Ireland by rail

So if you’re thinking about visiting Ireland you’re probably wondering how to get around. Despite the deceptively small scale of this country, it takes quite a bit of doing to get from place to place and, if you’re headed from Dublin to another major city, you could do a lot worse than to take the train (you might want to read my last post about Irish rail).

So, what’s so great about trains? Well, I’ll tell ya: they’re comfortable. You can go for a walk between train cars. You can sit and play cards or blog on your laptop at your table. You can order sandwiches (which aren’t actually too bad) and pints (which are) from the dining car. Best of all, you won’t be held up by traffic or find yourself passing a large truck on a one-and-a-half-lane stone-wall-edged road with no shoulder.

Myself, the munchkin and the 15-year-old Vietnamese boy recently caught the train to Galway and were reminded of it’s comfort and convenience. A round-trip ticket from Athlone to Galway was only &euro14 – about the same as taking the bus. Not only did the journey take 2/3 of the time but we didn’t have to find parking and were able to chill auuuughhht on the way down. The baggage area is large enough for the Graco Deluxe Stroller we had with us and the seats are big enough for the munchkin to curl up in with a bottle.

The train map of Ireland can be awkward (as I mentioned in a previous blog entry) and the train times restrictive for travel (they tend to run infrequently), but it’s getting better. Believe it or not, their slogan for the last few years was, “A lot done, a lot more to do”. Seriously. In any case, if the rail map suits your plans, you could do a lot worse than to take the train and you’ll arrive far more relaxe than if you drove.

Irish rail is called Iarnrod Eireann in Irish and their website is www.irishrail.ie.