I need some travel advice for the Dublin area

Amtmann

Hi folks,

I have a series of meetings to attend next Tuesday in Dublin around the city. For reasons I won't go into, I have to take the car. The first meeting is in Baggot Street at 11am. I'll be taking the M8/M7 to Dublin and was going to park in the Luas park and ride facility and tram it into Baggot Street for 11am.

But! Where exactly is the park and ride, how to I access it from the N7, and, most importantly, will there be parking space there at around 09:30?

Next I have a meeting in Blackrock in the afternoon. I will drive to this (unless a better public transport option can be suggested from Baggot Street), so I was going to take the M50 southbound and take junction 16 to the N11 and the N31 thereafter. Does this sound like a good plan, or should I keep the car at the park and ride and take a bus out to Blackrock?

Heroditas

If you're heading towards Dublin on the N7, there is a dedicated slip road into the park and ride at Red Cow.
There is also always loads of parking there so you will be fine.
You'll have a bit of a walk from the Red Line to Baggot Street though.

Once that meeting is finished, just head back out to The Red Cow park and ride and take the car to Blackrock.

Come off the M50 at the Leopardstown interchange (Junction 14).
At the top, take the second exit on the roundabout (first exit takes you into the ESB offices) and head down past Bewleys Hotel and "Mountainview".

Take the third exit at the next roundabout and head down towards White's Cross.
Go straight through the junction there and cross the N11 and head down Newtownpark Avenue.
All that road is the R113
At the very bottom of the avenue, turn left onto the N31 and you're practically in Blackrock Village.

Bill2673

I don't know details for Luas car park.

Why would you not just drive to Baggot Street and then out to Blackrock? You are not hitting the city at rush hour and Baggot St to Blackrock will take 20 mins in the car, but if you have to tram it back to the LUAS park'n'ride and then out to Blackrock, god knows how long that will take.

Cookie_Monster

or simply park in Blackrock and get DART or bus into baggot st and back out and car is there waiting...

The shopping centre in Blackrock is pretty cheap from memory, €1 iirc. 4, 4a, 7 are 25 mins to Merrion Sq and 5 min walk to Baggot St.

schemingbohemia

I think driving is your best option really, shouldn't be that tricky to get a parking spot along Baggot Street but you should probably give yourself a bit of time to find one.

I don't think the parking is that cheap in either of the Blackrock Shopping Centres, though if you spend more than a fiver in Superquinn I think you get your first hour free.

If you don't like driving in Dublin then do the Luas park and ride, get off at Abbey Street then get the 10 bus to Baggot Street - which end are you going to it's a very long street?

After the meeting you could walk to the end of Baggot Street and hop on a 4/4a/7/45 to Blackrock or walk a little further and get the DART. Get buses back to O'Connell st then Luas or DART to Connolly the Luas to Red Cow.

To get to the M50 from Blackrock head South then after you go uphill a bit (1km from Blackrock) you'll come to a T junction with a turn to the right, this is Newtownpark Avenue head up this road to the very top where it crosses the N11, head straight across passing Leopardstown Racecourse through the next roundabout and then you get onto the M50.

Aard

I agree with CM. The Red Luas through town isn't much faster than the bus in my experience, and then you've got the walk to Baggot St. A bus from Blackrock at that hour should be quick enough. Or indeed the Dart to Pearse or Grand Canal Dock, depending on which end of Baggot St you want.

Amtmann

Thank you gents, much obliged.

DWCommuter

Furet wrote: »

Thank you gents, much obliged.

The info provided is a tad mixed up and perhaps misleading. If you want to drive, then drive and you will be quicker. Thats a fact. However if you want to park up on the outskirts of the city and use public transport, then I suggest you park in the Stillorgan Park and Ride on the Green Luas line. Its an additional 15 mins along the M50 from the red cow. This line, as you know, leaves you in Stephens Green. Thats a quicker walk to Baggot st than a walk from the red line. Once you're done in Baggot st, then the DART from either Pearse or Grand Canal to Blackrock is a handy option. But that depends on where in Blackrock you are going.

For the record the red line luas is good for citycentre (O'Connell st) and northside. The Green Line is good for south inner city and areas along its route. But I'm sure you know this already.

schemingbohemia

it's a bit off to say our advice is misleading, given the fact that the OP hasn't identified which end of Baggot Street his/her meeting is at and that they identified the specific park and ride they wished to use, my advice was neither mixed up nor misleading. also as presumably the OP isn't overly familiar with Dublin Grand Canal Dock can be tricky to find.

zagmund

I would normally be a fan of the oul park and ride, but in this case I think you're just adding in a huge extra layer and a huge extra delay. I would go with DWCommuter and avoid the whole Red Line end of things.

Go straight over to Stillorgan (on the M50) and either park the car there or else drive to either Blackrock or Baggot Street. If you park in Stillorgan, then as mentioned, the Green Line will get you into the immediate vicinity of Baggot Street. If your meeting is at the town end then you're done. If it's at the other end then it's a quick (number 10) bus ride or you can benefit from Dublins mega-taxi-rank right beside the luas stop.

If you drive to either Baggot Street of Blackrock then it's an easy transfer by car or by loads of buses to the other meeting.

Alternatively if you leave it at the Red Line park and ride you've got a long transfer just to get back to your car, particularly if you're coming out of your meeting in Blackrock. DART to Connolly, Luas to Red Cow. Mind you, you then won't get stuck in M50-land traffic jams on your way home . . .

Hmm . . . there's advantages to both, but I would come down on the side of driving to Stillorgan or Blackrock.

z

DWCommuter

schemingbohemia wrote: »

it's a bit off to say our advice is misleading, given the fact that the OP hasn't identified which end of Baggot Street his/her meeting is at and that they identified the specific park and ride they wished to use, my advice was neither mixed up nor misleading. also as presumably the OP isn't overly familiar with Dublin Grand Canal Dock can be tricky to find.

a tad mixed up and perhaps misleading

Don't take it personally. Its only the internet.;)

Amtmann

schemingbohemia wrote: »

it's a bit off to say our advice is misleading, given the fact that the OP hasn't identified which end of Baggot Street his/her meeting is at and that they identified the specific park and ride they wished to use, my advice was neither mixed up nor misleading. also as presumably the OP isn't overly familiar with Dublin Grand Canal Dock can be tricky to find.

Sorry about that - I'll be going to Lower Baggot Street, building numbered in early 100s.

I'm not familiar with the southside at all.

Amtmann

Sorry, just another question: Approaching M50 from N7, I take M50 southbound and junction 14 to Stillorgan, right? Is the P&R well signposted from junction 14?

DWCommuter

Furet wrote: »

Sorry, just another question: Approaching M50 from N7, I take M50 southbound and junction 14 to Stillorgan, right? Is the P&R well signposted from junction 14?

Yep. Poor signposting for the P&R at the junction though. Once off the M50 follow the signs at the first rounabout for Dun laoghaire. (stay in left hand lane) You will have Bewleys Hotel on your right at a set of traffic lights. Through these lights and you will come to another large roundabout that has the luas extension to cherrywood crossing it on a flyover. Turn left at this roundabout. (you are in Sandyford industrial estate now) Continue straight on through the next set of lights and you approach a T-Junction. The approach to it is one way so stay in the right hand lane and take a right turn. Head straight down to the end of that road (also a one way) and its another T-Junction. You'll see the luas P&R in front of you. I recommend taking a left and using the P&R at the Stillorgan stop. Its easier to get a space.