Travel advice - Heuston Station to Malahide

Ohoopee

Hello everyone. I live in Kerry but am originally from the United States. I usually fly back to the States for Christmas. When I do this, I take the train from Killarney to Dublin Heuston Station and then get a taxi from the train station to one of the airport hotels, I also sometimes stay at this little hotel near St. Stephens Green. Anyway. last year I took the trip up to Dublin, spent the night and went to the airport the next morning just to learn that my flight had been canceled. I have family that works for Delta Airlines so I was flying standby for cheap...so the airline would not compensate me for my canceled flight. I rang the hotel that I stayed at the night before and they were all full, I also rang a few others that I have stayed at before...they were full as well. Apparently there was a big concert going on. So I went up to the tourism office at Dublin Airport and explained my situation and asked if they could help me find a place to stay the night. They found me this lovely B and B in Malahide, only a 2.60 Euro bus trip away. I loved it and would like to make it my normal top over spot when I have to fly back to the states as my flight usually leaves early in the morning. My question is, what is the best and most cost effective way for me to get from Heuston Station to Malahide? It is easy from the airport but I am not sure how to go about it from Heuston Station. I know I could always get a taxi but there is no telling how much that would cost. I know there is a train station in Malahide but would rather take a bus as there is a bus stop literally right in front of the B and B and the train station is on the other side of town. Can I get a bus at Heuston Station to Malahide? If not, where is the closest place for me to get one?

Victor

Put your exact locations (Heuston Station and B&B) and relevant dates and times into www.a-b.ie and tweak the settings. Make sure you have selected "take neighbouring stops into account for origin and destination maximum 20 min walk" - or however far you want to walk with luggage. If you want, you can also select the taxi option.

You don't mention the name or location of the B&B in Malahide. You could get a Luas tram from outside Heuston Station to Busáras Luas stop (about 13 minutes), walk around the corner to Amiens Street to [urlhttp://www.dublinbus.ie/en/RTPI/Sources-of-Real-Time-Information/?searchtype=view&searchquery=497]Bus Stop No. 497[/url] and get Dublin Bus route 42 to Malahide (about 45 minutes). However, the 42 doesn't serve to Coast Road in Malahide, which I suspect is where your B&B would be. If that is the case, get route 32 from the same Bus Stop No. 497.

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/32/ (24 departures per day, less at weekends)
http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/422/ (39 departures per day, less at weekends)

Bus and/or tram should costs less than €4 total. Cheaper with Leap Card, but I suspect it would be rare that you would use one.

A taxi the whole way should cost about €20-35 depending on circumstances: http://www.transportforireland.ie/taxi/taxi-fare-estimator/ Make sure driver goes via Drumcondra or Fairview, not the Phoenix Park or Finglas.

Ohoopee

Thank you, I was unaware of that website. I'll give it a look now. Yes you are indeed correct. The B and B I stayed at last time was on the Coast Road in an area called Biscayne and is on the opposite side of town from the train station. It is actually about a ten minute walk from the center of town which I don't really know if I would want to do with luggage or not...I would if I had to.

I look into the bus routes you recommended and the websites. I appreciate the advice.

One more question. I am assuming that I can pay for the Dart and the Laus with cash? I hardly ever go to Dublin, in fact I usually only go to Dublin to go to the airport so I don't know much about the local transportation. Do I need coins or can I pay with notes?

Victor

Ohoopee wrote: »

The B and B I stayed at last time was on the Coast Road in an area called Biscayne

So get route 32.

Route 102 to the airport will use the same stops. Just make sure you are on the correct side of the road when heading to the airport.

and is on the opposite side of town from the train station.

The trains station is right in the middle of the town. http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/53.4502/-6.1552

Ohoopee

Wow I wonder how much of Malahide I missed last time?!?! I walked into town from the B and B but didn't go any further than the train station and the castle. I am considering doing what that website you recommended said a-b dot ie and take the Luas...I have never taken that before. How is traveling on the Luas? Is it easy to identify where you are when it stops? What I am asking is, I don't really know Dublin that well so will I have a hard time being able to tell when it is time for me to get off? Same with Dart?
That price is just too cheap for me not to try. Plus, I can always get a taxi at the Malahide train station...surely they have them if I am too tired (after the 45 minute bus ride to Killarney, 3 and a half hour train trip to Dublin and however long it takes for me to get to Malahide) to walk to Biscyane.

n97 mini

All the stops are announced on the Luas and DART, but you can see the signs out the window anyway. Luas, despite meaning "speed" is quite eh leisurely. Depending on where the Luas is going get off at Connolly or Busarus (if it's going to The Point) for Connolly station where you can get a DART. There is no integrated ticketing between them.

Google also knows public transport and is far less clunky than a-b.ie.

Here is what it says.

Victor

Ohoopee wrote: »

How is traveling on the Luas? Is it easy to identify where you are when it stops? What I am asking is, I don't really know Dublin that well so will I have a hard time being able to tell when it is time for me to get off?

Buy a single ticket from one of the machines (having some small changes is handy, but changes is given) and get any tram (every few minutes) heading towards The Point or Connolly. There are no ticket barriers. There is a route map over each door on the tram indicating the stops and audible announcements just before the stops.

If getting tram and train, note that not every tram serves Connolly Station, so check the destination on the platform displays / front of tram.

Same with Dart?

Slightly different. You can use Tara Street (Abbey Street Luas) or Connolly (Busáras or Connolly Luas, whichever gets you closest) stations.

Buy a single ticket from the ticket office or one of the Irish Rail ticket machines and get any DART heading towards Malahide (terminus). Many trains to Drogheda or Dundalk also stop at Malahide. There are ticket barriers. There is a route map over each door on the train, electronic displays indicating the stops and audible announcements just before the stops. However, **sometimes** the electronic displays and audible announcements are **wrong**, so check the signs on the platforms. Alternatively, get a DART towards Howth and get off at Sutton. You can then get route 102 to the B&B - it operates Sutton-B&B-Malahide-Airport.

That price is just too cheap for me not to try. Plus, I can always get a taxi at the Malahide train station...surely they have them if I am too tired (after the 45 minute bus ride to Killarney, 3 and a half hour train trip to Dublin and however long it takes for me to get to Malahide) to walk to Biscyane.

At Malahide, hail a taxi on the street or the is a taxi office athte Diamond (main cross roads in the centre of village), 200 metres / yards from the train station.

Carawaystick

Can't you get single use transfer 90 tickets in Dublin airport?

Get one of these on arriving in Dublin and you can use as many busses as you like in 90 mins to get to Malahide for the single fare of ~2.75

Ohoopee

I don't know....maybe you can?!?! I don't go to Dublin much. In fact, I pretty much only go to Dublin to go to the airport. Living in Kerry if I get the urge to go to a big city, I usually go to Cork. Because of this, I don't really know my way around Dublin nor do I know much about the public transportation network in Dublin. I know there is an airport link bus at Heuston Station for six Euro that goes to the airport and a taxi usually cost me right at 20 Euro from Heuston Station to the airport but that is about all I know. I have never used the Dart or Luas in my life.

So Victor, just to clarify and make sure that I am under standing you correctly, For the Luas, there should be a ticket machine next to the stop outside of Heuston Station correct? I had a look at Google maps trying to determine the location of the Tara Street Station and my best point to get off of the Luas. It does look like the Abby Street stop is the closest to the station an pretty easy for me to remember who to get to the Tara Street Station. Just head opposite of O'Connell Street on Abbey Street until I see the tracks for the Dart line going over the street then turn right and follow them to the station...that should make it easy to find for me. You also said that I can buy Dart tickets from the ticket machine inside of Heuston Station...correct?