Is it possible to get around Southwest Ireland using public buses? We would rather not rent a car. Want to spend time wandering around Kilkenny, Cashel, Kenmare, parts of Cork. Can we get from Kilkenny to Cork easily by bus routes? How about from Killarny to Shannon? Any advice on bus travel is appreciated.
I will assume a Dublin Arrival and Shannon departure?
Dublin to Kilkenny is straightforward, from Kilkenny I might go to Waterford, from there to Cork.
Killarney would make more sense than Kenmare by public transport.
Killarney to Shannon Airport requires a change in Limerick and there is a bus from there to the Oakwood Arms in Shannon which would be a good last night stay and taxi down the road to the Airport.
Question is where in rural Cork? Cashel from Cork is easy on the 8X (Dublin)bus but other places and getting around from those?
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Two rules for Ireland, Take your time & bring a sense of humour
Tony has you well sorted. The link he provided is an excellent tool for routing by public transport.
As he said though, there are MANY worth-while parts of Ireland that are exceedingly difficult to visit without a car. Also the time of year, trip duration, your interests and budget would also factor in.
There is a rail connection from Dublin to Kilkenny.
There are regular buses from Cork to Blarney, organized buses to Midelton (for the Distillery) and train connections to Cobh and Killarney. Cork also has a Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour Bus.
Irish Rail http://www.irishrail.ie/ offers Online-Only special advance ticket specials on a First-Come, First-served basis, up to 28 days in advance.
Killarney hosts numerous Tour Companies and a local Shuttle Bus.
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Bob
Help Us to Help You. The more you tell us about your plans (dates, interests, budget), the better we can tailor our advice to suit!
Ditto to the above advice from Tony and Bob. How many days do you have? Keep in mind that doing lots of public transportation will take time. Look at the websites and see what looks realistic for your journey. Let us know if we can help in any other way.
Bethany , I have just returned from a bus trip to Ireland and it was great.
Actually I used the bus to move from city to city and not for touring around. I went from Dublin (straight from the airport ) to Galway. Then from Galway to Killarney ( with a change in Limerick). After that from Killarney to Cork and finally from Cork to Dublin. I always took Bus Éireann buses and really enjoyed the experience. They were punctual and comfortable and also had free wi-fi . There are deals on the web where you can get your ticket for 8 euros www.buseireannexpressway.com/. They also have day tours or other services you can be interested in www.buseireann.ie/inner.php.
Marcelo.