Moving in Athlone - any tips?

AlexIRL

Hi all.

Planning to move in Athlone with my new job, so got a few questions about the city.

Which are the rough areas that I should avoid regarding renting a house/apartment?
Is there any website where I can have a look for public transport, if I decide to stay outside Athlone?
Is Athlone an expensive city when is about daily shopping?
What internet provider is most popular there (good bundles/prices)?

Thanks in advance for any answers provided.

BoB_BoT

Well first thing, Athlone is a town A big town, but a town none the less.

AlexIRL wrote: »

Which are the rough areas that I should avoid regarding renting a house/apartment?

Willow Park, I would advise against renting there. It seems cheap, it's because it's student housing and it's a bit rough with some of the residents that live there. There are a few threads about it in this forum, have a look at it.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of decent people that live there, just it's the others that ruin the place.

AlexIRL wrote: »

Is there any website where I can have a look for public transport, if I decide to stay outside Athlone?

www.buseireann.ie would be the main public transport provider, with www.irishrail.ie if you were to travel by train. Buses run from the town to places like Garycastle/Monksland/Athlone I.T. (college). Best to look at the website for Bus Eireann. There are also some local transport providers.

AlexIRL wrote: »

Is Athlone an expensive city when is about daily shopping?

I wouldn't call it expensive, we have the likes of Dunnes Stores, Tescos, Aldi, Lidl and various other supermarkets. They're all relatively central. Plenty of clothing shops, there's a Penny's if you need cheap enough clothing.

It all depends on what you're comparing it to. How much does a loaf of bread cost you where you live? How much does a litre of milk cost etc...

AlexIRL wrote: »

What internet provider is most popular there (good bundles/prices)?

Best provider/product, I'd say is UPC. After that, you have Eircom, Vodafone, Three and various other smaller providers.
In Athlone town, most areas are capable of getting UPC or VDSL from the big providers. When you start to go to the fringes of the town, you can get UPC/Fibre in some areas but only regular DSL in other areas. Best to find out where you want to live, then check with the providers to see what they offer.

AlexIRL

Thank you Bob, for all infos.

I'll luke into all websites given by you and I'll take a decision where to move in Athlone. Hope your answers will help others too.

Good day.

billbond4

Let us know where your thinking of renting and we can say if the area is ok.
+1 on UPC, I have the fiber broadband for the last 5 years and its been excellent

L.Jenkins

You'd get robbed in Athlone for rent unless you were on good money. For a quiet life, the west side might be consideration, but it's no cheaper.