Connolly Station Car Park

renofan

I'm going to Sligo by train from Connolly on Saturday - catching the 8am train. Would I get parking at the station car park easy enough, (it will be my first time going to this car park), at say 7.30 am or would I be better off parking at Red Cow Luas and getting the Luas in? (I'll be coming from Naas).

Thanks!

Richard Logue

renofan wrote: »

I'm going to Sligo by train from Connolly on Saturday - catching the 8am train. Would I get parking at the station car park easy enough, (it will be my first time going to this car park), at say 7.30 am or would I be better off parking at Red Cow Luas and getting the Luas in? (I'll be coming from Naas).

Thanks!

Just a thought, you might be better off driving to Maynooth and parking near to the station. All Sligo trains stop at Maynooth.

renofan

Richard Logue wrote: »

Just a thought, you might be better off driving to Maynooth and parking near to the station. All Sligo trains stop at Maynooth.

Thanks a mill for that! I'll probably do that. First time I've used a train in years and as not being from this area that will save me time and a small bit of money overall!

dowlingm

I've often thought IE should consider trialling some Maynooth line-Kildare line bus shuttles to give access to additional connections where running into Dublin and transferring from Connolly means missing an outbound service. Between Leixlip and Hazelhatch the lines are almost parallel.

The NTA journey planner for this route suggests:
0651 Naas (Square) 126 BE
0726 arrive Heuston Station and walk to Phoenix Park
0731 Sean Heuston Bridge 67 DB
0819 arrive Maynooth
0830 Maynooth-Sligo IE

Looking at the Google map of the driving directions, Kilcock might be a better call than Maynooth, being more direct and giving an additional 5 minutes leeway. But you can't buy an online ticket :mad:

Con Logue

dowlingm wrote: »

I've often thought IE should consider trialling some Maynooth line-Kildare line bus shuttles to give access to additional connections where running into Dublin and transferring from Connolly means missing an outbound service. Between Leixlip and Hazelhatch the lines are almost parallel.

The NTA journey planner for this route suggests:
0651 Naas (Square) 126 BE
0726 arrive Heuston Station and walk to Phoenix Park
0731 Sean Heuston Bridge 67 DB
0819 arrive Maynooth
0830 Maynooth-Sligo IE

Looking at the Google map of the driving directions, Kilcock might be a better call than Maynooth, being more direct and giving an additional 5 minutes leeway. But you can't buy an online ticket :mad:

There is of course the railway from Sallins to Heuston Dept Sallins 0650 arr Heuston 0724. Tram connection then to Busaras or Connolly and dept 0800. I wouldn't chance the 67 as a connection from Town to Maynooth station that time of day, too unpredictable. Driving to Maynooth from Naas is the best bet as it should take forty mins tops from the centre of Naas via Clane and the Straffan Road roundabout.

Kilcock has a relative lack of parking, though Maynooth can be full as well closer to 9am. I like the idea of a connecting bus onto the South Western line but not even Dublin Bus can connect Leixlip with Celbridge and they are just across the M4 from each other.

dowlingm

Con Logue wrote: »

There is of course the railway from Sallins to Heuston

True, but I didn't want to second guess what the NTA yoke would spit out.

Hilly Bill

You will get parking ok in Connolly at that time. Maynooth and Killcock are good options and makes sense coming from Naas but parking may be limited.

Grandeeod

On a Saturday morning parking should be okay in Maynooth station.

renofan

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I rang Maynooth and the fella said I'd get parking that hour of the morning no problem. And €3 for the days parking along with €6 euro off the ticket price instead of going from Connolly and then the time saved driving to Connolly means Maynooth is a far better and easier option. Its straight forward to get to the station from Naas too.

trad

You would be in Sligo in 2 hrs 34 minutes driving according to google maps.http://maps.google.ie/maps?bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47008514,d.ZGU&biw=1272&bih=877&um=1&ie=UTF-8&gl=ie&daddr=Sligo&saddr=Naas,+Co.+Kildare&panel=1&f=d&fb=1&dirflg=d&geocode=KZ8bqXCWeGdIMbByMZepxwAK;KemufGe16V5IMYBzMZepxwAK&sa=X&ei=ZDafUeCXCuqw7AaapIDgAw&ved=0CC0Q-A8wAA

Given the train takes over 3 hours and the time it takes to get to a train station, park and get a ticket would driving not be an option?

Con Logue

trad wrote: »

You would be in Sligo in 2 hrs 34 minutes driving according to google maps.http://maps.google.ie/maps?bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47008514,d.ZGU&biw=1272&bih=877&um=1&ie=UTF-8&gl=ie&daddr=Sligo&saddr=Naas,+Co.+Kildare&panel=1&f=d&fb=1&dirflg=d&geocode=KZ8bqXCWeGdIMbByMZepxwAK;KemufGe16V5IMYBzMZepxwAK&sa=X&ei=ZDafUeCXCuqw7AaapIDgAw&ved=0CC0Q-A8wAA

Given the train takes over 3 hours and the time it takes to get to a train station, park and get a ticket would driving not be an option?

Two hours 39 minutes from Maynooth to Sligo according to the Timetable. Perhaps the OP doesn't fancy doing six hours driving in one day? One size doesn't fit all.

renofan

The suspension on the front passenger side on my car, (the spring has gone out of shape, banana shape), is squealing like a pig and I'm sure the spring is hitting the inner arch on my journey to work when I go over bumps, which is only 15 mins. I've ordered new springs over a week ago but not come yet so I don't fancy driving all the way to Sligo in case the spring snaps! The car is almost 10mm lower on the front passenger side compared to the driver's side!!

Also the train is cheaper in that I would spend more on petrol.

renofan

Con Logue wrote: »

Two hours 39 minutes from Maynooth to Sligo according to the Timetable. Perhaps the OP doesn't fancy doing six hours driving in one day? One size doesn't fit all.

Oh I don't mind driving.....once drove from Newbridge to Rosslare to London and back to Newbridge again within 22 hours a few years ago!

Con Logue

renofan wrote: »

Oh I don't mind driving.....once drove from Newbridge to Rosslare to London and back to Newbridge again within 22 hours a few years ago!

Nice run, am pondering the best route from North Donegal to London but that's a whole other thing

renofan

Con Logue wrote: »

Nice run, am pondering the best route from North Donegal to London but that's a whole other thing

I would prob suggest getting a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead as from Belfast leaves you a lot of driving in the UK which can get tiring after a bit as roads are so much busier.

Victor

renofan wrote: »

I would prob suggest getting a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead as from Belfast leaves you a lot of driving in the UK which can get tiring after a bit as roads are so much busier.

Surely getting a Belfast-Liverpool ferry would knock hundreds of km off the drive and give a good break in the journey.

renofan

Victor wrote: »

Surely getting a Belfast-Liverpool ferry would knock hundreds of km off the drive and give a good break in the journey.

I didn't know there was a Belfast to Liverpool ferry. If so, then, yes this would be the way to do it!