With an InterRail Pass you can travel by train on the complete isle of Ireland, both in Ireland and in Northern Ireland.
Trains in Ireland are operated by Iarnrod Éireann (Irish Rail). Rail services in Northern Ireland are run by Northern Ireland Railways (NI Railways).
Ireland and Northern Ireland are directly connected to each other by train. The isle has discounted ferry connections to Great Britain and France.
Ireland (Republic)
The national railway company of Ireland is called CIÉ (Córas Iarnród Éireann - Irish Rail). Irish Rail provides a modern, comfortable and frequent rail service to most parts of Ireland.
Website of the Irish railway company: Irish Rail. They offer a journey planner, printable timetables and a rail network map.
Most trains in Ireland operate to and from Dublin. There are two main stations in Dublin: Connolly Station and Heuston Station. There are no trains connecting these stations, so you have to take a tram or bus to go from Connolly to Heuston.
Important long-distance connections from Dublin are:
- From Dublin Heuston to Cork, Tralee, Limerick, Galway, Westport, Ballina and Waterford.
- From Dublin Connolly to Sligo, Wexford, Rosslare Europort and Belfast.
The high-speed 'Enterprise' train is jointly operated by Iarnród Éireanna and NI Railways. It runs 8 times a day between Dublin Connolly and Belfast (Northern Ireland) in just over two hours.
Other InterCity routes in Ireland, that also stop at smaller stations:
- Cork to Tralee
- Cork to Limerick
- Limerick to Rosslare Europort
Smaller towns are connected by local 'Railcar' trains, that only have second class compartments. Routes where these trains run: Mallow-TraleeCork-Cobe, Limmerick Junction-Limmerick-Ennis Dublin-Dundalk and Dublin-Rosslare.
Your InterRail Pass is also valid on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport), a suburban railway network in the Dublin area operated by Irish Rail. You have to show your Pass at the ticket window to get access through the entrance gates.
Northern Ireland
NIR / Northern Ireland Railways is the national railway company of Northern Ireland. Website: NI Railways.
Plan your trip: NIR timetables.
Northern Ireland Railways operates trains on these main routes:
- Bangor Line: Bangor - Belfast - Lisburn - Portadown - Newry
- Derry Line: Londonderry - Coleraine - Ballymena - Antrim - Belfast
- Larne Line: Larne - Carrickfergus - Belfast
- Portrush Line: Coleraine - Portrush
- Cross Border Line: Belfast Central - Portadown - Newry - Dundalk - Dublin *
*the high-speed 'Enterprise' train runs 8 times a day between Belfast and Dublin Connolly (Republic of Ireland) in just over two hours. It is jointly operated by NI Railways and Iarnród Éireanna.
Ferry Connections
Your InterRail Global Pass or Ireland Pass entitles you to discounted ferry crossings from Irish Ferries, Norfolkline and Stena Line to France and the UK. See the page Pass Benefits Ireland.
For domestic trains in (Northern) Ireland reservations are not required, so you can just hop on any train with your InterRail Pass.
It is possible but not required to make reservation for InterCity (IC) trains. Reservations can be made locally or online at www.irishrail.ie.
Scenic routes in Republic of Ireland
Nice train routes along the coast:
Rosslare - Waterford / Rosslare - Rosslare - Wexford - Enniscorthy
Wicklow - Greystones - Dun Laoghaire
Scenic route in Northern Ireland
Londonderry - Coleraine
