Visitor Information

The Galway Tourist Office is on Forster Street, Galway City (www.galway.ie; 091/537-700). The city also has a smaller tourist information point on Eyre Square.

City Layout

The core of downtown Galway lies between Eyre Square on the east and the River Corrib on the west. The main thoroughfare begins west of Eyre Square. Its name changes -- from William to Shop, Main Guard, and Bridge -- before it crosses the River Corrib and changes again. If that sounds confusing, well, it is a bit. But the streets are all short and well marked, and it's fairly simple to find your way around the city center.

Fast Facts

If you need a drugstore, try Boots the Chemist, 35 Shop Street (tel. 091/561022); Whelan's Chemist, Williamsgate Street (tel. 091/562291); or Newcastle Pharmacy, 41 Newcastle Road (tel. 091/524934).

In an emergency, dial tel. 999. University College Hospital is on Newcastle Road (tel. 091/544544). There's also Merlin Park Regional Hospital (tel. 091/757631). The local Garda Station is on Mill Street (tel. 091/538000).

For information, gay and lesbian travelers might contact the Galway Lesbian Help Line (tel. 091/564611) or the Gay Help Line (tel. 091/566134).

For Internet access in Galway, try Net Access, in the heart of the city in the Olde Malte Arcade, High Street (tel. 091/395725; www.netaccess.ie). The Galway Library/An Leabhar, in the Hynes Building, Augustine Street (tel. 091/561666), is open Monday 2 to 5pm, Tuesday to Thursday 11am to 8pm, Friday 11am to 5pm, and Saturday 11am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm.

The Post Office, 3 Eglinton St. (tel. 091/534727), is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5:30pm (from 9:30am Tues).

Getting Around

Galway has excellent local bus service. Buses run from the Bus Éireann Travel Centre (tel. 091/562000) or Eyre Square to various suburbs, including Salthill and the Galway Bay coastline. Fares start at around €1.50.

There are taxi ranks at Eyre Square and all the major hotels in the city. If you need to call a cab, try Galway Taxis (tel. 091/561111), Big-O Taxis (tel. 091/585858), or City Taxis (tel. 091/525252).

A town of medieval arches, alleyways, and cobblestone lanes, all surrounded by more modern suburbs, central Galway is best explored on foot (wear comfortable shoes). Once you check in at your hotel or guesthouse, park your car and tour by walking. (To see the highlights, follow the signposts on the Tourist Trail of Old Galway. A handy booklet, available at the tourist office and at most bookshops, provides historical and architectural details.) If you must bring your car into the center of town, park it and then walk. There is free parking in front of Galway Cathedral, but most street parking uses a pay-to-park system. It costs around €1 per hour. Multistory parking garages average €1.80 per hour or €15 per day.

Galway Airport has two main car-rental firms, Avis (tel. 091/786440; www.avis.ie) and Budget (tel. 091/564570; www.budget.ie).

Getting There

By Bus -- Buses from all parts of Ireland arrive daily at Bus Éireann Travel Centre, Ceannt Station, off Eyre Square in Galway City (www.buseireann.ie; 091/562-000). It also provides daily service to Clifden. Buses to rural areas sometimes run only a handful of times per day, and remote sites may be completely inaccessible without a car.

By Train -- Trains from Dublin and Limerick arrive daily at Ceannt Station in Galway City, off Eyre Square. That’s pretty much the end of the line, however; to explore the Galway countryside, you’ll need to travel by bus or car.

By Car -- Galway City is on the main N18, N17, N63, N67, and M6 roads. Journey time from Dublin is about 2 hours; from Killarney it’s about 3 hours; and from Cork it’s about 2 1/2 hours. Outside of Galway City, your options in this region get pretty limited if you don’t have a car. To hire one in Galway, try Budget, 12 Eyre Square (www.budget.ie; 091/564-570) or Europcar at Motorpark, Headford Road (www.irishcarrentals.com; 091/ 396-555). For car-rental options in Dublin, click here.

By Plane -- Galway has an airport, but as of this writing it has not been used for regular scheduled flights since 2011. Check www.galwayairport.com for the latest updates.

Keep Exploring