Planning a Trip

Getting There

From the United States, American Airlines, Aer Lingus, Continental, Delta Airlines and USAirways operate regularly scheduled flights into Shannon Airport, off the Limerick-Ennis road (N18), County Clare (tel. 061/712000; www.shannonairport.com), 24km (15 miles) west of Limerick. Flights from Canada are on Air Canada, while domestic flights from Dublin and flights from Britain and the Continent are available from a range of carriers including British Airways and Ryanair. A taxi from the airport to the city center costs about €20 ($26).

Bus Éireann (tel. 061/313333; www.buseireann.ie) provides bus service from Shannon Airport to Limerick's Railway Station. The fare is approximately €5.40 ($7). Bus services from all parts of Ireland come into Limerick's Colbert Station, Parnell Street.

Irish Rail operates direct trains from Dublin, Cork, and Killarney, with connections from other parts of Ireland. They arrive at Limerick's Colbert Station, Parnell Street (tel. 1850/366-222; www.irishrail.ie).

Limerick City can be reached on N7 from the east and north; N20, N21, N24, and N69 from the south; and N18 from the west and north.

Visitor Information

The Limerick Tourism Centre is on Arthur's Quay, Limerick (tel. 061/317522). It is open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm, Saturday 9:30am to 1pm, with expanded and weekend hours in summer. Ask for a free copy of the Shannon Region Visitors Guide, which is packed with helpful information about activities and events.

There is another office in the Adare Heritage Centre, Main Street, Adare (tel. 061/396255; www.adareheritagecentre.ie). It is open daily year-round except Christmas, St. Stephen's Day (Dec 26) and New Year's Day, 9am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm (until 6pm and on Sun during the summer).

For good all-around visitor information on the Web, see www.visitlimerick.com or www.limerick.com.

Getting Around

Bus Éireann (tel. 061/313333) operates local bus service around Limerick and its environs; fares start at €1 ($1.30). Buses depart from Colbert Station, Parnell Street.

Taxis line up outside Colbert Station, at hotels, and along Thomas and Cecil streets, off O'Connell Street. To reserve a taxi, call Economy Taxis (tel. 061/411422), Fixed Price Taxis (tel. 061/313131), or Top Cabs (tel. 061/417417).

Driving around Limerick can be a little confusing because of the profusion of one-way streets -- it's best to park your car and walk to see the sights. You might want to drive to King's Island for the Medieval Heritage Project, which includes King John's Castle and the other historic sights (there's a free parking lot opposite the castle). If you must park downtown, head for the lot at Arthur's Quay, which is convenient to sightseeing and shopping, and well signposted. Parking costs around €1.30 ($1.70) per hour.

If you need to rent a car in Limerick, contact Irish Car Rental (tel. 061/206088; www.irishcarrentals.com). Most major international car-rental firms maintain desks at Shannon Airport.

On foot, the city's streets are fairly easy to figure out, and the main central street has a changing name -- it's Rutland Street in the north and O'Connell Street and Quinlan Street in the south. Most tourist sights are in the north on King's Island, which is the oldest part of the city, although some are to the south around Pery Square (where the architecture is grand Georgian buildings) and on the river's edge. A good way to hit the high points is to pick up a booklet outlining the "Tourist Trail" at the tourist office and in bookshops.

Fast Facts

If you need a drugstore, try Hogan's Pharmacy, 45 Upper William St. (tel. 061/415195). After-hours service is available by calling tel. 088/526800.

In an emergency, dial tel. 999. St. John's Hospital is on St. John's Square (tel. 061/415822). The local Garda Headquarters is on Henry Street (tel. 061/212400).

The General Post Office is at 39 Upper William Street (tel. 061/409805).