Kilkenny - Dublin college commuter

SD01

I am beginning college in Trinity in September and I am moving to Kilkenny in a few weeks. I really want to live in Kilkenny and commute to college in Dublin.

I will be hoping to commute 5 days a week, however I am beginning to stress at the thoughts of of doing this.

Does anyone know the cheapest way to commute from Kilkenny to Dublin - daily student return trip - on a daily basis, taking into account that I need to be in Dublin for 8 - 8.30?

Would it be easier for me to drive (in as far as say the Red Cow and then I could travel via Luas) rather than use the train?

Julius Seizure

Will you also be in employment? If so, taxsaver.ie tickets are cheaper than driving (normally). Take a look at other period tickets for bus and train. Pretty much, train is 1h20 but more expensive than bus, from heuston the 145 is a good connection for UCD, the 25/a/b/66/a/b/67 is good for trinity.

SD01

No sadly I am not employed so taxsaver does not apply in my case
Thanks for the reply, I know the train is more expensive but it gets in to Dublin earlier! The price is what I am more concerned about rather than the hours I will spend travelling!

Jamie2k9

Will cost you 21 euro for every return trip by train. You will soon get tired of doing it, I did it from Waterford for around 6 months before it was just as cheap to stay in Dublin and you will find it hard to keep up with work and have no social life. So 105 per week and you would get accommodation for that in Dublin.

My advise is to stay in Dublin.

markpb

Your life will suck. You'll miss out on a big part of college life. You'll be tired all the time. You'll probably be late semi-regularly. You won't be able to stay late when projects are due. If you can avoid it at all, don't do it.

SD01

I know like, to pay over 20 euro a day for travel is sick, and because I am doing my Hdip, I have to teach 3 of the 5 days That means as well as commuting from KK, I have to commute from Dublin to Finglas or where ever I end up teaching!

I hate house sharing, I like my own space and that is what is putting me off moving to Dublin because if I move to Dublin I will have to house share to afford it. I hate the thoughts of being late too and all rushing around..

Would it be worth it to buy a car to drive in as far as the red cow and get the luas from there into the city? If I got a car with a small engine, I am trying to weigh up every last option!

highlydebased

Live in Dublin, it really would not be worth the hassle of commuting such a distance.

Victor

It would make sense to live between Finglas and TCD. Cost of living in Kilkenny + cost of commuting + value of hassle should be able to get you somewhere. Consider getting digs for 4-5 nights per week. Having to be at the train station at 06:42 and arriving home at 18:17 (assuming you can make the 16:40 from Heuston) makes for a 11.5 hour day - madness.

The only card to your advantage is that you might be finishing earlier than the main rush on some days.

For commuting, talk to the various operators, you might be able to get a student monthly. Talking to the Taxsaver office in Irish Rail might be the best option.

Bus Éireann's X4 will get you in for 0740, which is plenty of time for school days.

Route 145 is perfectly good for TCD also.

n97 mini

Victor wrote: »

It would make sense to live between Finglas and TCD.

In fact it would make sense to live near Broombridge! :eek:

bk

Do the maths here, return ticket to Kilkenny €21, then another €3.80 for the Luas, so that is €496 a month. Then how much are you paying for rent in Kilkenny, I assume minimum €200?

So total of €700 per month minimum.

Now €496 would be way more then enough to rent a room in a very nice two bedroom apartment in Dublin (much less stressful then sharing a big house, specially if you can share with a friend you get on with).

Or for the €700 per month you could easily rent a nice single bedroom apartment on your own.

Drumcondra would be a good location for you, half way between Trinity and Finglas with good access to both. Get a cheap bike, both are easy cycling distance and save on bus costs.

Trust me do the above, you will be much happier, with a much better social life, much better grades, much less stressed and much fitter if you get the bike.

Really I can't understand why any student would do a commute like this, it is madness! I can understand how some people might get caught out due to mortgage and family and having to take a job somewhere very far away, but a student!!

Jimmy Iovine

Move to Dublin. Especially, if you're going to be teaching.

I had an hour commute on my last placement before Christmas. I was wrecked every day.

A few people on my course had a 5 minute walk to their school.

I've no doubt that my grades would be better had I been in their position. You might be able to do it for one week but after that you'll find the effort too much and wish you had moved.

Victor

What happens if you are teaching first class in the morning and you are stuck brooken down / in traffic / snow / floods at some random location?

Bus Éireann fares.

http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=238Service 4
12.50 : Adult Single
16.50 : Adult Rtn
14.00 : Adult Day Rtn
8.50 : Child Single
10.50 : Child Return
9.50 : Child Day Rtn
10.50 : Student Single
12.50 : Student Rtn
15.50 : Adult MW Rtn
9.50 : Child MW Rtn
34.50 : Family Rtn
53.00 : Adult 10 Jny
47.50 : Student 10 Jny

wallyMe

Your looking at around 450 for a studio apartment but would be in areas like Cabra Park and North Circular Road.

road_high

Rents in KK are not as cheap as you might think. They are way ahead of either neighbouring Carlow or Waterford, both with big college populations and not all that far behind Dublins really.
Unless you are from KK and have some tie here like a house or family/partner I don't see the need to live here and commute over 70 miles each way in your circumstances (from your original post) just to "live in Kilkenny"!
Can always pop down during the week or at weekends as it's not that far :cool:

TheLB

It works out at c. €50 per week on Bus Éireann. €176 per week driving/Luas from Red Cow - that only takes account of fuel and not the addtional wear&tear/depreciation on your car. You will also be commuting during the times you should be getting a proper meal and you will most likely spend a fortune on junk food to keep the hunger at bay.

You would not be "living" in Kilkenny - you would just be sleeping there. Rent a flat in Dublin and enjoy your time at Trinity.

Jamie2k9

Just to point out the 6.42 train Kilkenny that is scheduled to arrive at 08.11 hasn't got the best OTP. It has improved from the daily 10-20 minute delays but it will most likely anything up to 10 minutes at least once a week. Until Irish Rail maintenance schedules allow for them to travel past Carlow it won't change. So far its 7 months..

SD01

Thanks for the replies.. I think I will just rent a room in Dublin somewhere for the year! Hopefully it will all work out! It's my last year of college so I may as well just stick it out in Dublin for one year!

bk

SD01 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.. I think I will just rent a room in Dublin somewhere for the year! Hopefully it will all work out! It's my last year of college so I may as well just stick it out in Dublin for one year!

I think it is a wise decision, have a great year and make the most of it.

Emme

OP, I see you have decided to rent in Dublin instead of commuting. That's the right decision and good luck with it.

I don't know why anyone would want to commute to Dublin on the Waterford train unless they had to. The train service is limited, particularly in the evenings. The last train leaves Heuston at 20.15 which is ridiculous. There always seems to be delays boarding the Waterford train at Heuston, the trains are usually packed and compared to trains on other lines it is quite stressful.

I live a few miles outside Castledermot so the train is the only way I can commute to work in Dublin. Anyone who gets the train to Dublin between Waterford and Athy is being short-changed by Iarnrod Eireann. I think that ticket prices between Athy and Waterford should be significantly cheaper than they are at present but that's a rant for another day and I don't want to go off topic. The cost of the ticket is bad enough with taxsaver, but OP you would be mad to pay full price for a ticket to commute anywhere south of Kildare station on the Waterford line.

Good luck with your course and enjoy life in Dublin, I miss it!

Jamie2k9

Emme wrote: »

OP, I see you have decided to rent in Dublin instead of commuting. That's the right decision and good luck with it.

I don't know why anyone would want to commute to Dublin on the Waterford train unless they had to. The train service is limited, particularly in the evenings. The last train leaves Heuston at 20.15 which is ridiculous. There always seems to be delays boarding the Waterford train at Heuston, the trains are usually packed and compared to trains on other lines it is quite stressful.

I live a few miles outside Castledermot so the train is the only way I can commute to work in Dublin. Anyone who gets the train to Dublin between Waterford and Athy is being short-changed by Iarnrod Eireann. I think that ticket prices between Athy and Waterford should be significantly cheaper than they are at present but that's a rant for another day and I don't want to go off topic. The cost of the ticket is bad enough with taxsaver, but OP you would be mad to pay full price for a ticket to commute anywhere south of Kildare station on the Waterford line.

Good luck with your course and enjoy life in Dublin, I miss it!

Your right about the over crowding always way more than other routes and 18.35 for the last train is ridiculous, the 20.15 should operate all the way to Waterford and one of the current evening services should be like the 07.10 in the morings. Its just as cost affective to extend the 20.15 than running the 21.35 from Carlow which carries very few passengers.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

YOu will be miserable. Why live in Kilkenny? Even if you don't want to house share in Dublin move to a closer commuter town, naas, kill, rathcoole etc. All much closer.

Edit; I should read more closely

Julius Seizure

Emme wrote: »

OP, I see you have decided to rent in Dublin instead of commuting. That's the right decision and good luck with it.

I don't know why anyone would want to commute to Dublin on the Waterford train unless they had to. The train service is limited, particularly in the evenings. The last train leaves Heuston at 20.15 which is ridiculous. There always seems to be delays boarding the Waterford train at Heuston, the trains are usually packed and compared to trains on other lines it is quite stressful.

I live a few miles outside Castledermot so the train is the only way I can commute to work in Dublin. Anyone who gets the train to Dublin between Waterford and Athy is being short-changed by Iarnrod Eireann. I think that ticket prices between Athy and Waterford should be significantly cheaper than they are at present but that's a rant for another day and I don't want to go off topic. The cost of the ticket is bad enough with taxsaver, but OP you would be mad to pay full price for a ticket to commute anywhere south of Kildare station on the Waterford line.

Good luck with your course and enjoy life in Dublin, I miss it!

South of Carlow the times are more miderable, half six being the last train back from Dublin. I know if there was the quarter past 8 there would be a lot more travelling on that, or at least home on the weekend.