Dublin might be the capital, but for many Galway is the city of their heart.
Known for its vibrant nightlife and world-class culinary food scene, Galway is located along the west coast of our famous Emerald Isle.
By population count, it is the sixth biggest city here, with approximately 80,000 residents in the area, and in 2020 was voted as the joint European Capital of Culture, alongside Rijeka in Croatia.
Galway also features heavily in The Arts, with many poets associated with the city, and it is home to the James Hardiman Library which holds several significant collections, including the Brendan Duddy Papers on the Northern Ireland conflict.
The journey between Galway and Dublin is well trodden by natives, from east to west and vice versa, but if you’re visiting then we’ll give you all the details you need to know!
How Far is Galway from Dublin?
In terms of distance, Galway is 116 miles away from Dublin and approximately 130 miles by road.
If we’re to assume that you’re driving, you can generally do this journey in approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.
Travelling by Car
If you’re intending on travelling between the two cities by car the good news is that they’re well linked by the M6 and M4 motorways. As you will be spending the majority of the journey on either the M6 or M4 motorways it makes for a straightforward trip.
In terms of distance, using this route is the shortest in terms of distance and the total road distance between the two cities is approximately 128 miles, meaning a car journey of around 2 hours and 30 minutes.
One other important factor to note is that when using this route there are toll charges applied to the M6 motorway, and you will be expected to pay for a standard car passing through at peak times – between 7am and 7pm on weekdays and 5am to 7pm on weekends. The prices vary depending on time of day and also depending on what type of vehicle you’re using to travel.
There is also another way of driving from Galway to Dublin which uses the M7 motorway. This route is substantially longer than the M6 and M4 routes, and even though there are no toll charges you can expect the journey to take over 3 hours even though the distance is only around 15 miles longer.
Travelling by Train
Taking the train from Galway to Dublin is an excellent option.
The train station is located in the very centre of Galway and trains for Dublin depart every 2 hours. In terms of travel time, taking the train also compares very well to driving, with the train journey taking the same amount of time as the shortest car journey, meaning you don’t have to stress about driving or worry about accidents en route to Dublin.
As for pricing, an adult single from Galway to Dublin Heuston will cost €29 ($31 / £25), whilst a return comes in at only €32.
A family day return ticket is also decently priced at €59 ($63 / £51) meaning it’s as cost-effective to catch the train between the two cities as driving, especially when you take into account the toll costs of the shortest car journey.
Cycling
We understand that many people might not choose cycling as a method of travelling over 100 miles between Galway and Dublin, but for some it might be the perfect way of travel.
The chance to take in the lush green scenery as you travel across our Emerald Isle by bike could be too good to turn down for some.
We’d probably recommend attempting this cycle route in the warmer months of the year, anywhere between April and September would be fine, with the most daylight, and you can expect the journey to take around 12 hours if you’re travelling at a steady pace of around 10mph.
Travelling by Bus
Another excellent mode of public transport which you can use to travel between Galway and Dublin is via bus.
The bus departs every hour from Galway Coach Station and travels directly to Dublin in approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes and you will arrive at Dublin Station.
There are numerous bus operators, including Citylink and Go bus, both of which provide an economical method of travel between the two cities, with prices costing as little as €12 depending on the service you choose and your time of travel.
We hope this helps with your travel plans between Galway and Dublin.
If you are planning to visit us, then a trip to both Galway and Dublin should be part of your itinerary as both cities offer all the craic, history and Guinness you might hope for!
