With Carlow being the county seat, public transportation to County Carlow tends to be centred around the town itself. This makes the town the most accessible one in the county for those using public transport, making it easily accessible to visitors travelling along the east coast ot who arrive at Dublin Airport.
By ship
If you are travelling by car and you arrive at the sea port of Rosslare, Carlow town is about a 60 minute drive away. Those who leave the car behind can get the train to Carlow, however you will have to change services, usually at either Waterford or Dublin. More information and concise timetables are available from the Irish Rail website.
If you arrive at Dublin Port, you can either get the train direct from Dublin Heuston to Carlow, or you can travel by bus. Bus Ãireann services depart from Busáras or you can get the JJ Kavanagh service, which leaves from its bus stop on George's Quay. Check out their websites for more.
By plane
Carlow doesn't have a public airport, but can be easily reached from Dublin Airport, the largest in the country - see the Get in section of the Dublin article.
The most straightforward way to get to Carlow from Dublin Airport is to travel by JJ Kavanagh / Rapid Express Coaches or by Bus Ãireann - see the By Bus section below.
By bus
Buses arrive and depart from Carlow's coach park after 7am each morning. This is located within the town centre, at the junction where Kennedy Avenue and Barrack Street meet. Before 7am, some buses will arrive and depart from the bus stop outside Deane's newsagents, which is a short walk away on Barrack Street.
A small fee-paying car park is located at the coach park, although this is rarely full, so finding a space shouldn't be a problem.
JJ Kavanagh / Rapid Express Coaches
(http://www.jjkavanagh.ie). Carlow is on the Waterford - Dublin route, which starts in Tramore, Co. Waterford and finishes at Dublin Airport. Along the way, it has 18 bus stops, meaning that Carlow town is easily accessible to those travelling from Counties Waterford, Kilkenny, Kildare or Dublin. Eight buses leave the airport daily, serving Carlow along the way, while nine buses make the return journey. At the moment, the last bus to leave the Airport for Carlow departs at 10:30pm, however new overnight services are in the process of being launched. A new 2:30am night-time service is now available to take visitors from Carlow to the airport, while a 4:30am service will launch in September 2007. Note that tickets for the overnight services must be bought in advance from the office at the coach park, whereas during the day fares are usually collected by the driver. All JJ Kavanagh tickets are valid for one month from the date of purchase, and an adult shouldn't expect to pay more than â¬15 for a return ticket.Bus Ãireann
(http://www.buseireann.ie) follows a similar route to the JJ Kavanagh service, starting in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford and finishing at Busáras in Dublin's city centre. A single trip from Dublin Airport costs â¬13.50. Note that these aren't direct services, so you'll have to change at Busarás Dublin city's central bus station near Custom House Quay.