Day trip from Dublin Galway
A compact harbour city on the west coast, with a pedestrian centre between Eyre Square and the Spanish Arch, about 2 h 30 from Dublin by train.
Is Galway worth a day trip from Dublin?
Go, but it is a long day.
Yes, if you accept 5 hours on a train for about 7 hours in the city. The 07:35 from Heuston reaches Galway at 10:12 on weekdays, and the 17:20 back gets in at 20:00. A day return costs € 33.30 at the station, less online. Ceannt Station opens onto Eyre Square, so you need no bus or taxi, and the centre is small enough to walk end to end. The catch is the ratio: you pay more and sit longer than for Kilkenny. Want the Cliffs of Moher or Connemara as well? Then sleep here, because the day has no room for them.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 2 h 202 h 37 on the 07:35, the train most day trippers need · one way · Irish Rail, Dublin Heuston-Galway timetable
- Transport
- Direct train
- Self-guided cost
- € 33.30Day return by train at the station price (€ 33.30); the walk in this plan has no entry fee · Irish Rail, Dublin-Galway fares
- Tour price
- From € 75Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 12.50–14.50 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- Not verified yet
- Best time
- Monday to Saturday, for the 07:35 train; on Sunday the first arrival is 10:28Daytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Galway
- 01
Latin Quarter
Shop Street, High Street and Quay Street form one pedestrian spine from Eyre Square to the river, lined with pubs and buskers. It is 10 minutes end to end without stops.
- 02
Spanish Arch and the Long Walk
A 16th-century arch from the old quay walls, where the River Corrib meets the sea. The row of coloured houses on the Long Walk is beside it, and the free city museum stands behind.
- 03
Salthill Promenade
A flat seafront walk of about 2 km west of the centre, 30 minutes each way. Locals kick the wall at the far end, by the Blackrock diving tower, before turning back.
- 04
Galway Cathedral
A large limestone cathedral finished in 1965 on the site of the old city jail, across the Salmon Weir Bridge. Entry is free and 20 minutes covers it.
- 05
St Nicholas' Church and market
A medieval parish church off Shop Street, dating from 1320. A street market with food and craft stalls sets up beside it on Saturdays, the best day for a visit.
How to spend the day
Take the 07:35 from Heuston, arriving 10:12 (10:15 on Saturday). Cross Eyre Square and walk down Shop Street and Quay Street to the Spanish Arch. Lunch around 12:30 in the Latin Quarter. In the afternoon cross the river to the Claddagh and follow the seafront promenade towards Salthill and back. Be at Ceannt Station for the 17:20, which reaches Heuston at 20:00. Staying for dinner? The 19:25 arrives at 22:13.
Galway in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustJuly is festival month. The Galway International Arts Festival fills the second half of July, and the Galway Races follow from the last Monday of the month for 7 days. Trains sell out and the centre is packed, so book seats early or pick June. Long evenings help: with light until 22:00, an evening train still leaves in daylight.
Winter
December to FebruaryGalway is wetter and windier than Dublin, and December daylight ends soon after 16:15. The pubs, live music and shops do not depend on weather, and a Christmas market runs in Eyre Square from mid November. But about 5 hours on trains for a short, dark day is a poor trade. In winter, stay a night instead.
How crowded it gets
Busy- Busiest
- Mid Jul-early Aug; Saturdays 12:00-17:00 on Shop Street
- Quietest
- Weekday mornings; Jan-Mar
The pedestrian streets are narrow and fill fast from midday. Walk them on arrival, then head out along the river to the cathedral or the Salthill seafront in the afternoon, when the centre is at its fullest.
How do you get to Galway from Dublin?
Train
- Travel time
- 2 h 20 to 2 h 37
- Frequency
- About every 2 hours
- Cost
- € 33.30 day return, € 30.45 single
- Departs from
- Dublin Heuston
Direct to Galway Ceannt, on Eyre Square. Heuston is on the Luas Red Line, west of the centre. On Sunday the first train leaves at 08:00 and arrives at 10:28, so you lose part of the morning. Web fares on irishrail.ie are lower than the station price.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- About 13 hours door to door
- Frequency
- Daily
- Cost
- From € 75
- Departs from
- Molly Malone statue, Suffolk Street
This is the Cliffs of Moher coach day, leaving at 06:50 and back on Dame Street around 19:30. Galway is the last stop, with free time in the centre before the drive home. Pick it for the cliffs. For the city itself, take the train.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
A waterproof jacket with a hood is the one thing you need, in any month. Atlantic showers come sideways and umbrellas fail. Comfortable shoes for about 8 km of walking, and a warm layer for the seafront.
What to eat
Galway Bay oysters are the local product, with native oysters in season from September to April. Seafood chowder with brown bread and fish and chips are easy to find around Quay Street. On Saturdays, eat from the market stalls beside St Nicholas' Church.
What you will spend
The train is the main cost: € 33.30 for a day return at the station, less on the web. Almost everything in Galway is free, including the streets, the Spanish Arch, the city museum, the cathedral and the seafront. Money goes on food, drink and the Saturday market.
How to get the most out of the day
- On Sundays the first train arrives at 10:28 and the Saturday market is over. Pick a Saturday if the market matters to you.
- Reserve a seat when you book online. Friday evening and Sunday afternoon trains carry students and are often full.
- If you stay for dinner and take the 19:25, you reach Heuston at 22:13. The Luas Red Line still runs into the centre then.
- The Oyster Festival takes over the last weekend of September. Good if you want it, crowded if you do not.
How long do you need in Galway?
Plan 12.50–14.50 h on site, plus 2 h 20 of travel each way from Dublin.