Getting to Carlingford
How to reach Carlingford by train, bus, taxi, car, or bicycle.
Train
Carlingford has no railway station. The village had one from 1876 until 1951 on the Dundalk, Newry and Greenore line, and the old track bed is now the greenway to Omeath, but there has been no train here for over seventy years. The nearest station is Dundalk, roughly 25km away by road, on the Dublin Connolly to Belfast main line, which makes it an easy first leg from Dublin and a straightforward one from the north. From Dundalk the connection to Carlingford is Bus Eireann route 161, which runs from Dundalk Bus Station out along the peninsula to Carlingford and on to Omeath and Newry, taking around 35 minutes and running a handful of journeys a day in each direction rather than anything you could turn up for. Bus Eireann has a new route 161 timetable coming into effect on Monday 24 August 2026, so check the journey times and the last departure on Bus Eireann's own page rather than relying on any figure printed elsewhere, including here. A taxi from Dundalk is the alternative and takes about half an hour, but there is no rank in Carlingford, so book the return leg when you book the outward one. Do not plan on arriving at Dundalk late in the evening and finding a bus.
- Nearest Station
- Dundalk, roughly 25km away by road, on the Dublin Connolly to Belfast line
- Onward
- Bus Eireann route 161 from Dundalk Bus Station to Carlingford, about 35 minutes, a handful of journeys a day each way. A new timetable takes effect on Monday 24 August 2026; check Bus Eireann's own page for the current one
- Alternative
- Taxi from Dundalk, about half an hour. Book the return leg in advance; there is no taxi rank in Carlingford.
- History
- Carlingford had a station on the Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway from 1876 to 1951. The line is now the Carlingford Lough Greenway.
Tips
- •There is no station in Carlingford. Anyone telling you otherwise is describing the 1951 timetable.
- •Check the route 161 timetable against your train before you book; the last bus out to the peninsula is earlier than most people expect.
- •Dundalk Bus Station and Dundalk railway station are a short distance apart in the town; allow for the walk between them.
Bus
Bus Eireann route 161 is the bus service for Carlingford, running from Dundalk Bus Station through Dowdallshill and out along the Cooley Peninsula to Carlingford, then on through Omeath to Newry Bus Station. It runs only a handful of journeys a day in each direction, and not every journey covers the full route, with some terminating at Carlingford rather than continuing north. Journey time from Dundalk is about 35 minutes. This is a genuine scheduled service rather than a tourist shuttle, but it is not frequent, so it wants planning around rather than turning up for. TFI Local Link also runs a much less frequent service on parts of this corridor. Note that the northern end of route 161 crosses the border into the United Kingdom, so if you are only travelling within Ireland, get off at Carlingford or Omeath.
- Route
- Bus Eireann 161, Dundalk to Newry via Greenore, Carlingford and Omeath
- Frequency
- A handful of journeys a day each way, not all of them running the full route. Bus Eireann has a new route 161 timetable in effect from Monday 24 August 2026, so we deliberately do not print a journey count here; read it off Bus Eireann's own page
- Journey Time
- About 35 minutes from Dundalk Bus Station to Carlingford
- Stops
- Dundalk Bus Station, Dowdallshill, Greenore, Carlingford, Omeath, Newry Bus Station
Tips
- •Check the current timetable before travelling. Bus Eireann revises this route periodically, and a new route 161 timetable comes into effect on Monday 24 August 2026, so anything printed before then is out of date.
- •Not every 161 journey runs the full route to Newry; some turn at Carlingford.
- •The bus stops in the village rather than at a station, so know which stop you want before you get on.
Useful Links
Taxi
There is no taxi rank in Carlingford. Local operators cover the village and the run to and from Dundalk, which is the connection most rail arrivals need, and they also do the one-way pick-up at Omeath for anyone who has walked or cycled the greenway in one direction only. Capacity is limited and much of it is taken by group bookings on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead rather than expecting to find a car. Agree the fare when you call. No individual operator was verified to this guide's standard in this research pass.
- Availability
- Local operators only; no rank in the village
- Common Runs
- Dundalk railway and bus station to Carlingford, roughly half an hour; Omeath back to Carlingford after a one-way greenway trip
- Booking
- Book ahead, especially Friday and Saturday evenings
Tips
- •Book your return leg at the same time as your outward one.
- •Weekend evenings are the hardest time to get a car here, because of the group trade.
Driving
Most people arrive in Carlingford by car, and on the Cooley Peninsula that is the sensible choice. From Dublin it is roughly 100km, about an hour and a quarter, up the M1 to the Dundalk exits and then out the R173 along the peninsula, which is a pleasant road with the mountains on one side and the lough on the other for the last stretch. From Dundalk it is about 25km and around half an hour. Parking is the thing to think about rather than the drive: the village is small and medieval, the streets are narrow, and on a summer weekend or a festival day the car parks fill. The tourist office and harbour car park at Station House on the Greenore road is the main one and the official start of the Slieve Foye Loop and the Tain Way; there is a smaller car park off Tholsel Street, and Carlingford Marina, about 1.3km north, has its own car park at the greenway trailhead.
- From Dublin
- About 100km and roughly 1 hour 15 minutes via the M1 and the R173 through the Cooley Peninsula
- From Dundalk
- About 25km and roughly 30 minutes on the R173
- Parking
- Tourist office and harbour car park at Station House, a smaller car park off Tholsel Street, and Carlingford Marina at the greenway trailhead. All fill on summer weekends and festival days.
- Cross Border
- The R173 continues north through Omeath to the border and on to Newry in the United Kingdom. There is no border checkpoint, but you are changing jurisdiction, currency and mobile network.
Tips
- •Arrive before mid-morning on a summer Saturday if you want a space anywhere near the village centre.
- •The village streets are narrow and medieval; park once and walk rather than driving between things.
- •If you continue north past Omeath you cross into the United Kingdom. Check your car insurance and your phone's roaming settings before you do.
- •The Carlingford Lough ferry between Greenore and Greencastle, which used to save a long drive around to the far shore, is not sailing in 2026.
Cycling
The Carlingford Lough Greenway is the reason to bring or hire a bike here. It runs from Carlingford Marina north along the lough shore to Omeath, about 6.5 to 7km on a flat sealed surface, and continues beyond Omeath to the border and on toward Newry, making a cross-border corridor of roughly 19 to 20km completed in 2025. That northern continuation is closed for the winter: Louth County Council has closed the greenway between a point 650 metres northwest of its junction with the L7051 and a point 2.4 kilometres southeast of Victoria Lock, from Tuesday 1 September 2026 until Sunday 28 February 2027, to allow the Narrow Water Bridge works to proceed. The Carlingford to Omeath leg, which is the one most visitors ride, is south of the closed section and is not affected, but if you were planning to ride the full corridor toward Newry this autumn or winter, plan to turn at Omeath instead and check the greenway's own notices before you set out. It is traffic-free apart from a short 300-metre road section, which makes it usable by families and by anyone not confident on a road bike. OnYerBike hire bikes at the marina end. Off the greenway, the R173 along the peninsula is scenic but is a real road with traffic, and the climbs up onto the Cooley Mountains are serious.
- Greenway
- Carlingford Marina to Omeath, about 6.5 to 7km flat and sealed, continuing to the border and toward Newry. The section north of Omeath is closed from 1 September 2026 to 28 February 2027 for the Narrow Water Bridge works; Carlingford to Omeath is unaffected
- Hire
- OnYerBike at Carlingford Marina, +353 87 992 1559
- Terrain
- Flat on the greenway; the mountain roads behind the village are a serious climb
- Surface
- Sealed greenway with one section of about 300 metres on a public road
Tips
- •Book hire bikes ahead at weekends and in school holidays.
- •Wind off the lough is the limiting factor on the greenway far more often than rain is.
- •Start at the marina, not in the village; the 1.3km from the village to the marina is on the road.
Useful Links
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
100 km away- Duration
- About 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cost
- Fuel, the M1 toll and parking, or car hire
Dublin Airport is the practical international gateway for Carlingford. The drive is motorway almost the whole way to Dundalk, then the R173 out along the peninsula. This is comfortably the easiest option and it removes the connection problem at the far end.
- Duration
- About 3 hours in total, depending on the connection
- Cost
- Coach fare to Dundalk plus the route 161 fare
Bus Eireann coach services link Dublin Airport with Dundalk Bus Station, from where route 161 runs out to Carlingford in about 35 minutes. Check both timetables together before committing: route 161 is not frequent, and a late arrival at Dundalk can leave you waiting a long time or paying for a taxi.
Operator: Bus Eireann
- Duration
- About 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cost
- Metered or quoted; agree the fare before travelling
Worth considering for a group or for a late arrival, since the bus connection through Dundalk falls apart in the evening. Book in advance rather than expecting to arrange it on arrival.
EV & Essentials
Practical infrastructure on the ground: charging, water, and accessibility facilities worth knowing about before you arrive.
EV Charging
ESB electric vehicle charge point, village centre
ESB ecars
Carlingford village centre, Co. Louth. A public ESB charge point is mapped in the village centre. Connector types, speed and number of bays were not confirmed against ESB's own network map in this pass; check the ESB ecars app before relying on it.
Leap Card
The TFI Leap Card is Ireland's national reusable travel card and is worth having for the Dublin end of a journey to Carlingford: Dublin Bus, Luas, DART and Irish Rail commuter services all take it. Whether it is accepted on the specific Bus Eireann journey you want out to the Cooley Peninsula is worth checking on Bus Eireann's own fares page before you rely on it, and it certainly will not cover the section of route 161 that crosses the border into the United Kingdom, which is a different fare system entirely.
- Cost
- €5 for the card plus top-up
- Where To Get
- Spar, Centra, Londis, most newsagents and online
- Coverage
- Dublin Bus, Luas, DART and commuter rail. Check Bus Eireann's fares page for acceptance on route 161.
Parking
Parking options in and around Carlingford. On busy weekends, arriving early is recommended.
Tourist Office and harbour car park, Station House
The car park beside the tourist office at Station House on the Greenore road, by the harbour, is the standard place to leave a car for the village and is the official start point for the Slieve Foye Loop and the Tain Way. It fills on summer weekends and festival days. Charging arrangements were not confirmed in this pass; check the signage on arrival.
Tholsel Street car park
A second car park inside the village off Tholsel Street, a short walk from the pubs and restaurants. Small, and the first to fill at weekends. Charging arrangements were not confirmed in this pass.
Carlingford Marina car park
€2, reported as free for marina and restaurant customers. About 1.3km north of the village and the natural place to start the greenway to Omeath. Rate as published by a greenway guide rather than by the marina itself; confirm on the day.
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 →