Transport > Europe > Bus travel > Bus travel in Ireland
Bus & coach travel in Ireland
Buses are the most convenient way to get around Ireland. The majority of buses in the Republic are operated by Bus Éireann, which has regular departures to most towns and cities. Buses in Northern Ireland are operated by Goldline and Ulsterbus.
Bus Éireann has several travel passes available including:
Irish Rover
The Irish Rover pass is valid for travel on Bus Éireann services in the Republic of Ireland and Ulsterbus services in Northern Ireland. The Irish Rover pass is also valid on local bus services in Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.
| Price | |
|---|---|
3 travel days in 8 days |
€83.50 |
8 travel days in 15 days |
€190 |
15 travel days in 30 days |
€280 |
Open Road Pass
The Open Road Pass is a flexi pass that gives you unlimited travel on all scheduled Bus Éireann services including express, local, city and town buses. If you decide that you want extra travel days you can extend your pass by buying additional days once you have started travelling.
| Price | |
|---|---|
3 travel days in 6 days |
€54 |
4 travel days in 8 days |
€69 |
5 travel days in 10 days |
€84 |
6 travel days in 12 days |
€99 |
7 travel days in 14 days |
€114 |
8 travel days in 16 days |
€129 |
Alternative/Backpacker Transport
There are several companies in Ireland that offer an alternative to the scheduled bus operators. A lot of these companies seem to specialise in tours, which runs against the independent spirit of backpacking, however Paddywagon also offer more spontaneous hop-on hop-off services. These allow you to follow a set route around Ireland, hopping on and off the bus at your leisure.
Paddywagon
Although Paddywagon is primarily a tour company, they do offer a hop on hop off service that gives you a little bit of flexibility although the buses only run four days a week. Overnight stops include Dublin, Galway, Killarney and Cork.
Tel (01) 672 6007
Fare €89
Valid 6 months
