DART help

cjmcork

have never used the DART before, so have a number of queries.........

1. How much is it from Dun Laoghaire to Booterstown (and should I get a travel pass - will only be travelling Monday-Friday);
2. When I get off the Dart at Booterstown, how do I get to UCD? I know it's on foot, but where exactly do I turn when I leave the Booterstown Dart station?

Thanks

Ado86

Personally I wouldnt get a travel pass, I'd just buy a return ticket each day, it works out roughly the same. Otherwise its a 7 day ticket and you wouldnt gain much by getting one of those.

I think its nearer on foot from Sydney Parade station. When you come out of the station turn left and continue straight, up a pedestrian road. You'll come to the merrion shopping centre with Tesco infront of you. Cross the road and then turn right at St Vincents hospital. Walk straight up that road - tis quite long. You'll come to RTE on your right. At the big junction of N11 take a left. Continue along that road and you'll come to the flyover into UCD.

Its about a 20 minute walk in total. I think its about 25 mins from booterstown.

random_banter

Ado86 wrote: »

You'll come to RTE on your right. At the big junction of N11 take a left. Continue along that road and you'll come to the flyover into UCD.

Alternatively when you get to the big junction at the N11 at RTE, go striaght across the junction into what looks like a housing estate (well is is.. but..) and walk striaght to the end of the road.. theres a pedestrian gate here that brings you into the back of UCD (near the playing pitches and health sciences, student centre and sports centre) .. and is much quicker especially if youre aiming to be in a building around there.

cjmcork

i'm currently getting the 46a - would i nearly be faster to get that - cos it drops me to the gate and I'm near the Tierney building?

bright

I think he means Sydney parade instead of sandymount. I would seriously recommend staying with the 46a. While the dart maybe marginally faster, the time is doubled when you factor in the walk up Nutley lane.

cjmcork

you're probably right - thanks for the advice.........

Raphael

What I did at one point, when I was commuting from Glenageary, was leave my bike at the dart station. I got the dart to there, got on my bike ans cycled up to college. Was decent enough.

cjmcork

sorry now for being thick - did you leave your bike at the dart station overnight or take it on the dart with you...........?

Breezer

No bikes on the Dart, Ireland could never cope with something as intelligent as that. Dunno about leaving it overnight, although it could hardly be dodgier than leaving it in UCD for the day.

You're coming from Dun Laoghaire right? The Dart is far faster than the 46a in the mornings. 46a can take up to 45 mins, including the walk from Booterstown (same distance from UCD as Sydney Parade and marginally quicker to get to from Dun Laoghaire) you're talking 30 for the Dart. You also don't have the infuriating situation of buses that left after your bus overtaking your bus when it's pulled in

But if you're in Dun Laoghaire town the bus is door to door, very handy when it's raining!

Directions from Booterstown: Walk up to the main road (Rock Road). Turn right. Take the third left, just before the Tara Towers hotel (it's called Trimelston Road or Avenue or something). Right at the tiny roundabout, then just keep going straight and you'll come out at the flyover.

I don't know how much it costs these days, it used to be about €3.20 return from Glenageary last year so you're probably looking at about €3.40. The student ticket with the travelcard works out the same if you're only going in and out once a day, but it does let you use the Dart whenever you want (thought depending on the one you get you might have to specify the stations it covers).

cjmcork

guys thanks for the responses - might wait till I more settled to start getting the Dart - and when the weather's a bit more dependable.............thanks again for the info

Jonny Arson

yeah, Sydeny Parade is slightly closer to campus. its a 25 minute walk from Sydney Parade to the UCD entrance, grand walk when its sunny, horrific when bucketing down with rain. the number 2 and 3 buses also go from Sydney Parade to UCD (neither are particularly reliable) incase you end up using a bus and rail ticket for whatever reason

there is a fare matrix here if you want to calculate what price a rail ticket is from the various stations - http://www.railusers.ie/passenger_info/fares_matrix.php#G

Raphael

You CAN bring a bike on the dart, but only if you get a nice guy at the desk and are really off-peak.

I left mine at the station, with 2 locks on it (each going through a wheel, the frame, and a fence) and took the saddle with me. Didn't have a problem in the month or so I was doing it.

Breezer

Raphael wrote: »

You CAN bring a bike on the dart, but only if you get a nice guy at the desk and are really off-peak.

News to me, good to see we're kind of thinking about maybe taking steps towards having a decent public transport system as long as the staff are nice though

Jonny Arson wrote:

ts a 25 minute walk from Sydney Parade to the UCD entrance

Either you walk slowly or I walk fast, I would've said 15-20

Raphael

Afaik, there's no policy on it. THe time I did it, twas late at night and the guy just said "Yeah, go ahead." after I told him which station I was going to. (Booterstown has no people after a certain time)

abelard

I think that it actually depends where you want to go on campus as to whether Booterstown or Sydney Parade is better.

If you want to go to Health Sciences, Science, Student Centre, Gym etc, then go to Sydney Parade. If it's Quinn, Roebuck, Residences etc then go to Booterstown.

I find the best way from Booterstown is the following (bit complicated);
From the station begin walking up Booterstown avenue. Take the second right after the church and continue down that road, right to the end and through the gate in the wall. Turn left and continue up that road, you now come out across the front lawn of the Radisson hotel, so cross it and go through the front gate and you're just across from Foster's avenue. Then if going to Roebuck, enter by the Fosters avenue entrance. If going somewhere else, cross the dual carriage way, walk towards the flyover and enter in the gap in the fence on front of Nova UCD, cut around the back of Glenomena and head up into campus from there.

lizzyvera

Some people keep a crappy bike at Sydney Parade, it's a relatively flat cycle. It takes me less than ten minutes including locking my bike up to get to the science hub.
It's a much nicer and shorter walk/cycle from Sydney Parade if you go up the little road opposite RTE and in through the entrance near health science.
I personally hate buses and never take them because you can unexpectedly have to wait 20 minutes sometimes or get stuck in traffic, DARTs are almost always on time, especially at off peak times.

I'd also rather the extra mile and a half walk to sitting on a bus for that time, it's exercise and it wakes me up.