Knock - Limerick

mariotr87

Hi guys,

A friend of mine is coming to Ireland through the Knock Airport next Friday at 17:30 or so (that's the time the plane is supposed to land).
What is the cheapest - easiest way to get to Limerick? I know that there are no direct buses, but I couldn't find any good option to get here so far, not even through Galway. Has anyone have done this trip before?

Thanks in advance.

highlydebased

mariotr87 wrote: »

Hi guys,

A friend of mine is coming to Ireland through the Knock Airport next Friday at 17:30 or so (that's the time the plane is supposed to land).
What is the cheapest - easiest way to get to Limerick? I know that there are no direct buses, but I couldn't find any good option to get here so far, not even through Galway. Has anyone have done this trip before?

Thanks in advance.

Well, the last bus from Knock to Galway seems to be at 17.45...which is not at all ideal. If the flight got in early (likely enough) then he'd make it. Once he gets to Galway basically change onto 51X to Limerick

mariotr87

Are you sure about that?

As far as I know, according to this pdf --> http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1315489192-64.pdf

the last bus departing from the Knock Airport is at 16:55, which makes it physically impossible to take it on time.
There are two more buses at 19:10 and 19:20 departing from Kilkelly and Ballyhaunis Road respectively (I assume it's the same bus anyway). I guess there must be an easy way to get there, there is plenty on time...
That bus arrives to Galway at 20:40 but then, how could she get to Limerick? There is no 51X anywhere close to that time I think.

I'm kind of worried about this, she arrives kind of early to Knock, it shouldn't be this hard to get to Limerick, which is roughly 150km away, but the connections are terrible!

Seamu$

If she can get from the airport into Charlestown (about 5 miles) she could get the Feda O'Donnell bus from Murrays Bar at 7pm. That would get her to Galway at 8:40.

http://www.feda.ie/site/?page_id=20

mariotr87

That's too late, then she wouldn't be able to get to Limerick from Galway.
I think we are pretty much scre***:rolleyes:

Poxyshamrock

Perhaps you could just meet her in Galway and spend one night there if all else fails.

CiaranMT

Yeah looking at the timetables there and there's no joined up thinking really.

mariotr87

What about...

1- Taking a taxi to Ballyhaunis (22km away, is it too expensive?).
2- Taking a train from Ballyhaunis to Limerick at 18:36 (40 euro).

Expensive, but maybe better than staying in a hotel. What do you think? Doable at a decent price?

CiaranMT

mariotr87 wrote: »

What about...

1- Taking a taxi to Ballyhaunis (22km away, is it too expensive?).
2- Taking a train from Ballyhaunis to Limerick at 18:36 (40 euro).

Expensive, but maybe better than staying in a hotel. What do you think? Doable at a decent price?

Well the Galway-Limerick link is fine, you can get a bus at 5 past the hour until 8.05.

It's just getting to Galway is the trick. A taxi would probably be necessary at some point.

The cost of the train is mad, frankly.

amiable

Put a shout out in the Mayo forum asking is anyone doing the trip that evening from Knock or even Claremorris to Limerick.
Offer to share fuel costs.

You never know:)

Kess73

amiable wrote: »

Put a shout out in the Mayo forum asking is anyone doing the trip that evening from Knock or even Claremorris to Limerick.
Offer to share fuel costs.

You never know:)

Pretty good advice.




For a Tackie


Do you miss using Knock airport for your trips?

amiable

Kess73 wrote: »

Pretty good advice.




For a Tackie


Do you miss using Knock airport for your trips?

I think the Knock schedule for the flights we'd use can be better than Shannon sometimes.

I used Shannon last week though the result was awful

Kess73

amiable wrote: »

I think the Knock schedule for the flights we'd use can be better than Shannon sometimes.

I used Shannon last week though the result was awful

Maybe but it is handier to drive to Shannon or Crok tbh, for me anyway. Knock was handier for you when you were out of Limerick I reckon.


Hope the OP and his friend get sorted though. Is a pain in the butt to fly into a "modern" country and discover that the public transport system between airports and cities/towns is second rate at best.

pappyodaniel

Would car rental be an option?

mariotr87

Thanks a million everyone for your help

After some research, I've come to the conclusion that it is not possible to get to Galway before 20:05, which is the time the bus departs to Limerick, no matter what you do (without a car, I mean).

The car rental option crossed my mind but there are a few problems (I have to work in Shannon until 17:30, not sure if I can use my Spanish driving license, not sure about the money that it would cost, maybe even more than any other option, and I'd probably crash the car driving on the left side for my very first time ). But the main problem is that I can not sort all of this out in two days. This is probably my fault, the trip was planned 1month+ ahead, but I ASSUMED that arriving at 17:30 at an airport in a small, first world country like Ireland I'd have no problems whatsoever to get to a city that is 160 km away.

I have to say however that this doesn't happen with other airports like the Dublin one.

Since I don't have time to plan anything else we are going to try the taxi+train option. I hope the taxi won't be a rip off (it's about 21 km I think). Re the train, well, it's 40€ (and takes ALMOST 5 HOURS to get to Limerick and she has to change twice, it's not what we could call direct). But I've learned something, I must avoid Knock Airport, it's in the middle of nowhere and very bad communicated.

The only thing I hope now is that she can make it. There is a one hour gap between the time the plane arrives and the train departs, but I don't trust planes, you never know.

I'm assuming one more thing now, but I don't want to get this wrong this time. There are taxis around the airport...right?

amiable

Spanish license would be no problem. You just need a credit card with it.
It would take you about 2 hours to drive to Knock from Shannon

lotusm

How come your friend did not fly into Limerick or even cork... to Fly into Knock and then head to limerick which is 160km was is mad .... did ye not look at a map ?

mariotr87

lotusm wrote: »

How come your friend did not fly into Limerick or even cork... to Fly into Knock and then head to limerick which is 160km was is mad .... did ye not look at a map ?

There are no flights to Shannon or Cork from none of her closest airports. Just Dublin or Knock. Dublin is even farther, and the flight was more expensive (she's going to spend more money now, yes, but we weren't expecting this...).

amiable

lotusm wrote: »

How come your friend did not fly into Limerick or even cork... to Fly into Knock and then head to limerick which is 160km was is mad .... did ye not look at a map ?

As in Coonagh?

Not every airport flies in to Shannon

bigpink

Also i heard there is a "Leaving the country tax" of 10 euro that you have to pay at Knock

Seems there is more flights out of knock than Shannon now?

Indigo55

Book a taxi to meet her there to avoid any hassle. I'd recommend Joe Maxi as he is punctual and naturally enough takes bookings well in advance. Based in Ballyhaunis too.You can get a quote no bother beforehand. There SHOULD be a taxi there but there more than likely won't be unless one is called.
I take that route a lot and it's usually grand. A lot of commuter buses run it and the X51 is amazing. Friday they'd all be Mayo bound for the weekend which is obviously not ideal.
Hope your friend makes it okay!

lotusm

can your friend not hire out a car , still think it is a good option www.arguscarhire.com.

allimac

Kess73 wrote: »

Maybe but it is handier to drive to Shannon or Crok tbh, for me anyway. Knock was handier for you when you were out of Limerick I reckon.


Hope the OP and his friend get sorted though. Is a pain in the butt to fly into a "modern" country and discover that the public transport system between airports and cities/towns is second rate at best.

Thats what happens when you put an airport in the middle of nowhere.

mariotr87

lotusm wrote: »

can your friend not hire out a car , still think it is a good option www.arguscarhire.com.

I was looking for places to hire a car and it looks like you have to be 25 at least. She's 23 and I'm 24. I guess I'm out of luck...

Kess73

allimac wrote: »

Thats what happens when you put an airport in the middle of nowhere.

Nah that's what happens when a country has a joke public transport network and "International" airports with very limited inbound and outbound flights that force people to use the smaller airports/airfields like Knock and Kerry.

Hell getting a train from Limerick to Waterford can take as long as a flight to New York from London if you are unlucky with the train time you chose to leave at.

Avns1s

allimac wrote: »

Thats what happens when you put an airport in the middle of nowhere.

No,That's what happens when you don't do your research and plan your itinerary properly.

Yes, There should be a better linking up of the public transport system to and from Knock Airport, but try telling that to Bus Eireann.

Kess73

mariotr87 wrote: »

I was looking for places to hire a car and it looks like you have to be 25 at least. She's 23 and I'm 24. I guess I'm out of luck...

Just tried one of the car rental sites using your age coupled with picking the car up at Knock airport and dropping it off in Shannon 4 hours later and it threw up a rate of €66.43 for a Corsa sized car.

Try this link with your time schedule and age.


http://www.rentalcars.com/SearchResults.do

mariotr87

Well, thanks to everyone again.
My boss offered me the company van (I'd have had to pay just for the gas) so long as I was 25 because of insurance restrictions. Out of luck again with that

Anyway, she's right now on her way, arriving within an hour or so, by train. It's been a VERY expensive solution (train+taxi) but at least she made it...I had even prepared myself to spend the night in Galway with her.

I will discourage my friends from using this airport again though. We're better traveling to any of the others.

Kess73

Good to hear that she is enroute. Shame you and her had the hassle of trying to get from there to Limerick, but best to just put that to one side now and make the most of your friend's visit once she gets to Limerick.

allimac

Avns1s wrote: »

No,That's what happens when you don't do your research and plan your itinerary properly.

Yes, There should be a better linking up of the public transport system to and from Knock Airport, but try telling that to Bus Eireann.

So it's Bus Eireanns fault that they built an airport in the middle of nowhere?

Insect Overlord

allimac wrote: »

So it's Bus Eireanns fault that they built an airport in the middle of nowhere?

That's obviously not what the poster was implying. Lay off the aggressive rhetorical questions, please.

Seeing as the OP's issue has been resolved, I think we're safe to let this thread go now.