Guide · Car-free

Day trips from Dublin by train

You do not need a car to see Ireland. Trains run from Dublin to the coast, the south, the west and across the border, and guided rail tours add coaches at the far end. Here is how day trips from Dublin by train really work.

Check availabilityfrom $172 · free cancellation

Editorial team, dublindaytrip.comUpdated October 18, 20266-minute read25 sources

The tour that goes with it Rail Tour: The Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle Tour 4.8 (149 reviews) 1 day from$172per person Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

The short answer

01Coast: The DART reaches Howth in under 30 minutes.¹
02Cities: Belfast, Cork and Galway are each about 2.5 hours by train.²
03Guided rail tour: Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty by train, from $172.
04Mountains: St Kevin's bus reaches Glendalough in an hour.³
05Northern Ireland: Buy tickets at the station or on the train.⁴

Why the train works so well from Dublin

Ireland's rail network spreads out from Dublin like the spokes of a wheel, which makes the capital a natural base for car-free travel. Intercity journeys rarely take longer than 2.5 hours, so even the far west is within reach for a long day out.⁵ You avoid driving on the left, narrow country roads and city parking, and you can read, sleep or watch the fields roll past. On a train you can also stand up, stretch and walk to the toilet whenever you like.

Dublin has two main rail stations for day trips. Heuston serves the south and west, including Cork, Galway and Killarney, while Connolly serves Belfast and the coastal DART line. Knowing which one your train leaves from saves a stressful dash across the city in the morning.

There are three kinds of trip to consider: short hops on the DART along Dublin Bay, independent days to another city on the InterCity, and guided rail tours where a coach meets the train and drives you to sights the rails do not reach. All three are good day trips from Dublin without a car.

Rail tour

The Cliffs of Moher by train

06:40

Heuston

Check in beside the customer service desk.
Morning

InterCity to Limerick

Then a short tour of the city.
Late morning

Bunratty

Castle and Folk Village, admission included.
Lunch

Doolin

A traditional pub stop.
Afternoon

Cliffs and Burren

The cliffs, then the limestone and Galway Bay.
9:00 PM

Back at Heuston

The train from Galway arrives in Dublin.

The DART: Howth, Malahide and the bay

The DART runs from Howth and Malahide in north Dublin right into the heart of the city.⁶ From Connolly, Tara Street or Pearse Street it reaches Howth in under 30 minutes, so a morning at the seaside needs no planning at all.¹

In Howth, the Cliff Path Loop starts at the village station and takes about 2 hours over 7.8 km.⁷ Malahide, on the northern branch, has a castle that was home to the Talbot family for over 800 years, with gardens to wander afterward.⁸ You can do both in one day by changing at Howth Junction.

South of the city the line follows the shore past Dún Laoghaire to the seaside towns of Wicklow. These short trips cost little, run often and make an easy first taste of Irish trains before you commit to a longer ride. Sit on the sea side of the carriage for the best views of the bay.

Journey times

Hours by train on the main routes

hours

Typical journey times published by Tourism Ireland; check the live timetable for your train.²

Car-free

Where you can go without a car

Destination	How	Time each way	Guided option
Howth	DART	under 30 min	Coach tour
Glendalough	St Kevin's bus	1 hour	Coach tour
Galway	InterCity train	about 2.5 hrs	Rail tour via Limerick
Cork	InterCity train	about 2.5 hrs	Rail tour with Cobh
Belfast	Enterprise train	about 2.5 hrs	Coach tours

Times from Tourism Ireland and Discover Ireland; guided options from GetYourGuide listings.¹ ³ ² ⁹

Rail tours

Three guided days by train

Best rated

Cliffs and Bunratty

Train to Limerick, coach west

Length: 1 day
Rating: 4.75
Price: from $172

Check dates

Far southwest

Ring of Kerry

Train to Killarney

Length: 1 day
Back: 21:15
Price: from $172

Check dates

Dublin: Full-Day Tour to Cork, Cobh and Blarney Castle

South coast

Cork, Cobh, Blarney

Train to Cork

Length: 1 day
Rating: 4.50
Price: from $172

Check dates

Decision helper

Which car-free trip suits you?

Pick the time you want to spend traveling

Half a day by the sea A city on your own The Cliffs of Moher, no driving Mountains and a monastery Across the border

DART to Howth

Under 30 minutes from the center.¹

InterCity to Galway or Cork

About 2.5 hours each way.²

Rail tour via Limerick

Train, coach, Bunratty and the cliffs.

St Kevin's bus

Glendalough in an hour.³

Enterprise to Belfast

The quickest way between the two cities.⁹

The train is great for intercity travel with journeys rarely taking longer than 2.5 hours.

Tourism Ireland (Ireland.com)Source 5

InterCity trains to Galway, Cork and Belfast

For a bigger day, the InterCity trains reach Belfast, Cork and Galway in about 2.5 hours each.² That leaves most of the day on the ground if you take an early train out and an evening train back, enough to explore the center of each city on foot.

In Galway you arrive at Ceannt station, right in the city center just off Eyre Square, so you are walking down Shop Street within minutes.¹⁰ For Belfast, the Enterprise train runs between Dublin Connolly and Belfast Lanyon Place and is generally the quickest way between the two cities.⁹ Cork's Kent station is a short walk from the city center over the river. Each of these cities is compact enough that you will not need a bus or taxi once you arrive.

One practical difference matters at the border. Rail tickets can be prebooked online in the Republic of Ireland, but in Northern Ireland they must be bought at the station or on the train.⁴ Visitors who need one should also have an ETA before crossing into Northern Ireland, which applies on a train just as on a coach.¹¹

Map

Where the day trips from Dublin go

The big tours cross the whole island; the coast towns and the stations sit within the city's reach.

Map of Ireland with Dublin, the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, the Giant's Causeway, Belfast, Glendalough, Kilkenny, Newgrange, the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle and Killarney — Across Ireland

Map of Dublin Bay with Connolly and Heuston stations, Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse, Howth, Malahide Castle, Dún Laoghaire and Dublin Port — Dublin and its coast

1
Dublin city centre
Day trips leave from the city centre, and the Cliffs of Moher tour drops you back at 12 Aston Quay in Temple Bar.
In Google Maps ↗
2
Cliffs of Moher
The cliffs stretch for 14 km and rise to over 200 m at O'Brien's Tower.¹²
In Google Maps ↗
3
Galway
Trains from Dublin take about 2.5 hours and stop at Galway Ceannt, just off Eyre Square.² ¹⁰
In Google Maps ↗
4
Giant's Causeway
Over 40,000 basalt columns, formed some 60 million years ago.¹³
In Google Maps ↗
5
Belfast City Hall
Causeway day tours stop near City Hall for around 1.5 hours.
In Google Maps ↗
6
Glendalough
A monastery founded in the sixth century; St Kevin's bus gets there from the city in an hour.¹⁴ ³
In Google Maps ↗
7
Kilkenny Castle
A twelfth-century castle, later the principal seat of the Butlers.¹⁵
In Google Maps ↗
8
Newgrange
A passage tomb built around 3200 BC, entered on a guided tour only.¹⁶ ¹⁷
In Google Maps ↗
9
Rock of Cashel
Brian Boru was crowned High King here in 978.¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
10
Blarney Castle
In Blarney village, 8 km northwest of Cork city.¹⁹
In Google Maps ↗
11
Killarney
The gateway to Killarney National Park and the 179 km Ring of Kerry.²⁰
In Google Maps ↗
12
Connolly Station
Enterprise trains to Belfast leave from here, and the DART reaches Howth in under 30 minutes.⁹ ¹
In Google Maps ↗
13
Heuston Station
The rail day tours to the Cliffs of Moher and the Ring of Kerry check in here at 6:40 in the morning.
In Google Maps ↗
14
Trinity College
Home of the Book of Kells, a 1,200-year-old manuscript.²¹
In Google Maps ↗
15
Guinness Storehouse
Visit Dublin suggests planning 2 to 3 hours here.²²
In Google Maps ↗
16
Howth
The cliff path loop from the DART station is 7.8 km and takes about 2 hours.⁷
In Google Maps ↗
17
Malahide Castle
Home to the Talbot family for over 800 years.⁸
In Google Maps ↗
18
Dún Laoghaire
Cruise passengers can pick up a rail ticket into the city at the DoDublin kiosk by the harbour.
In Google Maps ↗
19
Dublin Port
Ferries from Holyhead dock here; buses reach the centre in about 20 minutes.²³
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Before a rail day

Tickets

Prebook in the Republic, buy at the station in Northern Ireland⁴
An ETA if you cross into Northern Ireland¹¹
Rail tours check in at 06:40

On board

A charged phone for e-tickets
A snack and a drink
Your last train home, noted in advance

Cost calculator

Rail tours for your group

See what a guided rail day costs for everyone.

Cliffs and Bunratty1 dayfrom $172 Ring of Kerry1 dayfrom $172 Cork and Cobh1 dayfrom $172

People 2

Total from$343

per head from $172

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Totals multiply the starting price GetYourGuide lists by your party size, shown in your chosen currency at the ECB rate; checkout confirms the final sum.

Video

On the cross-border train from Dublin to Belfast

The YouTube player stays switched off until you press play, then streams through youtube-nocookie.

Guided rail tours: the Cliffs of Moher by train

Some sights lie far from any station, and that is where guided rail tours come in. The one this page recommends checks in at 06:40 at Dublin Heuston and takes the InterCity train to Limerick. A coach then runs a short tour of Limerick before heading to Bunratty Castle and Folk Village, with admission included.

Lunch is at a pub in Doolin, and the afternoon takes in the Cliffs of Moher, the bare limestone of the Burren and the road along Galway Bay into Galway city. From Galway you take the train back, arriving at Heuston at 9:00 PM. It is a long day, but you spend the longest legs on a train rather than a coach.

The tour runs Monday to Saturday, starts from $172 and holds 4.75 from 149 reviews, with the guide and the transportation both scored 4.8. It cannot accommodate wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

More rail tours: Kerry and Cork

The same format reaches the far southwest. The Ring of Kerry rail tour checks in at 6:40am at Heuston for the 07:00 train to Killarney, then tours Moll's Gap, Ladies View and the Lakes of Killarney by coach before the train back, arriving in Dublin at 21:15. It starts from $172 and holds 4.40.

For the south coast, a Cork rail tour meets at 06:40 at the Heuston customer service desk, rides the InterCity to Cork, visits Blarney Castle and Cork city, and continues to Cobh and the Queenstown Story heritage centre. It starts from $172, holds 4.50 and runs Monday to Saturday.

All three rail tours cost more than the coach equivalents, but they spare you the longest drives and give you a reserved train seat and food for sale on board. On a day this long, that comfort can be worth the difference. Book them early in summer, when the morning departures are in demand.

By public transport bus

Not every trip needs a train. Glendalough, the monastic valley in the Wicklow Mountains, is an hour from Dublin city center on St Kevin's bus, which makes it one of the easiest day trips from Dublin by public transport.³ The bus leaves from the city center, and the ride through the hills is a scenic trip in itself.

From Galway, Bus Éireann Route 350 links the city with the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre in around 2 hours, which works well if you stay overnight in the west.²⁴ Buses also run between Dublin and Galway, with journey times similar to the train.²⁵

Buses are slower than trains for long distances, and timetables in rural areas can be sparse, so check the last departure back before you set out. For anything beyond Glendalough, a train or a guided tour is usually the more reliable choice for a single day.

Tips for rail days out

Leave early. The first trains of the morning give you the most time at your destination, and the guided rail tours all check in before 7 in the morning at Heuston. Know which station you need the night before, and allow time to get there. A short coffee at the station before departure is a pleasant way to start.

Book ahead in the Republic, especially for weekend and summer trains, but remember that tickets in Northern Ireland are sold at the station or on board.⁴ Bring a charged phone for e-tickets, a light snack and a book for the ride. A rail pass can make sense if you plan several train days during your stay, so compare it with single tickets.

Plan your return first and work backward. Missing the last train home from Galway or Cork is the one real risk of a car-free day, so set an alarm for leaving the pub, the castle or the beach in good time.

Plan your west