Car or Dart - Castleknock to Ballsbridge

fptosca

Hi all,
I am starting a job in Ballsbridge next week and I am weighting my options in regards to how to get there, DART or Car.

Option 1 would be to drive to the Dart get off at Sandymount and walk then. Including driving to the station, DART trip and walk to work, I think it would be around an hour.

Option 2 would be to drive. Leaving Castleknock at 8 in the morning. The route I'm thinking is Navan Road all the way down to North Circular Road, Guild street, Samuel Beckett Bridge, Macken street and into Shelbourne Road which will bring me go Ballsbridge.
I have taken this route occasionally in the past and other than a hold up to cross Phibsborough Road and then to cross Drumcomdra Road, it wasn't too bad at all.
Anybody knows how it's these days or if there is a better route? Would it take me around an hour as well?


I would appreciate if anybody could help me out.

Take care,
Phil

schemingbohemia

Are you in the same job as the poster here? Or do you have a double identity?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057368835

Just remember not all trains from Castleknock will go straight through to Sandymount, you'll have to factor in a change in Connolly or Pearse.

Will you be able to get a Taxsaver ticket? Do you definitely have parking in Ballsbridge, cause if you don't it will be a nightmare getting on-street parking.

fptosca

hehe. Thanks for the link to the other post. I didn't see it when I searched for the info before creating a new post. I might have a hidden twin.

If I drive, I would be parking at the RDS. According to their site, it's €6 per day or €25 per week. Adding the cost of petrol, driving works out quite a bit more expensive than taking the DART.

It looks very tight to make it on an hour. I'll give it a try tomorrow morning to get a feeling for it but I'm thinking the DART is the better option. At least until schools are off for the summer.

athtrasna

You won't drive it in an hour most mornings. Takes me at least that to make Merrion square lately, traffic has exploded in the N3/Navan Road area

ted1

Cycle is your best option

fptosca

ted1 wrote: »

Cycle is your best option

I would if I had not to do the creche run first, although I could get one of those trolleys for kids and attach it to the bike... I think I'll start with the DART first and see how it goes.

fptosca

athtrasna wrote: »

You won't drive it in an hour most mornings. Takes me at least that to make Merrion square lately, traffic has exploded in the N3/Navan Road area

Thanks for the tip. I'll avoid driving for the moment.

ProudDUB

My brother commutes from Castleknock to the Leeson St bridge area every day. Says he has tried all kinds of routes and has figured out the best one for him, based on a lot of trial and error. I used to live in town, so we have had lots of conversations on the best way to get to D15 from town.

He goes thru the park, to the quays, turns right at the first bridge over the river, goes up behind the Guinness Brewery, goes around Christchurch, behind the back of the Raddisson Blu hotel, down the side street where Burdocks famous chipper is, towards Camden St & then over the bridge. (He goes by lots of little back roads that he found by trail and error.) You'd probably need to go a different way to Ballsbridge, once you got to Camden St. (Sorry, I don't have many street names, so you'll probably have to use Google Maps to figure all that out.)

He always goes via the park and the quays, if he is going to work, or Ballsbridge for a Leinster rugby game. He never goes via the Navan Rd or NCR. The Drumcondra and Mater traffic is just too bad, never mind all the Navan Rd conjestion.

AndonHandon

Over the Beckett Bridge, up Macken St and then Shelbourne Road is way more hassle than it's worth. Getting the DART from Connolly would nearly be better.

Your first option is okay, consistent anyway which is crucial in the mornings.

Not sure what the route is like at that time of morning but the 39 bus route goes from Castleknock to Baggot St-Donnybrook-UCD; if you got off in Donnybrook it would take you 8 minutes to walk to Roly's Bistro. If you got off outside Tesco/Tolteca on Baggot St it would take you 15 minutes to walk to Roly's (shorter bus route being the benefit of this stop). Where in Ballsbridge are you going to be working (as it may be quicker to get off at Lansdowne Dart Station)?

fptosca

AndonHandon wrote: »

Over the Beckett Bridge, up Macken St and then Shelbourne Road is way more hassle than it's worth. Getting the DART from Connolly would nearly be better.

Your first option is okay, consistent anyway which is crucial in the mornings.

Not sure what the route is like at that time of morning but the 39 bus route goes from Castleknock to Baggot St-Donnybrook-UCD; if you got off in Donnybrook it would take you 8 minutes to walk to Roly's Bistro. If you got off outside Tesco/Tolteca on Baggot St it would take you 15 minutes to walk to Roly's (shorter bus route being the benefit of this stop). Where in Ballsbridge are you going to be working (as it may be quicker to get off at Lansdowne Dart Station)?

I'm going to the Serpentine Business Centre but I don't get a parking space. Sandymount would the closest DART station.
I'll go with option one for this month.

I drove this morning and it took me almost an hour and a half to get there. There might be quicker routes than the one I took but not sure any would be half an hour quicker at that time.