Planning a trip to County Waterford
City Layout
Waterford is a commercial city focused on its waterfront. The city center sits on the south bank of the Suir. Traffic from the north, west, and east enters from the north bank over the Ignatius Rice Bridge and onto a series of quays (Grattan, Merchants, Meagher, and Parade), although most addresses simply say "The Quay." Shops and attractions are concentrated near the quay area or on two thoroughfares that intersect it: The Mall and Barronstrand Street (changing their names to Broad, Michael, and John sts.). These streets were once rivers flowing into the Suir and, in fact, the original waterways continue to flow roughly 15m (49 ft.) beneath today's pavement.
Visitor Information
The Waterford Discover Ireland Centre is at 120 Parade Quay, Waterford (www.waterfordtourism.com; 051/875-823). It’s open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:15pm (sometimes later in summer), and on weekends in summertime only.
Fast Facts
If you need a drugstore, try Gallagher's Pharmacy, 29 Barronstrand St. (tel. 051/878103), or Mulligan's Chemists, 40-41 Barronstrand St. (tel. 051/875211).
In an emergency, dial tel. 999. Garda Headquarters (tel. 051/305300) is the local police station. Holy Ghost Hospital is on Cork Road (tel. 051/374397), and Waterford Regional Hospital is on Dunmore Road (tel. 051/848000).
Among the resources for gay travelers is the Gay and Lesbian Line Southeast (tel. 051/879907). The Waterford Gay and Lesbian Resource Centre is at the Youth Resources Centre, St. John's Park (tel. 087/638-7931).
The Voyager Internet Cafe, 85 The Quay (tel. 051/843843), isn't actually a cafe, but it does provide high-speed access with all the peripherals. It's open Monday to Saturday 10am to 9pm.
The General Post Office on Parade Quay (tel. 051/317312) is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm, and Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Getting There
Until 2016 there were a handful of regular, scheduled flights from the European mainland into tiny Waterford Airport, Killowen (www.waterfordairport.ie; tel. 051/846-600), 9km (5[bf]2/3 miles), south of Waterford Town. Since 2016 it has been closed to all but private jets, but a couple of budget airlines may resume service in the future—check the website for the latest..
Irish Rail offers daily service from Dublin and other points into Plunkett Station, at Ignatius Rice Bridge, Waterford (tel. 1850/366-222; www.irishrail.ie).
Bus Éireann operates daily service into Plunkett Station Depot, Waterford (tel. 01/836-6111; www.buseireann.ie), from Dublin, Limerick, and other major cities throughout Ireland. The journey from Dublin to Waterford is close to 3 hours.
Four major roads lead into Waterford: N25 from Cork and the south, N24 from the west, N19 from Kilkenny and points north, and N25 from Wexford.
The Passage East Car Ferry Ltd., Barrack Street, Passage East, County Waterford (tel. 051/382480; www.passageferry.ie), operates a car-ferry service across Waterford Harbour. It links Passage East, about 16km (10 miles) east of Waterford, with Ballyhack, about 32km (20 miles) southwest of Wexford. This shortcut saves about an hour's driving time between the cities. Crossing time averages 10 minutes. It offers continuous drive-on, drive-off service, with no reservations required.
Getting Around
Bus Éireann operates daily bus service within Waterford and its environs. The flat fare is €1.10. Taxi stands are outside Plunkett Rail Station and along the Quay opposite the Granville Hotel. If you need to call a taxi, try Rapid Cabs (tel. 051/858585), Metro Cabs (tel. 051/857157), or Waterford Taxi Co-op (tel. 051/877778).
To see most of Waterford's sights it's best to walk. You can park along the quays, and pay at the nearest machine. However, you'll need a car to reach attractions outside of town.
To rent a car, contact Budget Rent A Car, Waterford Airport (tel. 051/873747).
