Getting There

By Train

Irish Rail (tel. 1850/366-222; www.irishrail.ie) operates several direct trains daily from Dublin Connolly to Wicklow; the journey takes an hour. Trains leave Dublin's Heuston station for Kildare at least once an hour. The journey takes between 25 and 45 minutes.

By Bus

Bus Éireann (tel. 01/836-6111; www.buseireann.ie) operates services from the central bus station (Busáras) out to each of the regions listed in this chapter, although there aren’t always practical links to the more remote sites. If you’re looking to visit attractions by bus, the best bet is probably to take a tour.

By Car

Most of the attractions listed in this chapter are easily accessible by car in about an hour from Dublin. The roads are generally good in the regions around the city, although traffic can be a problem—particularly during rush hour, when the Dublin it slows in the hinterland to a crawl. As a guide, in reasonable traffic, Glendalough is about an hour's drive south of the city; Newgrange and Knowth, an hour north; and Kildare Town and its nearby attractions just under an hour to the southwest. The Dublin Tourist Office has excellent road maps.

Visitor Information

The Wicklow Tourist Office, Fitzwilliam Square, Wicklow Town, County Wicklow (tel. 040/469117; www.visitwicklow.ie), is open Monday to Friday year-round from 9:20am to 1:15pm and 2 to 5:15pm. The Carlow Tourist Office, Library Building, College Street, Carlow Town, County Carlow (tel. 059/913-1554; www.carlowtourism.com), is open Monday to Friday year-round, from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Both are also open selected Saturdays in the summer; call before you visit.

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.