Belfast with Londonderry, Coleraine & Portrush for the Giant's Causeway.		The scenic route.  One of the new C3K trains running alongside the estuary on the approaches to Londonderry, a very enjoyable ride.  Photo courtesy of NIR.

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	Railtours Ireland:  Intercity train from Dublin to Limerick, Cork, Galway or Belfast, then motorcoach to the sights.
	The Cliffs of Moher, western Ireland...
	Mrs 61 kisses the Blarney Stone, on the battlements at Blarney Castle, southern Ireland, supposedly giving you the gift of eloquence...

Day trips from Dublin by train

Railtours Ireland, Railtoursireland.com

If you want to kiss the Blarney Stone, drive the Ring of Kerry or walk on the Giant's Causeway as a stress-free day trip from Dublin, Railtours Ireland deserves a special mention.  They run daily tours from Dublin using a unique train-based concept that makes the famous sights & scenery of remote western & northern Ireland accessible as a day trip.  They work closely with Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Railways).

• You are whisked from central Dublin to Limerick, Galway, Cork or Belfast by comfortable air-conditioned intercity train, leaving around 7:00-7:30 am.

• A coach meets the train and takes you on a guided tour into the countryside.

• The range of tours includes kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, driving around the Ring of Kerry, or to see the Giant's Causeway, or to Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of Moher, and more...  There's stops for lunch & photographs;

• In the early evening the coach takes you back to the station and puts you on a fast intercity train back to Dublin, arriving (depending on the tour) 8:00-10:15 pm.

• As well as 1 day tours they now also offer longer tours of Ireland, up to 11 days.

Railtours Ireland have now been established for over 20 years and get great reports.  I've known them for over a decade and have used them myself on a couple of occasions, both memorable. 

Book online at railtoursireland.com, or by phone.  Please mention seat61.com when booking.

Tip:  There's a full cooked breakfast available in the restaurant car of some of the Irish Rail intercity trains they use out of Dublin, costing around €17 (£14).  It's as good a cooked breakfast as you'll have on any regular scheduled train, so treat yourself!

Railtours Ireland:  Intercity train from Dublin to Limerick, Cork, Galway or Belfast, then motorcoach to the sights.

Mrs 61 kisses the Blarney Stone, on the upper battlements at Blarney Castle, southern Ireland, supposedly giving you the gift of eloquence.

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You get more from a trip with a good guidebook, even in the age of the internet.  For the independent traveller, go for either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both series are excellent.  Lonely Planet Dublin - Lonely Planet Ireland - Rough Guide Ireland.  Also consider Ecoescapes Ireland, which lists eco-friendly places to stay.

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

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Hotels in Dublin, Belfast & Ireland

The Gresham, Dublin   Check prices & book

Perfectly located on Upper O'Connell Street in the heart of central Dublin, 10 minutes walk from Connolly Station, the Gresham has been a Dublin landmark since 1817.  The impressive facade is matched by a marble-floored foyer and bar, and comfortable carpeted lounges.  Yet it's not particularly expensive as Dublin hotels go.

Europa Hotel, Belfast   Check prices & book

Opened in 1971, Belfast's famous Europa Hotel has more history than many hotels several times its age.  The hotel was used by journalists such as Trevor MacDonald, Kate Adie, John Simpson during the Troubles in the 1970s and 80s, when it earned the title of Most Bombed Hotel in Europe.  It suffered so many bomb attacks and had so many windows boarded up, it was also known as the Hardboard Hotel.  Yet it stayed open in spite of everything, a true survivor.  Today it's a fabulous place to stay, ideally located a stone's throw from Belfast's new Grand Central Station and across the road from the famous Crown Bar.  You'll find a book about the history of the hotel in your room and a display case on the first floor near the piano with some hotel memorabilia.  There's also a railway connection, as it was built on the site of the Great Northern Railway terminus.

The Europa Hotel, Belfast.		The Moselle Suite, room 911.

Superior room, 915.		The history cabinet, first floor.

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com

If you're on a tight budget, don't forget the hostels.  For a dorm bed or an ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most European cities use www.hostelworld.com.

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