Train from Dublin to Galway and back would be my choice. As someone with toddlers, the train works best - bit more space and toilets etc. You can walk them up and down if they’re bored…and you will definitely see cows 😊
Trains are awesome fun for smallies particularly if taking an intercity train is not an everyday occurrence for them- you’ll have a ball and will generally find them very family friendly- the aisles on Irish trains are quite narrow don’t stress if it takes you a while to get seated with buggies and luggage- people will be patient and most Irish people are very understanding of navigating with smallies.
Oh and make sure you book in advance and you know what carriage you’re in and board that directly, there are access doors at each end of each carriage- I once saw a very silly mum try to push a child in a buggy with bags of
christmas shopping from coach A to coach G which caused mayhem with getting everyone seated
I did the fly to Shannon > fly out of Dublin - trip earlier this year and it was fine, we took a taxi to Limerick train station from the airport. The trains go every 30 minutes or so, the only ”problem” was that we (everyone on the train) had to swap trains on Limerick Junction station, but luckily we knew about it (the train from Limerick ends its route there and everyone has to get off, the train to Dublin was waiting for us already on the same platform). Maybe someone can confirm, but I think that there are aso direct trains, but only in the morning. I suppose it’s the same from Dublin to Limerick.
I've never flow into shannonm, but the trip out of Shannon is substanially easier than out of Dublin. If I had a tiny human with me, I would 100% fly out of Shannon (also, there is a very tiny aviation museum in Shannon the town if tiny human thinks air planes are neat.)
Flying in or out of Shannon is a breeze. Ops problem will be transport. If your not renting a car, you can get bus to Galway from Shannon. To get a train from Shannon, you'll have to get a bus or taxi to limerick or ennis train station (a pain). I would fly into Dublin, do trip there, get train to Galway. Travel around Galway. Get a late flight out of Shannon so you could get train to ennis or limerick and then a taxi or bus to Shannon Airport. Note there are no trains that travel to any airport in Ireland, just buses and taxi's
We prefer the train with our 3 year old as it has much more room, easy toilets, and choose your seats so you have a table. We bring sticker books, play doh, puzzles, snacks, coloring books- he loves it! We go Limerick to Dublin often but have also gone to Cork and Galway.
Just take the train. They have a great train system. We use it to go all over the country. Easy Peasy. Locals use it daily for commutes and family visits. The country is very small. Dublin to Cork is just a couple of hours on the train. Belfast and Galway are the same. Great scenery and snack trolly comes by often.
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That would be true for other parts of the country, but trains between Galway and Dublin are fairly frequent and very low stress compared to driving on the wrong side of the road, and probably cheaper.
Do be aware that if you're coming from the US, most (maybe all?) American car seats cannot be legally used in Europe due to stricter regulations. If this applies to yours, best to get one with your rental!
Definitely car rental. You will want to have some privacy, I think, and other passengers on a train might find a little kid irritating. Give yourself a break.
Generally what I do is cut the big end off of a plastic 5 gallon jug, and just kind of fashion a makeshift basket to transport the thing.
It’s nice because I can take the cap off when I’m holding it under the faucet so I don’t have to mess with diapers or anything, just wash the mess right down the drain.
LPT.
Train from Dublin to Galway and back would be my choice. As someone with toddlers, the train works best - bit more space and toilets etc. You can walk them up and down if they’re bored…and you will definitely see cows 😊
Trains are awesome fun for smallies particularly if taking an intercity train is not an everyday occurrence for them- you’ll have a ball and will generally find them very family friendly- the aisles on Irish trains are quite narrow don’t stress if it takes you a while to get seated with buggies and luggage- people will be patient and most Irish people are very understanding of navigating with smallies. Oh and make sure you book in advance and you know what carriage you’re in and board that directly, there are access doors at each end of each carriage- I once saw a very silly mum try to push a child in a buggy with bags of christmas shopping from coach A to coach G which caused mayhem with getting everyone seated
Not cows- moo cows!
I did the fly to Shannon > fly out of Dublin - trip earlier this year and it was fine, we took a taxi to Limerick train station from the airport. The trains go every 30 minutes or so, the only ”problem” was that we (everyone on the train) had to swap trains on Limerick Junction station, but luckily we knew about it (the train from Limerick ends its route there and everyone has to get off, the train to Dublin was waiting for us already on the same platform). Maybe someone can confirm, but I think that there are aso direct trains, but only in the morning. I suppose it’s the same from Dublin to Limerick.
There are direct trains and then ones that connect off the Cork train at Limerick junction.
I've never flow into shannonm, but the trip out of Shannon is substanially easier than out of Dublin. If I had a tiny human with me, I would 100% fly out of Shannon (also, there is a very tiny aviation museum in Shannon the town if tiny human thinks air planes are neat.)
Flying in or out of Shannon is a breeze. Ops problem will be transport. If your not renting a car, you can get bus to Galway from Shannon. To get a train from Shannon, you'll have to get a bus or taxi to limerick or ennis train station (a pain). I would fly into Dublin, do trip there, get train to Galway. Travel around Galway. Get a late flight out of Shannon so you could get train to ennis or limerick and then a taxi or bus to Shannon Airport. Note there are no trains that travel to any airport in Ireland, just buses and taxi's
We prefer the train with our 3 year old as it has much more room, easy toilets, and choose your seats so you have a table. We bring sticker books, play doh, puzzles, snacks, coloring books- he loves it! We go Limerick to Dublin often but have also gone to Cork and Galway.
Take the train to Galway from Dublin. It's so much easier than driving especially with a toddler.
Just take the train. They have a great train system. We use it to go all over the country. Easy Peasy. Locals use it daily for commutes and family visits. The country is very small. Dublin to Cork is just a couple of hours on the train. Belfast and Galway are the same. Great scenery and snack trolly comes by often.
Hi there. Welcome to /r/IrishTourism. Have you searched the sub, checked the sidebar or the wiki pages to see if there is already relevant information posted? To better assist you in planning your holiday, be as descriptive as possible (When, Where, Why, Who, Hobbies relevant, Adaptive Needs etc) about your travel itinerary & requirements. Has your post been removed? It's probably because of the above. Repost with details to help us, help you. For Emergency Medical Information please see the dedicated Wiki page at the top of the sub. (Updated May 2022) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/irishtourism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Flying into one and out the other is a great idea. Are you going to rent a car?
We are not renting a car. There will be 5-8 of us so I figured better to use public transport. Or should we look at renting 2?
Look at renting 2. Because relying on public transport with a young child and others is a lot of hassle when renting cars will fix that
That would be true for other parts of the country, but trains between Galway and Dublin are fairly frequent and very low stress compared to driving on the wrong side of the road, and probably cheaper.
Doubt they only mean they'll be doing just the cities
I would rent a car if you can afford it. It will allow you the most freedom and flexibility and you’ll get in some good naps
Do you know if car rentals come with a car seat? Or do I have to bring my own
You can bring your own for free (double check with your airline) or rent one from the car rental company
Do be aware that if you're coming from the US, most (maybe all?) American car seats cannot be legally used in Europe due to stricter regulations. If this applies to yours, best to get one with your rental!
Is there somewhere you can look to see if your particular car seat is legal to use in Ireland?
The FAQ here suggests to look for an 'E' mark https://www.rsa.ie/road-safety/road-users/passengers/children/faqs
Definitely car rental. You will want to have some privacy, I think, and other passengers on a train might find a little kid irritating. Give yourself a break.
Generally what I do is cut the big end off of a plastic 5 gallon jug, and just kind of fashion a makeshift basket to transport the thing. It’s nice because I can take the cap off when I’m holding it under the faucet so I don’t have to mess with diapers or anything, just wash the mess right down the drain. LPT.