Driving M50 to airport Friday evening am I mad?

-maccer-

Hey guys,

Thinking of taking the M50 to the airport tomorrow evening around 5pm. Would be going onto the M50 at red cow. Anyone have an idea what traffic would be like on M50 around this time. Would it take me forever to get as far as the airport exit? Would I just be better off making my way into town and hoping on a bus to the airport? Thanks.

Tropheus

You should be grand once you're on the M50. The M50 works pretty well these days. I know parts of the Red Cow are still troublesome, especially exiting and heading south as it seems to get held up at Newlands Cross. They should have put an underpass there.

There can be a delay where the M50/M1 merge, but it moves pretty well.

Poly

It should be grand, "heavy but moving". allow an hour just in case

Mc Love

i think you might be okay northbound - southbound on the M50 getting off at Red Cow is a nightmare on Friday evenings

cjt156

ksimpson wrote: »

There can be a delay where the M50/M1 merge, but it moves pretty well.

You can avoid that by taking the Ballymun exit and entering the Airport the back way - brings you right in by long term parking and Quikpark if you're using them.

I'm heading the opposite direction every day around that time & "heavy but moving" is exactly right. Its the N7 and N4 offramps that seem most congested.

eyeball kid

Have to go to the airport on Friday evenings around that time from the N7 every couple of weeks and its not too bad. Usually no problems at all on the M50.
As someone else said, take the Ballymun exit and you'll avoid any traffic on the M1.

-maccer-

Thanks for all the responses. Will be going onto the m50 from the ballymount industrial estate so don't think I will have any issues getting onto the M50. I will leave plenty of time anyway and thanks for the tip on the ballymun exit, looked it up on google maps and looks very straightforward, will go that way. Parking in long term red carpark so that road in is ideal! Thanks again!

ghosttown

Note that coming from Ballymun there is no longer a right turn into the red car park, you are supposed to go to roundabout outside airport turn and come back.
However, each time I've gone, with no traffic coming other way you can still make the turn......just you're not supposed to......

seamus

I used to get the Friday evening 20:10 Aer Lingus flight to Heathrow once every two weeks to see my girlfriend when she was living in London. This was back when the junctions were roundabouts and there were toll booths.

I used to leave Lucan at 17:45 and generally arrived in the long-term car park around 18:30, into the terminal building around 18:45. If you're on the M50 about 30 minutes before you plan to be in the long-term car park, I can't see you having any difficulties.

-maccer-

ghosttown wrote: »

Note that coming from Ballymun there is no longer a right turn into the red car park, you are supposed to go to roundabout outside airport turn and come back.
However, each time I've gone, with no traffic coming other way you can still make the turn......just you're not supposed to......

Thanks guys. I never saw this post! Another 5 minutes through the roundabout won't kill me I guess. If there is no oncoming traffic though I will see what humour I am in!

Mc Love

Change your title of the thread now, as we all know you arent mad anymore!

R.O.R

-maccer- wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses. Will be going onto the m50 from the ballymount industrial estate so don't think I will have any issues getting onto the M50. I will leave plenty of time anyway and thanks for the tip on the ballymun exit, looked it up on google maps and looks very straightforward, will go that way. Parking in long term red carpark so that road in is ideal! Thanks again!

Ballymount can be the worst junction for getting on the M50 heading Northbound, as it's also the off ramp for the Naas Road. If the Naas Road is heavy in either direction, then traffic backs up the lenght of the Ballymount on ramp and you are fighting to get on the motorway with traffic trying to get off.

Once you are on the M50 main line, it will take about 12 minutes to get to the M1 interchange, and if you are heading for the Airport you don't need to merge on to the M1. Once you pass Ballymun, move to the left lane as soon as it appears - you'll end up at the Airport roundabout.

I get on at Ballymount around 17.45 everyday, and it's rare I'm not at the M50/M1 merge by 18.00.

jaffa20

The schools are off this week so it's less chaos for now anyway.

-maccer-

R.O.R wrote: »

Ballymount can be the worst junction for getting on the M50 heading Northbound, as it's also the off ramp for the Naas Road. If the Naas Road is heavy in either direction, then traffic backs up the lenght of the Ballymount on ramp and you are fighting to get on the motorway with traffic trying to get off.

Once you are on the M50 main line, it will take about 12 minutes to get to the M1 interchange, and if you are heading for the Airport you don't need to merge on to the M1. Once you pass Ballymun, move to the left lane as soon as it appears - you'll end up at the Airport roundabout.

I get on at Ballymount around 17.45 everyday, and it's rare I'm not at the M50/M1 merge by 18.00.

So do I not take the ballymun exit at all? Is that a new road, can't see it on google maps at all but realise they havn't updated in years. Thanks

R.O.R

-maccer- wrote: »

So do I not take the ballymun exit at all? Is that a new road, can't see it on google maps at all but realise they havn't updated in years. Thanks

If you are parking in long term 1 (near ALSAA) then it's better to go to the end of the M50 and there is a lane that takes you all the way to the Airport roundabout, left at that then left at the traffic lights in to long term 1 (through the pedestrian lights).

If you come off at Ballymun you have to go past the turn (no right turn in to the car park now), up to the roundabout and back down again.

If you go the Ballymun way, you might be lucky and have no traffic, but whenever I've gone that way in rush hour traffic, it's mental from ALSAA up to the roundabout.

Reckon it's quicker to go to the end of the M50 now - that's the way I go now if I'm heading to the car hire facility which is next to the long term car park.

CountingCrows

There is a hourly bus from the Luas Redcow stop to Dublin airport, might be another option for you.

-maccer-

R.O.R wrote: »

If you are parking in long term 1 (near ALSAA) then it's better to go to the end of the M50 and there is a lane that takes you all the way to the Airport roundabout, left at that then left at the traffic lights in to long term 1 (through the pedestrian lights).

If you come off at Ballymun you have to go past the turn (no right turn in to the car park now), up to the roundabout and back down again.

If you go the Ballymun way, you might be lucky and have no traffic, but whenever I've gone that way in rush hour traffic, it's mental from ALSAA up to the roundabout.

Reckon it's quicker to go to the end of the M50 now - that's the way I go now if I'm heading to the car hire facility which is next to the long term car park.

Okay will go to the end of the m50 past ballymun exit so and straight to airport roundabout. Thanks

CiniO

Just using the occasion that there's a threas about it.
I'm going to the airport on Friday as well, but I only need to be there about 11pm so I don't think traffic jams will be the problem.
Only thing is I have to go earlier to my friends house on Foley street (he said it's somewhere near Busares bus station). I know how to get to bus station so I'll find it somehow.
Just to ask - is it safe to arrive there (Foley street) after 10pm, considering I don't know the place, I might travel around to find the right building, and I'm not Irish.
I heard that some Dublin regions might be dangerous during the night, but not sure if that's one of them. Thanks for advice.
How do I get back to the road to airport then? If I come back to O'Connel street will it be easy enough to get to airport?

seamus

Foley street is not located in the nicest part of Dublin, but you probably won't find yourself in any trouble, regardless of the time of day. Just be sober, walk with purpose and don't stare at anyone. There will be plenty of junkie types wandering around, don't worry about them.

Getting to the airport from there is easy enough. Just go up Amiens St, left onto South Circular and then right onto Dorset Street and it's straight all the way to the M1 airport junction.

Check google maps and you'll see the layout.

Absurdum

30 mins max, a couple of years ago you would've been looking at 2 hours :pac:

groupb

M50 is fine , rush hour or not. Its the M1 thats a disaster nowadays especially southbound in the mornings.

Idbatterim

coming off at the ballymun exit will save alot of time! the distance you have to travel if you go the "normal" way is alot longer!

R.O.R

Idbatterim wrote: »

coming off at the ballymun exit will save alot of time! the distance you have to travel if you go the "normal" way is alot longer!

It's 1KM longer, but quicker via the M1 if you go by Google Maps - by 1 minute.

If you could turn right in to the long term, I'd come off at Ballymun (used to go that way), but since you now have to go around the roundabout, it's better to use the M1.

-maccer-

Thanks for all the replys, made out to the airport safe and sound. M50 from redcow to airport took about 15 minutes, traffic was heavy but flowing away nicely....

CiniO

seamus wrote: »

Foley street is not located in the nicest part of Dublin, but you probably won't find yourself in any trouble, regardless of the time of day. Just be sober, walk with purpose and don't stare at anyone. There will be plenty of junkie types wandering around, don't worry about them.

Getting to the airport from there is easy enough. Just go up Amiens St, left onto South Circular and then right onto Dorset Street and it's straight all the way to the M1 airport junction.

Check google maps and you'll see the layout.

Thanks for that.
I had no problem with navigating. Had a good map.
My friend was waiting for me outside his apartment on the street so no problem finding it at all.
As you said - it's definitely not the nicest part of Dublin, but didn't have any problems, even I had loadz of stuff which I was carrying for my friend in my car (he moved recently from Mayo to Dublin).
Also no problems at all getting to the Airport from there.

Few things that came to my mind.

1. Airport shorterm parking - first hour 3euro + every next hour or part of it 4.5 euro.
I hate paying for any kind of parking. I arrived just at the time the flight was supposed to land (with people I was picking up). Unforunatelly flight was delayed, and it looked like I'll have to pay for over an hour which would be 3 + 4.5 = 7.5...
I didn't like the idea and decided I'll chance it.
I paid a fee on the paystation just before an hour passed (about 59 minutes after entering the parking). As flight was already landed then, I just though I'll be gone in couple of minutes and it will be counted as time to get to the car on the parking.
Unfortunately, it took them good while to get out through all luggage area, so I was exiting parking almost 50 minutes after I paid.
What surpriced me, what that I was only asked to pay 3 euros at exit.
So I understand that if you are waiting on the airport for someone, for longer time, instead of paying 3 euros for first hour, and then 4.5 for every consecutive hour, you can just go to paystation once every hour, and pay 3 euros every time.



Also what I didn't like is I was coming back through the city, instead of paying 3 euros for M50. On the way through Dublin, there was some signs showing N3 and N4 to turn right.
I almost turned there, but then I realised that it would take me straight back to M50 just to cross part between N3 and N4 just to pay the toll.
I think that's unfair to direct people intentionally for the tolled road...

Poly

Ah jaysis, I thought you were going to post us from some white sandy beach in the Caribean with a coctail in your hand and hula girls dancing around, telling us, that thanks to us you got to airport just on time and flew off.
Just wanted a happy ending

Bluetonic

CiniO wrote: »

1. Airport shorterm parking - first hour 3euro + every next hour or part of it 4.5 euro.
I hate paying for any kind of parking. I arrived just at the time the flight was supposed to land (with people I was picking up). Unforunatelly flight was delayed, and it looked like I'll have to pay for over an hour which would be 3 + 4.5 = 7.5...
I didn't like the idea and decided I'll chance it.
I paid a fee on the paystation just before an hour passed (about 59 minutes after entering the parking). As flight was already landed then, I just though I'll be gone in couple of minutes and it will be counted as time to get to the car on the parking.
Unfortunately, it took them good while to get out through all luggage area, so I was exiting parking almost 50 minutes after I paid.
What surpriced me, what that I was only asked to pay 3 euros at exit.
So I understand that if you are waiting on the airport for someone, for longer time, instead of paying 3 euros for first hour, and then 4.5 for every consecutive hour, you can just go to paystation once every hour, and pay 3 euros every time.

Or you can just wait outside the airport grounds in your car and get your arrivals to ring you when then land, and subsequently meet them on the departures road.

Cost == nil.

CiniO

Poly wrote: »

Ah jaysis, I thought you were going to post us from some white sandy beach in the Caribean with a coctail in your hand and hula girls dancing around, telling us, that thanks to us you got to airport just on time and flew off.
Just wanted a happy ending

Obviously today I was on a white sandy beach with a cocktail (can of lager in real), with a nice girls around.
It was in west Mayo
40 knots wind and heavy rain is never a problem for a real beach lover
It is the happy ending

CiniO

Bluetonic wrote: »

Or you can just wait outside the airport grounds in your car and get your arrivals to ring you when then land, and subsequently meet them on the departures road.

Cost == nil.

That's true.
My first mistake was that I entered the parking in the first place.