How to get to Cork from Dublin

How to travel from Dublin to Cork

There is a choice of public transport between Dublin and Cork; you can choose to take a coach or a train. Dublin to Cork is one of the most popular round trips in Ireland, as you would expect given that the journey links the first and second cities of the Republic (some inhabitants of Cork will tell you Cork is actually the real capital of Ireland, but either way, you are travelling between the first and second cities of Eire). Not only is Cork the second biggest natural harbour in the world, but it is also the home of the world-famous Blarney Stone – no way of kissing the Blarney Stone without travelling to Cork!

Cork can lay claim to being the cultural capital of Ireland with its profusion of art galleries, innovative restaurants and the most important jazz festival in the country. Just as Dublin has Guinness, Cork has Murphy’s Stout – try an ‘adult float’ – an ice cream beer float that makes the most of Murphy’s distinctive flavour. Transport connections allow visitors to get from Dublin to Cork easily enough to make a weekend break very feasible but there is more than enough to do and see to make a longer vacation worthwhile. It takes less than 3h by train to get from Dublin to Cork and in fact the fastest trains make the journey in just 2h 37 min. Both trains and coaches are available every day of the week.

What is the cheapest way to get from Dublin to Cork?

The cheapest way to get from Dublin to Cork as an individual traveller is to take a bus. There are four coach companies travelling direct between the two cities, GoBus (every 2h), Bus Eireann (four times a day), Dublin Coach (every 4h) and Aircoach (every 2h). The combination of bus companies means there are departures at least approximately every hour during the day plus less frequent night buses leaving Dublin after 11:00 p.m.

All the routes terminate in either St Patrick’s Quay or Parnell Place in Cork but they depart from various points in Dublin including the airport and various city centre locations such as Westmoreland Street and Heuston Railway Station. Fares between Dublin and Cork vary so it always pays to book in advance and to check out various dates either side of your preferred travel date. Of course, it is always a good idea to look at any discounts there may be for students, families, senior citizens and so on.

What is the fastest way to travel from Dublin to Cork?

The fastest Dublin to Cork travel time (excluding renting a car, of course) is by train. The fastest train only takes 2h 37 min to cover the roughly 150 miles (240 km) between Dublin and Cork as the crow flies. The quickest trains make only four stops between the two cities and of course there is the added advantage of leaving from and arriving at city centre locations (Dublin Heuston, just outside Dublin city centre but easily reached by one of the frequent trams heading westwards out of the centre, and Cork Kent respectively).

Find the best tickets from Dublin to Cork and book with Omio

Omio is a booking platform that helps to compare and book all modes of transport from Dublin to Cork and then choose the best option for you, including finding cheap tickets from Dublin to Cork. You will find all the main travel companies in one place and the information from each one is displayed to allow you to scan , one-way and round trip tickets on all travel options at a glance.

Omio is an internationally recognised platform and makes its booking processes and customer services available in your language, offering its website in the language of the country you are searching from. Go to Omio to compare service providers by entering your dates and routes, then book your travel through Omio and get mobile tickets – no need to print anything out unless your particular travel company specifies a printout as a condition of carriage. Between trips, keep in touch with the world of travel through Window Seat our own in-house travel magazine.

Bridge Dublin. Source: Shutterstock

Trains from Dublin to Cork

Train travel is one of the best ways of getting from Dublin to Cork – enjoy the spacious carriages, sink into your pre-reserved and very comfortable seat, avail yourself of the plentiful of luggage space, and settle down to drink in the green Irish countryside through the big panoramic windows. Trains bound for Cork leave Dublin Heuston station every hour throughout the day between 7:00 a.m. (8:30 a.m. on Sundays) and 9:00 p.m. all seven days of the week Most of the trains are direct although occasionally it is necessary to change at Mallow (this applies to the first train on Sunday mornings for example). Heuston is Dublin’s biggest station, easy to find because it is right next to Phoenix Park just to the West of the centre of the city. Cork Kent station is only a 10min walk from the centre of Cork, or hop on a 205 bus from the station through the city centre and on out towards the West of the city.

Train travel from Dublin to Cork with Irish Rail

Irish Rail, or Iarnród Éireann, is the railway company that runs trains all around the Republic of Ireland, including between Dublin and Cork. The company runs smart modern trains on this route. The route passes through rocky Limerick and gentle, green Mallow – make the most of the emerald-green Irish scenery. It may be worth comparing prices for first and second class tickets on this route. The main difference is the extra space – four seats across each row in second and three seats across each row in first class. Omio will provide the Dublin to Cork price and travel time, then click though to the Iarnród Éireann website to double-check accessibility, catering (and especially availability of the full Irish breakfast, reputed to be amongst the best in Ireland), and travelling with pets. The company provides wifi throughout all their trains and some carriages also have sockets for charging phones etc.

Buses from Dublin to Cork

There are four coach companies travelling between Dublin and Cork but not all of them operate non-stop routes so double-check the travel time from Dublin to Cork as well as the cost of Dublin to Cork tickets. Bus Eireann runs its 245X service four times a day from Hueston Station in Dublin to Cork Bus Station in Parnell Place, Cork city centre. The 245X service makes five stops along the way – could be the right choice for visitors wanting to see more of the countryside and smaller towns as they travel across Ireland. Dublin Coach’s 600 M9 Express service departs from Burgh Quay in Dublin four times a day, seven days a week and travels through Kilkenny and Waterford to Cork, terminating at St Patrick’s Quay in Cork. This service also makes five stops before reaching Cork

Traveling by bus from Dublin to Cork with Aircoach and GoBus

Aircoach, as its name suggests, departs from Dublin Airport. It also picks up passengers from Bachelors’ Walk in Dublin, just across the river from Trinity College and then it is non-stop to St Patrick’s Quay in Cork.. The GoBus Dublin to Cork service also departs from Dublin Airport, picks up passengers in the city centre from its stop right next to the historic O’Connell Bridge and then its straight down the M50 to St Patrick’s Quay in Cork.

Courts Dublin. Source: Shutterstock

To Dublin by train/bus- travel tips

Dublin is famous the world over for its proud historical and literary connections, its architecture, its ‘craic’ roughly translated as a spirit of fun in its pubs and cafés and of course the fabled warmth of the Dubliners themselves. Visit Dublin to experience all the most typical aspects of this wonderful capital city but don’t forget to make time to stray beyond the tourist hot spot of Temple Bar in order to explore Dublin’s other gems including its live music scene, its many libraries and museums, the immensity of Phoenix Park in the city centre and the beautiful Georgian architecture.

Dublin is also a marvellous place to eat out – starting with the seafood at Howth and a pint of Guinness. Breathe in plenty of the fresh salty sea air to sharpen your appetite to make room for the ultimate Dublin comfort food; called coddle it is a sort of sausage, bacon and potato stew. Then there is the traditional Irish breakfast – you may find it keeps you going for the rest of the day.