Getting around Galway: public transport, passes and taxis

Galway is small enough to cross on foot, but the places most visitors come for — Salthill, Connemara, the Burren, the Aran ferry ports — sit outside the centre. Match the mode to the trip rather than defaulting to one.

Almost everything a short-stay visitor wants is inside a 20-minute walk: Eyre Square, Shop Street and the Latin Quarter, the Spanish Arch, the Claddagh and the cathedral. The Salthill promenade is a longer but flat walk of roughly 30–40 minutes from the centre, or a short bus ride.

Galway rains often and sideways; a light waterproof beats an umbrella on the exposed prom. Footpaths in the old centre are narrow and busy in summer, and some streets are pedestrianised, so walking is usually faster than driving between two points in town.

Bus Éireann runs the city network, with routes radiating from Eyre Square and the coach station. Buses serve Salthill, the university, the hospital, the retail parks and the suburbs. Frequency is decent on main corridors and thinner on the edges and on Sundays — check the timetable for your specific route.

The Leap card is the Irish stored-value smart card for buses and commuter rail. It is sold at newsagents and shops, and tapping it is cheaper than paying cash. Contactless bank cards work on some services but not all, so carrying a Leap card or exact change is the safe option. Drivers generally do not give change.

If you are staying a few days and using buses daily, a Leap card pays for itself quickly; for a single trip, cash is fine.

Galway's station sits beside Eyre Square, which makes rail the easiest way in and out for Dublin, Limerick, Ennis and Athenry. Dublin is about 2 h 20 and advance online tickets run €15–45, with walk-up fares higher. There is no rail line along the west coast, so Galway to Kerry or Donegal means a bus or a car.

Express and regional buses cover what the trains miss: Dublin with Citylink, GoBus and Bus Éireann; Limerick, Cork and Shannon; and west-bound services to Clifden and the Aran Islands ferry ports at Rossaveal and Doolin. Main routes are frequent and have Wi-Fi; rural routes can run a few times a day, or not at all on Sundays.

Book intercity legs online in advance for the cheapest seats, and allow a buffer if you are connecting to a ferry or a flight.

A car is the only practical way to see Connemara, the Burren and the quieter parts of County Galway on your own schedule. Rates run about €40–90 a day plus insurance, and fuel is roughly €1.75–1.90 a litre. Automatics are scarcer and cost more, so book early.

The catch is insurance. Many credit-card rental policies exclude Ireland, so expect to buy collision damage waiver or excess cover at the desk. Driving is on the left, rural roads are narrow with high hedges, and tour buses and sheep are real hazards. Parking in central Galway is paid and limited; use a car park on the edge and walk in.

Taxis are metered and plentiful around Eyre Square, the station and the pubs at closing time. A short hop within the city is roughly €8–15 depending on traffic and time of day. Card payment is common but not universal; ask before you get in.

App-based ride-hailing operates in Galway but with fewer cars than in Dublin, so waits can stretch at peak hours and on weekend nights. For early flights or ferry connections, book a taxi the night before rather than relying on an app at 5am.

For airport runs, see the dedicated transfer page — Shannon and Dublin are both served by buses as well as taxis.

Costs below are 2026 estimates for one adult. City transport is cheap; the money goes on day trips and car hire.