Getting to Trim
How to reach Trim by train, bus, taxi, car, or bicycle.
Train
Trim has no railway station. The line through the town closed to passengers in 1947 and was never reopened, so there is no rail service to Trim and no plausible prospect of one. The nearest station is Enfield, roughly 19 km away by road on the Dublin Connolly to Sligo main line, which is served both by the Connolly to Longford commuter service and by the Dublin to Sligo InterCity. From Enfield, TFI Local Link route 189 runs into Trim in about half an hour, and a taxi covers the same distance in under twenty minutes. Drogheda, on the Dublin to Belfast line, is the other station people sometimes name, but it is more than twice as far and there is no direct connection, so Enfield is the one to use. Anyone arriving by train should confirm the 189 timetable before travelling rather than assuming a bus will be waiting.
- Nearest Station
- Enfield railway station, roughly 19 km by road, then TFI Local Link route 189 or a taxi into Trim
- Connections
- Enfield is on the Dublin Connolly to Sligo main line, served by the Connolly to Longford commuter service and the Dublin to Sligo InterCity
- Onward
- TFI Local Link 189 from Enfield to Trim, about 30 minutes; taxi about 18 minutes
- Closed Line
- Trim's own station closed to passengers in 1947 and has not reopened
Tips
- •There is no station in Trim. Do not plan a rail arrival into the town itself.
- •Enfield is the nearest useful station at about 19 km. Drogheda is more than twice as far with no direct link.
- •Check the TFI Local Link 189 timetable before you board the train; it runs up to ten return services a day but it is not turn-up-and-go.
Useful Links
Bus & Coach
Trim is a bus town, and it is served better than most Meath towns of its size. Bus Éireann route 111 runs between Dublin and Trim and on through Athboy toward Granard and Cavan, calling at Busáras and Merrion Row on the Dublin side, with a Dublin to Trim leg of roughly an hour and services through the day rather than a couple of times daily. Route 111X is the express variant running to Athboy and Clonmellon, and route 109B links Dublin to Trim by way of Dunshaughlin. Locally, Bus Éireann route 190 runs Drogheda to Navan to Trim, TFI Local Link route 189 connects Navan to Trim to Enfield with up to ten return services a day seven days a week, and two private operators fill in the gaps: Royal Breffni Tours run DK03 from Trim through Navan to Dundalk, and Streamline Coaches run UM09 from Athboy through Trim to Maynooth. Route 189 is the one that matters if you are arriving by train, because it is the connection to Enfield station.
- From Dublin
- Bus Éireann route 111 (Dublin to Athboy and beyond via Trim), roughly one hour from Busáras, with services through the day
- Express Option
- Route 111X, the Dublin express toward Athboy and Clonmellon
- Alternative Dublin Route
- Route 109B, Dublin to Trim via Dunshaughlin
- Local Connections
- Route 190 (Drogheda to Navan to Trim), TFI Local Link 189 (Navan to Trim to Enfield, up to 10 return services daily, seven days), DK03 (Trim to Navan to Dundalk, Royal Breffni Tours), UM09 (Athboy to Trim to Maynooth, Streamline Coaches)
Tips
- •Route 189 is the link to Enfield railway station, so it is the useful one if you are combining bus and train.
- •The 111 and 111X are separate services with different stopping patterns. Check which you have booked before you get to the stop.
- •Journey times to Dublin vary with the stopping pattern and with M50 traffic; the timetable figure is a fair-weather number.
Useful Links
Taxi
Trim has a small local taxi and hackney trade rather than a rank you can rely on at short notice. Trim Taxi is the established local operator, running cars alongside minibus and coach hire and offering meet and greet transfers from Dublin Airport. As in most Meath market towns, the sensible approach is to book ahead, particularly for an early airport run or for a Saturday night, rather than expecting to flag one down on Market Street.
- Local
- Trim Taxi, a local taxi and hackney service also running minibus and coach hire
- Airport
- Dublin Airport meet and greet transfers available by arrangement
- Booking
- Book ahead, especially for early morning airport runs and weekend evenings
Tips
- •Book rather than assume. There is no dependable rank in the town centre.
- •If you are coming in by train to Enfield, arrange the taxi before you board rather than on arrival.
Useful Links
Driving
Most people arrive in Trim by car, and the town is built for it more than the medieval centre suggests: an inner relief road takes traffic off the older streets, and the castle car parking is on the town side rather than at the monument. From Dublin it is roughly an hour by the M3 and the R154, or by the N4 and Enfield if you are coming from the west side of the city. Parking in the centre is pay-and-display at about €1 an hour; the Emmet Street car park does all day for around €3 and is about three minutes on foot from the castle gate, which is the sensible default for a full-day visit. Rates and enforcement hours are Meath County Council's and change, so read the sign rather than trusting a number in a guide.
- From Dublin
- About 1 hour by the M3 and R154, or by the N4 through Enfield from the west of the city
- From Dublin Airport
- About 1 hour 10 minutes by the M50 and M3
- Parking
- Town centre pay-and-display at about €1 per hour; all-day parking at the Emmet Street car park for about €3, roughly three minutes' walk from the castle (rates as researched, confirm on the sign)
Tips
- •Emmet Street car park is the all-day option and it is closer to the castle than it looks on a map.
- •The inner relief road takes through traffic around the medieval core, so satnav routes can take you past the castle rather than to it.
- •Royal Meath Show Sunday in September and the Púca weekend in late October both change the parking picture in the centre completely.
Cycling
The country around Trim is flat river valley, which makes it some of the easiest cycling in Leinster: the roads out to Bective, Laracor, Newtown and Scurlogstown are quiet and level, and the Boyne Valley as a whole is set up for touring by bike. Within the town, the river walk is a footpath rather than a cycleway, so it is a walk-your-bike stretch. No dedicated bike-hire operator in Trim was confirmed in this research pass, so plan to bring a bike or arrange hire in Dublin or Navan before travelling.
- Terrain
- Flat river-valley roads, among the easiest cycling in Leinster
- Hire
- No bike-hire operator in Trim was confirmed at the time of research; arrange hire before travelling
- Routes
- Quiet lanes to Bective, Laracor, Newtown and Scurlogstown, and the wider Boyne Valley touring routes
Tips
- •The Porchfields river walk is a footpath. Walk the bike through that stretch.
- •Lanes are narrow with limited verge, so lights and high-visibility clothing are worth it even by day.
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
58 km away- Duration
- About 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cost
- Fuel, M50 toll and parking, or car hire
Dublin Airport is the only realistic gateway for Trim. Driving is the most flexible option and avoids a connection in the city centre.
- Duration
- About 2 hours to 2 hours 30 with the connection
- Cost
- Airport coach fare plus the Bus Éireann fare
There is no direct airport bus to Trim. Take an airport coach into the city, then join route 111 or 109B. Allow real time for the transfer rather than the theoretical minimum.
Operator: Bus Éireann
- Duration
- About 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cost
- Quoted by the operator
Worth it for an early flight or a group with luggage, given the connection required on the bus option. Book ahead.
Operator: Trim Taxi
Leap Card
The Leap Card is Ireland's national reusable transport card and it works on the TFI-integrated services that reach Trim, including the Bus Éireann routes and TFI Local Link 189. It also covers the Dublin legs of a journey here, so it is worth having if you are combining Dublin Bus, Luas or the train with a bus out to Meath. It is not accepted on privately operated coach services.
- Cost
- €5 for the card plus top-up
- Savings
- Cheaper than cash fares on TFI-integrated services
- Where To Get
- Spar, Centra, Londis and online
Parking
Parking options in and around Trim. On busy weekends, arriving early is recommended.
Emmet Street Car Park
About €3 for the day. The all-day option and the sensible default for a full-day visit. About three minutes on foot from the castle gate. Rate as researched from the town's own visitor information; read the sign on the day.
Trim town centre on-street pay-and-display
About €1 per hour. On-street pay-and-display across the town centre, enforced roughly 09:00-18:00 Monday to Saturday. Fine for a couple of hours at the castle; use Emmet Street for longer.
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 →