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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Arklow
An tInbhear Mór
Treat Arklow as a 1-night rail stop between Dublin and Wexford, or skip it: the town is industrial, and the coast and hills need a car.
Arklow sits on the River Avoca in County Wicklow, midway between Dublin and Rosslare, and is still a working port and commuter town of about 13,000 people. The town itself is industrial rather than scenic; what earns it a stop is the rail line, the maritime museum and the Avoca valley 8 km inland. Most travellers pass through on the Dublin–Wexford train or use it as a cheap bed for Wicklow.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- An tInbhear Mór
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, short days)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Alternative 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €14–20 |
| Pint of stout | €5.50–6.50 |
| Maritime museum entry | Adult €5, child/concession €3 |
| Round of golf, Arklow Golf Links | About €50 (check) |
| Taxi across town | €8–12 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- Expressway Bus 2 and Wexford Bus 740 run from the airport to Arklow, about 1 h 30 min–2 h; check the current timetable.
Typical fares
- Train Dublin Connolly → Arklow
- about 1 h 40 min; fare check with Irish Rail
- Expressway Bus 2, Dublin Airport → Arklow
- about 1 h; fare check with Expressway
- Arklow → Avoca village by taxi
- about 15 min; ask the fare before you get in (check)
Get around
The town centre is walkable: station to Main Street is about 5 min on foot. Buses are thin — Local Link 800 to Carlow runs a few times a day, and only a couple of public buses a day serve Avoca. For Brittas Bay, Clogga Beach, Glenart and Croghan Mountain you need a car or a taxi; Arklow Town Taxis is the local firm (+353 402 33400).
See and do
Known for
- Nineteen Arches Bridge
- Arklow Maritime Museum
- Avoca Handweavers and the Vale of Avoca
- Croghan Mountain
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Glendalough | Car via Rathdrum, about 40 min; public transport is awkward, check connections | About 1 h by car |
| Wicklow town | Train north, about 20–25 min, or car on the N11/M11 | About 40 min |
| Avoca village and the Vale of Avoca | Car on the R752, about 15 min; only a couple of public buses a day | About 30 min by car |
| Brittas Bay | Car north on the N11/M11, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Dublin | Train from Arklow to Connolly, about 1 h 40 min | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (Main Street and Bridge Street)
- Walk to the station, museum, pubs and the bridge; the only area where you can leave the car parked.
- Sea Road / north bank
- The larger hotels with parking; about 15–20 min on foot to the station.
- Avoca village (8 km inland)
- One pub with rooms; only worth it if you have a car and want the valley, not the town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the station? | Cá bhfuil an stáisiún?kaw will on staw-shoon |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- The beaches beside town are industrial; go to Brittas Bay (about 10 km north) or Clogga (about 7 km south) instead.
- Glenart Castle is derelict and often fenced off; do not plan a visit around it.
- Shelton Abbey is a working prison: no access.
- Old copper-mine buildings and shafts in the Avoca valley are unsafe and unfenced; stay on marked paths.
- Wexford Bus 740 stops at M11 junction 20, about 2 km north of town, not in the centre — check which service you booked.
Arklow is a low-risk town; the real issues are weather, unlit roads outside the centre at night, and derelict or unsafe sites (Glenart Castle, the old copper workings) that should not be entered.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Arklow yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Nineteen Arches Bridge
- Arklow Maritime Museum
- Avoca Handweavers and the Vale of Avoca
- Croghan Mountain
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Arklow Maritime Heritage: www.arklowmaritimeheritage.ie/
- Avoca Handweavers: www.avoca.com/en/
- Arklow Bay Hotel: www.arklowbay.com/
- Arklow Bridge Hotel: www.arklowbridgehotel.com/
- Wikivoyage: Arklow, revision 5324508 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324508
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
ArklowAn tInbhear Mór
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Arklow; the US Embassy and most others are in Dublin. UK citizens use the British Embassy in Dublin.
Garda station is in town; check the opening hours before you need it.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/arklow). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.