There are 7 airports on the island of Ireland.
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They include Belfast Airport, which is in Northern Ireland (part of the U.K.); Dublin Airport, which is north of the city; Cork, just south of Cork City; Kerry Airport, which is between Tralee and Killarney; Shannon Airport, north of Limerick City; Ireland West Airport in County Mayo; and Donegal Airport in the northwest of the county.
Transportation from all of them varies and includes the option to take a bus, taxi or rent a car.
The most popular airport for travelers is Dublin Airport. Below are the options available to travelers using this airport.
Traveling from Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport is 6 miles (12 km) from Dublin’s city center.
Direct flights from the U.S. arrive in Terminal 2. Others, including flights from Europe, Canada and elsewhere, land at Terminal 1.
By Taxi
You’ll find plenty of taxis parked outside Terminals 1 and 2 at Dublin Airport.
A taxi ride to the city center takes approximately 30 minutes depending on traffic. Fares average between €25 and €30.
If you are in a group of 2 or more, getting a taxi is actually cheaper than buying individual bus tickets.
Because taxis use dedicated bus lanes, they can get to the city center fairly fast. They operate 24 hours a day. Learn more about how the taxi fares are calculated at Transport for Ireland.
If you are taking a train to another part of Ireland, the taxi fare from the airport to Heuston or Connolly stations is between €30 and €40.
You can easily get a bus from Dublin Airport to other parts of the country. See more below.
Note: Uber does not exist in Ireland as it does in other countries. If you have the Uber app on your phone, when you use it in Dublin or anywhere else in the country, you will be getting a licensed taxi or limousine.
By Bus
There are numerous bus companies that operate out of Dublin Airport. If you want to get to the city center or to your accommodation in another part of Dublin, there are several options. They include the following:
Airlink Express – this will bring you into the city center, as well as Heuston and Connolly train stations. You can find it at Terminal 1 Arrivals (Zone 2) and at Terminal 2 (Zone 20).
Aircoach will get you from the airport to the city center and South County Dublin. It departs from Terminal 1 Arrivals (Zone 1) and Terminal 2 Arrivals (Zone 21). It stops at most of the major hotels in Dublin and at other key locations, which makes this a popular choice. It also has a non-stop service to Belfast and Cork.
Airport Hopper – operates an hourly shuttle bus service from Dublin Airport to Maynooth in Co. Kildare as well as Tallaght, a suburb of Dublin. The towns of Leixlip, Clondalkin, Liffey Valley, and Lucan are all stops along this route, including popular Dublin hotels. Buses depart from the Dublin Airport coach park in Zone 16.
Airbus, as well as its sister company, Dublin Coach, provides regular bus services from Dublin Airport to the Red Cow Luas station and the suburb of Dundrum. The service is available 7 days a week.
Dublin Bus, the sister company of Bus Eireann, operates throughout the city. It can be found in the Dublin Airport bus park at Zone 15.
Dublin Coach links passengers from the airport to the Red Cow Luas station and Dundrum. The company also runs buses to Ennis, Kildare, Kilkenny, Killarney, Portlaoise, Tralee and Waterford.
It can be found in Zone 16 of the Dublin Airport coach park.
Go-Ahead Ireland bus service takes passengers from Dublin Airport to the Sutton Station, which serves the communities of Malahide, Portmarnock, and Swords, as well as another route that takes them to Balbriggan, Lusk, Rush, Skerries, and Swords. You can get this bus at the Dublin Airport bus park in Zone 15.
If you are traveling to other parts of the country, there are several options. They include the following:
Ardcavan – operates a service Monday through Saturday for passengers going to Wexford, including the Rosslare Europort.
Bus Eireann – the company operates daily coach services from the airport to towns all across Ireland. You can catch it at Zone 11 in the Dublin Airport bus park.
Citylink operates a bus service from the airport to Galway and vice versa. Citylink buses leave Zone 13 in the Dublin Airport bus park.
Corduff Travel operates a bus service to Galway, Mayo and Sligo. You can find it at Zone 16 in the bus park.
Eireagle operates a non-stop coach bus service from Dublin Airport to Galway and Limerick and vice versa. You can get the Limerick bus at Zone 12 and the Galway bus at Zone 13, both in the Dublin Airport bus park.
Expressway – this bus company takes passengers to over 150 Irish cities, towns and villages. You can hop on an Expressway bus at Zones 11, 13 and 14 in the Dublin Airport bus park.
GoBus operates two main routes, one from the airport and the city center to Galway, and the other from the airport to Cork City. The Galway bus leaves from Zone 10 in the airport’s bus park and the Cork bus leaves from Zone 12.
JJ Kavanagh & Sons operates a daily service from Dublin Airport to Clonmel, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tramore, and Waterford. The bus leaves from Zone 16 in the Dublin Airport bus coach park.
John McGinley Coach Travel provides a service from Dublin Airport to Annagry and Moville, both in County Donegal. It also goes to Derry and Tyrone. It departs from Zone 16 in the Dublin Airport coach park.
M4Direct operates a twice-daily bus service from the airport to Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. It leaves from Zone 16 in the airport bus park. You can also take this bus to the popular Center Parcs, the newly opened discovery park in Ballymahon, Co. Longford.
Translink – this is for passengers leaving Northern Ireland, specifically Belfast and Derry, for Dublin Airport on the company’s Goldline Express service.
Wexford Bus runs multiple services every day from Dublin Airport to Wexford town. It departs from Zone 16 in the airport bus park.
Renting a Car at Dublin Airport
There are 9 car rental car companies located at Dublin Airport, which gives visitors plenty of choice.
They include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National, and Sixt.
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Transport from Belfast International Airport
Tourists coming into Belfast International Airport are primarily from the U.K. although there are visitors from other locations across the world, who take flights to London and then transfer to Belfast, which is approximately 12.7 miles (20 km) from the city center.
Below are the options available to travelers who arrive at this airport and want to see Belfast and the remainder of Northern Ireland and the Republic.
By Taxi
The International Airport Taxi Company is the official taxi company for Belfast International Airport.
It is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
The drive to the Belfast city center by taxi takes between 30 and 45 minutes.
The fare is approximately £35, although more detailed information can be found in the exit hall of the terminal building. A taxi share scheme is also available.
The taxi rank is located at the airport exit lobby. You can book your taxi here.
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By Bus
You can catch a bus from Belfast International Airport at the front of the main terminal building.
The services available include the following:
Airport Shuttle – the Airport Express 300 operates every 15 to 20 minutes during the week and on weekends. You’ll find the bus stop opposite the terminal exit.
The journey to Belfast city center takes about 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. The one-way fare is £8, £11.50 return. You can buy tickets on the bus or from the tourist information desk in the Arrivals Hall.
Renting a Car at Belfast International Airport
There are 6 car rental companies at Belfast International Airport. They include Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, and National.
Transport from Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport is popular with many tourists who like its easy access to Kerry and Cork.
Here are the options for getting around this part of the country from Shannon.
By Taxi
Shannon Airport Taxis is the only cab company that provides cab services from Shannon Airport.
While most people rent cars at Shannon, there are some who prefer to take a taxi to their destination.
Visitors should book their taxi ahead of time by emailing [email protected]. The airport taxi desk is located in the Arrivals Hall.
The price of a taxi to the region’s popular attractions and cities are as follows:
- €28 to Bunratty
- €40-€50 to Limerick
- €130 to Galway
- €190 to Killarney
By Bus
Bus Eireann offers service from Shannon Airport to Limerick, Cork, and Galway. Once you get to those cities, you can then connect to other places on the Bus Eireann network, including Dublin.
The timetable for buses leaving Shannon Airport can be found here.
Tickets for Bus Eireann and Expressway can be purchased from the self-service kiosk in the Arrivals Hall or on the bus.
You can also avail of special tourist passes for travel on Bus Eireann.
The bus stop is outside the main terminal.
Renting a Car at Shannon Airport
There are 10 car rental companies located at Shannon Airport.
They include Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Europcar, Fox Rent a Car, Hertz, Thrifty, and Sixt.
Transport from Cork Airport
Cork Airport is most frequently used by European and U.K. travelers.
No flights currently go into Cork Airport from North America, Australia or elsewhere. The airport is approximately 5 miles (8.2 km) from Cork city center. The drive takes about 15 minutes.
By Taxi
You’ll find the taxi rank outside the terminal building. The taxi fare from Cork Airport to the city center is approximately €20.
By Bus
You can take a Bus Eireann bus from the airport to the city and to other destinations all over Ireland once you get to Parnell Place Bus Station in the city, as well as the Kent Railway Station. Buses leave from the front of the terminal building.
You can purchase your ticket on the bus or at the ticket machine located outside the terminal.
Renting a Car at Cork Airport
There are six car rental companies at Cork Airport. They include Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, and Sixt.