By Bus -- AirCoach (www.aircoach.ie; 01/844-7118) runs a regular direct service from Dublin to Cork City. You can catch the bus either at Dublin Airport or Westmoreland Street, in the center of Dublin; from there, the journey to Patrick’s Quay in the center of Cork takes 3 hours, traffic permitting. Buses leave at 25 minutes past the hour from Terminal 2 (starting at 6:25am), 5 minutes later from Terminal 1, and then on the hour from Aston Quay, with the final bus of the day leaving Terminal 2 at 25 minutes past midnight (from Aston Quay at 1am). One-way tickets are €17 adults, €10 children under 13; round-trip tickets are €27 adults, €20 children. You can sometimes (but not always) get a discount for booking online. In Cork City, Bus Éireann (www.buseireann.ie; 021/450-8188) runs from the Parnell Place Bus Station to all parts of the Republic. Bus 226 connects Cork with Kinsale. Buses also arrive on Pier Road.
By Train -- Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail (www.irishrail.ie; 185/036-6222) travels to Cork City from Dublin and other parts of Ireland. Trains arrive at Kent Station, Lower Glanmire Road, in eastern Cork City (021/455-7277). Kinsale does not have a train station.
By Ferry -- There are no longer any direct ferry routes into Cork from Britain. However, Brittany Ferries (www.brittany-ferries.com; 021/427-7801) sail a few times per week between Roscoff, in France, and Cork’s Ringaskiddy Ferryport.
By Car -- Cork is easily reachable on the N8 from Dublin, N25 from Waterford, and N22 from Killarney. To rent a car in Dublin, click here for more information; to rent a car at Shannon Airport, click here. To hire a car in Cork try Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Kinsale Road (021/497-5133) or Hertz at Cork Airport (021/496-5849).
By Plane -- Cork Airport, Kinsale Road (www.corkairport.com; 021/413131), is served by several airlines, including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Flybe, and Ryanair. Cork recently overtook Shannon as the Republic of Ireland’s second busiest airport (and the fourth in Ireland overall, after Dublin and the two airports in Belfast. it has direct flights to and from several European countries, including the U.K. and France. However, it has stopped running any scheduled flights to other airports within Ireland.
Flying Within Ireland: Should You Bother? -- In February 2011, tragedy befell Cork Airport when a Manx2 Airlines commuter plane crashed there in heavy fog, killing six, and strongly reinforcing our general antipathy towards taking planes for short hops within Ireland. This isn't so much for safety reasons -- the country has an excellent air safety record -- but for the simple reason: Why would you bother? This is such a tiny country that taking internal flights just seems pointless to us. In almost all circumstances, you're better off driving, or going by train or coach.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
