Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

For anyone looking forward to coming to Ireland and exploring beyond Limerick, I highly suggest going to Galway. I’ve been in Limerick for seven months now and can state that my favourite day trip from Limerick is definitely Galway, as on half of my day trips, I went there. So here are my tips for getting to Galway and enjoying the visit! 

Getting there 

Galway is an easy 1:30-hour drive from UL if you have a car. However, if you are an international student without a car (like me), don’t worry—we still have two options: buses and trains. If you have a student or young adult leap card (which I highly recommend having), prices are very accessible.  

The buses leave from Henry Street. If you are going from UL, it is easy to get there using the 304, 304A, or 310. You can take either the Citylink, which has buses every hour and a 1:30-hour trip, or the Bus Éireann, which has hourly buses but a more extended trip (2:20 hours). The trip costs around €16-17 if you use your Leap Card. 

You can buy bus and train tickets in advance on the companies’ websites. I suggest doing that to ensure you will get into the chosen timeslot. 

After fuelling yourself, explore the city by walking without a goal. Get lost in Latin Square and Shop Street and enjoy a nice walk along the coast. Don’t miss out on the Claddagh ring museum inside the original Claddagh ring store. Even if you are not religious, the Galway Cathedral is fantastic inside and out, and it is totally worth the visit. 

At the end of the day, go back to the coast to watch the sunset near the famous colourful houses in Galway. A perfect ending to a full day of exploring. Before returning to the train or bus, stop by Pizza & Pasta Napoli and get pizza by the slice if you are feeling hungry again. The slices are huge, and the pizza is delicious. One thing to remember is that the place is very small with limited seating, so you might have to eat standing up, but I promise it is worth it. 

My experience 

If you want to enjoy the most of your day, the best way is to invest a little bit more money and take the Citylink. The ride is shorter and taking the first bus from Limerick and the last bus to Limerick, you manage to fit around 7 hours to explore the city and still make it back to Limerick to take the bus back to UL. Still, I understand if you want to try the train ride, as it is more pleasant overall. You can still go to Galway by train and return by bus; that way, you will still have around 6 hours to explore the city. 

Galway is probably one of my favourite spots in Ireland; every time I visit, I discover something new. So, allow yourself to really get lost and explore the wonders the city has to offer.