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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Naas
Nás na Ríogh
Give Naas half a day plus a race meeting, or use it as a Kildare base: 1 night is enough, 2 if you are going to Punchestown.
Naas is the county town of Kildare, about 30 min by train or bus from Dublin, and it works as a commuter-belt stop rather than a destination in its own right. The reason to come is a race day at Naas or Punchestown, or a cheap bed outside Dublin with the canal, a Norman church and two standing stones within walking distance. Most travellers pass through in an afternoon or sleep one night.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Nás na Ríogh
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, short days, few race meetings)
- 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 €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €85–140 excl. bed · High €140+ 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
- Emergency (Gardaí, ambulance, fire, coast guard, mountain rescue) 112 · Emergency (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 lunch or sandwich | €8–14 |
| Main course in a mid-range restaurant | €16–26 |
| Pint of stout or lager | €5.50–6.50 |
| Taxi, 5 km in townTaxi, 3.1 mi in town | €12–18 |
| Race meeting entry, adult | €16 at Mondello Park race days; Naas and Punchestown prices vary by meeting (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- Dublin Coach 726/N7 runs hourly around the clock from the airport to Naas, about 1 h
Typical fares
- Dublin Airport → Naas, Dublin Coach 726/N7
- about €12, about 1 h (check)
- Dublin Heuston → Sallins, commuter train
- about €6 one way, about 30 min (check)
- Taxi Naas → Punchestown Racecourse
- €15–20 (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable: Main St, Poplar Square, the canal basin and St David's Church are all within 15 min on foot. Naas Racecourse is a walk from town; Punchestown is not, so take a taxi or the race-day shuttle. Taxi ranks are at Poplar Square and by the town hall on Main St. Car hire desks sit on Kilcullen Rd and the R445.
See and do
Known for
- Punchestown Racecourse
- Naas Racecourse
- Grand Canal branch and Canal Harbour
- St David's Church and castle
- Punchestown Longstone
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Punchestown Racecourse | Taxi or race-day shuttle from Naas, about 6 kmTaxi or race-day shuttle from Naas, about 3.7 mi | About 20 min by car |
| The Curragh | Train or bus to Newbridge or Kildare, then a taxi | About 45 min |
| Dublin | GoAhead 126 from Heuston or the Docklands, or Dublin Coach 726/N7 | About 1 h |
| Blessington and Russborough House | Car via the N81, about 12 km southeastCar via the N81, about 7.5 mi southeast | About 25 min |
| Glendalough | Car across the Wicklow mountains via Blessington | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Main St and Poplar Square)
- Pubs, restaurants and the main bus stop on foot; best for one night without a car.
- Devoy Quarter / Limerick Rd
- Hotels with parking and a pool, 5–10 min walk from Main St.
- Dublin Rd by the N7
- Motorist-friendly, near the Odeon and the junction; a 20–25 min walk into town.
- Sallins and Clane
- Village B&Bs and hotels 3–9 km out; use only if you have a car or are catching the train at Sallins.Village B&Bs and hotels 1.9–5.6 mi out; use only if you have a car or are catching the train at Sallins.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will on leh-rass |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
| Can I pay by card? | An féidir liom íoc le cárta?on fay-der lum eek le kar-ta |
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 canal branch out of town runs beside a narrow road with little or no footpath: walk the Fairgreen loop instead.
- Sallins station is 3 km north of the town centre, not in Naas: allow a taxi or bus for the last leg.
- Inter-city trains do not stop at Sallins; change at Kildare for Cork, Limerick, Galway and Westport.
- Race days fill the hotels and the last buses back to Dublin: book the bed and check the return time before you drink.
Naas is a low-risk town; the real issues are wet, dark winter evenings, narrow roads with no footpath along the canal, and late-night noise around the Main St bars and the Court Hotel nightclub.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Naas yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Punchestown Racecourse
- Naas Racecourse
- Grand Canal branch and Canal Harbour
- St David's Church and castle
- Punchestown Longstone
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Irish Rail: www.irishrail.ie/
- GoAhead Ireland: www.goaheadireland.ie/
- Waterways Ireland — Grand Canal: www.waterwaysireland.org/places-to-go/grand-canal
- Naas Racecourse: naasracecourse.com/
- Mondello Park: www.mondellopark.ie
- Wikivoyage: Naas, revision 5008061 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5008061
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
NaasNás na Ríogh
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 Naas; most countries keep embassies in Dublin, about 1 h by bus or train.
Irish is not needed in Naas; English is spoken everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/naas). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.