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Rail Tour from Dublin: 2-Day West Coast Explorer
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From €469 per person
If you’ve got two days and want to see the best of Ireland’s west coast without renting a car, this tour covers the route properly. Bunratty Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Galway, Connemara, Kylemore Abbey - all the big stops, with a night in Galway City that gives you the evening to explore on your own terms.
Day one starts with an early InterCity train from Dublin Heuston to Limerick. From there, a coach takes you on a short tour of Limerick before heading north to Bunratty Castle and its Folk Park (admission included). The route then follows the Clare coastline out to the Cliffs of Moher, 214 metres above the Atlantic. From there, the road winds through the lunar landscape of the Burren and along Galway Bay before dropping you in the centre of Galway for the night. The city’s pubs, restaurants, and busking scene are yours to enjoy at your own pace.
Day two heads into Connemara - the wild, lake-dotted heartland of the west. You’ll pass through Clifden, stop at Kylemore Abbey, take in Killary Harbour (Ireland’s only fjord), and travel along stretches of rugged Atlantic coastline that John Ford used as the backdrop for The Quiet Man. You return to Galway in time for the evening train back to Dublin, arriving around 21:00.
Book the single supplement early if you want your own room. The tour is priced per person sharing, which is great value for couples or friends, but solo travellers often forget to add it at checkout. It’s a small extra cost that makes a real difference to your evening in Galway.
Your free night in Galway is worth treating like a plan, not an afterthought. The city packs a lot into a small area - Quay Street and Shop Street are the beating heart of the place, and you’ll find live traditional music most evenings in the pubs around there without any cover charge or effort on your part.
The Cliffs of Moher are at their most dramatic in the morning light, and since you’re arriving early afternoon on day one, the crowds are typically manageable. Wear layers regardless of the forecast - the wind on the cliff edge is a different thing entirely from the weather in the car park below.
On day two, if you’re thinking about going inside Kylemore Abbey, the exterior is included in your tour but the interior isn’t. A reduced rate is available on the day, so have some cash or a card handy if you want to explore the Victorian walled garden and the abbey rooms themselves - it’s worth the extra if you have any interest in the history of the Benedictine nuns who’ve lived there since 1920.
The return train from Galway gets back to Dublin around 21:00, so it’s worth keeping dinner plans flexible on night two. There are good options near Galway station before you board, or bring something for the train - it’s a comfortable two-hour journey with scenery worth watching.