Getting to Athlone

How to reach Athlone by train, bus, or car.

Train

Athlone railway station is a genuine InterCity junction, not a branch-line stop: it sits on the Dublin Heuston to Galway line, and is also served by Dublin Heuston to Westport and Ballina services and by Galway to Limerick trains, so it is one of the better-connected midlands towns for rail. The station is about 10 minutes from the town centre on Southern Station Road, with a staffed ticket office Monday to Friday 05:00-23:30, an APCOA car park, sheltered bike parking and lockers. A genuine local point worth knowing before planning an evening trip to Dublin: residents have flagged that the last direct evening train back to Athlone has in the past left noticeably earlier than a commuter town closer to the capital would offer, so check the current timetable rather than assuming a late service exists.

Lines: Dublin Heuston-Galway; Dublin Heuston-Westport and Ballina; Galway-Limerick
Station: Southern Station Road, Athlone, N37 DF24, about 10 minutes from the town centre
Ticket Office: Staffed Monday-Friday 05:00-23:30; ticket vending machine available outside these hours
Onward: Direct trains to Galway, Westport, Ballina, Limerick and Dublin Heuston

Tips

•Athlone is a genuine rail junction; check whether your onward line is the Galway, Westport/Ballina or Limerick service.
•Confirm the current evening timetable before planning a late return; the last direct service to Dublin has historically been earlier than commuter towns closer to the capital.
•The station car park (APCOA) has 96 spaces including disabled and EV bays; book or check current rates before relying on it in peak periods.

Bus & Coach

Bus Éireann withdrew its direct Dublin and Galway coach routes through Athlone in 2021 for financial reasons, and private operators filled the gap. Citylink's Dublin Airport-Athlone-Galway route and Aircoach's Galway-Dublin Airport route both call at Athlone, historically stopping at the Arcadia Retail Park and the TUS (formerly AIT) campus area rather than a traditional town bus station, so confirm the current stop location on the operator's own site before travelling. TFI Local Link Westmeath also runs rural services connecting Athlone with surrounding towns and villages, useful for reaching places the intercity coaches do not serve.

To Dublin: Citylink and Aircoach both run Athlone-Dublin Airport coach services; confirm current stop locations and timetables on their websites
To Galway: Citylink and Aircoach both run Athlone-Galway coach services on the same corridor
Local Link: TFI Local Link Westmeath rural routes connect Athlone with surrounding towns and villages
Fare: Adult fares with Leap Card or cash; book intercity coaches online for the best price

Tips

•There is no direct Bus Éireann intercity service through Athlone since 2021; use Citylink or Aircoach for Dublin or Galway by coach.
•Confirm the current pick-up point before travelling; it is at a retail park and university campus area rather than the old town bus station.
•Book coach tickets online in advance for the best fares, especially around festival weekends.

Driving

Athlone sits on the N6, the main Dublin-Galway road, with a bypass that keeps through-traffic off the town streets. It is a genuinely central driving base for the midlands: Dublin is around 1 hour 45 minutes east, Galway about 50 minutes west, and Limerick around 1 hour south-west via the M6 and N65/N18 corridor. In the town itself, the Left Bank's narrow streets are best explored on foot once parked, with car parks at the town centre and the Golden Island and N6 Centre retail areas.

From Dublin: ~1 hour 45 minutes via the M6
From Galway: ~50 minutes via the N6
From Limerick: ~1 hour via the M6 and onward routes
Parking: Town-centre pay-and-display plus larger car parks at Golden Island and the N6 Centre

Tips

•The N6 bypass keeps through-traffic off the town centre; follow signs for the town centre or Left Bank rather than staying on the bypass.
•Park at Golden Island or the N6 Centre for the retail area, or the town-centre car parks for the Left Bank and castle.
•Athlone's central position makes it a practical driving base for day trips around the midlands and the Shannon.

From the Airport

Live options for reaching the village from the nearest airports. Times and fares are a guide and can change with traffic or operator schedules.

Dublin AirportDUB

135 km away

DrivingDrive via the M6

Duration: ~1 hour 45 minutes
Cost: Fuel, tolls and parking, or car hire

The most direct route from Dublin Airport to Athlone is the M6 motorway, with tolls on the way. Car hire at the airport is the most flexible option for touring the midlands and the Shannon from Athlone.

BusDirect coach (Citylink or Aircoach)

Duration: ~1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours
Cost: Adult fares; book online for the best price

Both Citylink and Aircoach run direct coach services between Dublin Airport and Athlone on their Galway corridor routes. Confirm the current Athlone stop location and timetable on the operator's site before travelling, as it is at a retail park and university campus area rather than a traditional bus station.

Operator: Citylink / Aircoach

Airport bus/rail link then train

Duration: ~2 hours 15 minutes with a connection
Cost: Airport transfer fare plus rail fare

There is no direct rail line from Dublin Airport; travel first into Dublin (city bus or the airport coach to the city centre), then take an Irish Rail InterCity service from Dublin Heuston to Athlone. The direct coach option above is usually simpler.

Operator: Irish Rail

Shannon AirportSNN

100 km away

DrivingDrive via the M6 and N18/N65 corridor

Duration: ~1 hour 15 minutes
Cost: Fuel, tolls and parking, or car hire

Shannon Airport is the closer option for visitors arriving from North America, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes from Athlone by road. Car hire at the airport is the practical way to reach Athlone, since public transport between Shannon and Athlone involves a change.

BusBus via Limerick

Duration: ~2 hours with a connection
Cost: Adult fares with Leap Card or cash

From Shannon Airport reach Limerick city by bus, then continue to Athlone by train or onward bus. Allow time for the connection.

Operator: Bus Éireann

Leap Card

The Leap Card is Ireland's national reusable transport card. It works on TFI Local Link services around Westmeath and on participating bus and rail services nationally, usually at a discount on the cash fare. Confirm which of Athlone's specific coach operators (Citylink, Aircoach) accept it, since not all private intercity coach operators participate in the Leap scheme.

Cost: €5 for the card plus top-up
Savings: Cheaper than cash on participating services
Where To Get: Spar, Centra, Londis and online

Parking

Parking options in and around Athlone. On busy weekends, arriving early is recommended.

Town-centre and Golden Island parking

Confirm current rates locally. Athlone has a mix of on-street pay-and-display parking in the town centre and larger car parks at the Golden Island and N6 Centre retail areas. It is a bigger, busier town than most on this site, so allow time to find a space on a market Saturday or during the River Festival.

Planning the wider trip?

Our country-level primer covers national rail, intercity buses, airports, the Leap Card, and whether you actually need a hire car for your trip around Ireland.

Getting Around Ireland →