Travel Information
Travel information below in getting to the JCI Ireland National Convention
Dublin International Airport
Airport Dublin Airport is Ireland's largest airport. It is located on the northern outskirts of Dublin city. Travel time to/from Galway varies between 3 hours (at the early hours of the morning) and 5 hours (peak traffic hours). CityLink and GoBus operate a bus service from Galway direct to the Airport. See http://www.dublinairport.com/ for more information.
Shannon International Airport
Shannon International Airport is the nearest international airport to Galway city. The airport is located on the Limerick Road about 1 hour drive from Galway City. CityLink and Bus Éireann operate a daily service to/from the airport. Shannon airport has regular services to European destinations and to the United States. Facilities include long term car parking and free WiFi (wireless internet). Its long 3200m runway can facilitate any aircraft and is designated one of several emergency landing sites for the US Space Shuttle. See http://www.shannonairport.com/ for more information.
Knock International Airport
Airport Knock Airport map Officially named "Ireland West Airport, Knock" and was formerly the Horan International Airport. The Airport was established in the 1980s following a campaign by Monsignor James Horan from the nearby Marian Shrine of Knock. The airport was intended to revitalize the local economy which at the time suffered high unemployment rates. It was also to facilitate pilgrims to the Knock Shrine. The airport opened in May 1986. It now boasts a regular schedule to several international destinations handling over 300,000 passengers annually. The runway is a 2300m concrete runway capable of landing Boeing 747 aircraft. Visit http://www.knockairport.com/ for more information.
Rail travel to/from Galway
The Irish Rail Network The train is the ideal way of traveling from Dublin to Galway. The journey time is about 3 hours. A bar and restaurant service is available on most trains. Return trip tickets vary from €25 - €40 depending on the the time of week. The Dublin/Galway train departs from Heuston Station Dublin and terminates at Ceannt Station in Galway (located near Eyre Square behind the Great Southern Hotel). Towns serviced on the route include Kildare, Tullamore, Athlone, Ballinasloe and Athenry. The Dublin/Galway route is currently the only direct rail route to Galway.
Bus travel to/from Galway
Bus travel is the most frequent and cheapest transport to/from Galway thanks to healthy competition between Bus Éireann (a state owned bus company) and private operators such as CityLink and GoBus. There are regular services throughout the day, every day, from Galway to all other major cities in Ireland. CityLink & GoBus operates services to/from to Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport.
Estimated travel time by road (Bus or Car)
| Route | Off-peak travel time | Peak hours travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Galway - Dublin | 2.2 hours | 3 hours |
| Galway - Dublin Airport | 2.5 hours | 3 hours |
| Galway - Shannon Airport | 1.3 hour | 1.5 hours |
| Galway - Limerick | 1.2 hours | 1.5 hours |
| Galway - Cork | 2.5 hours | 3.0 hours |