# Taxi or bus to airport



## lyonsie (21 May 2008)

Getting a flight to Crete on Saturday morning at 10.50 from Dublin Airport. Am planning to get early train from Cork to Dublin, arrives in at 8.25. Airlink bus leaves at 8.35 for airport from Heuston Station, will we be in time for check-in?  My e-ticket, budget travel, states that check-in gate closes 45 mins before flight....
If the bus leaves on time and we are on it, I feel we should be at the airport by 9am, plenty of time.... Am I on the right track or should we take a taxi.


----------



## aidan119 (22 May 2008)

Yes, plenty time. Once you have your bags checked in 45 mins before you fly you are ok. Don't be worrying , enjoy your trip.


----------



## oldtimer (22 May 2008)

You will be tight. (1) I travelled on that train once but the Airlink bus leaving Heuston didn't depart on time. (2) There is the possibility the train may be late arriving at Heuston. (3) I think the Airlink bus goes via Busaras so arriving at the Airport by 9am might be optimistic. Many places now have buses running through the night to the Airport. Did you check Aircoach timetable?


----------



## stevec (22 May 2008)

I agree with oldtimer, it's a bit tight.

1hr 50 before sounds great in theory but if there's a queue for check in and then for security along with a half mile walk to the gate (if it's Ryanair) that time will get eaten fairly quickly.

What's the cost of a taxi compared to missing your flight.


----------



## extopia (22 May 2008)

Forget it - come up the night before if you want to be sure. If you don't, and the train arrives on time, take a taxi. Dublin traffic is pretty bad at that time of a Saturday. Especially with a match on in Croke Park (always seems to screw things up).


----------



## MissMoney (22 May 2008)

I wouldn't chance it. If the bus or train is delayed for even a few mins it could mean you miss your flight. Come up to Dublin the night before and stay in a hotel near the airport or if you must come up by train on the day get a taxi. The extra cost will be worth it in terms of stress/missed flight/tears etc


----------



## lyonsie (22 May 2008)

Not travelling Ryanair, but when I did recently, I used on line check-in and just sailed past everyone to security with my boarding pass printed off my computer....
Anyway, travelling with Budget travel.   Is there a match in Croke Park on Saturday???


----------



## superdrog (22 May 2008)

Yes , soccer international , Ireland v Serbia.
Come up the night before , there are plenty of hotels near Dublin Airport doing room rates of about €80 with free transport to the terminal. Your going on holiday , last thing you want is to be stressed out worrying about getting there on time.
Enjoy ...


----------



## EvilDoctorK (22 May 2008)

Are you talking about this Saturday morning ?

If so why not get the Aer Arann flight from Cork at 0800 arrives into Dublin at 0855  ... Selling that for €65 one way all in at the moment.

By the time you buy your train ticket and get Airlink or Taxi to Dublin airport from Heuston there'd be not that much in it I would have thought ? (Plus you wouldn't have to get up so early  ). Certainly cheaper than overnighting in Dublin


----------



## lyonsie (22 May 2008)

Def cheaper than an overnight, but you forget we also have to make our way back the following saturday, and unless we buy return fllights, it is going to make our inexpensive week away very expensive....
Plus, one of us has free rail travel....  the costs are very important.


----------



## superdrog (22 May 2008)

Then go with the taxi. I would estimate the fare at about €12-€14.


----------



## lyonsie (22 May 2008)

I think you are right.   Just to be on the safe side.   Is there a web site for Taxi's in Dublin, I think I remember hearing an add on radio for something like this... Anyone know.


----------



## superdrog (22 May 2008)

There will be plenty of taxis waiting at Hueston only too willing to take you. Exit to the right as you come off the train , you cant miss them.


----------



## EvilDoctorK (22 May 2008)

Taxi's better then I'd say ... there'll be very little traffic on a Saturday morning at that hour so shouldn't take more than 20 mins to get to the airport.

If the Airlink is there and if you ask the driver is it going direct to the Airport (i.e. not via Busaras/O'Connell St.) then I'd get that ... but I wouldn't wait for it as it may be running late and then may go via Busaras/O'Connell St. which could take quite a bit longer to get to the airport.

I'd say it's more like €20ish in taxi fare to the airport from Heuston than the €12/€14 Superdrog suggests ... Taxi should go up the quays and straight out to the Airport or around the North Circular road ... don't let them take you out the N4 to Liffey Valley and then around the M50 as that would be the long way and pointless given traffic will be light.


----------



## lyonsie (22 May 2008)

Thanks, 12/14Euro does not sound too bad.   Would we be advised to agree fare beforehand or do they do that in this country.... Rip off Ireland....


----------



## EvilDoctorK (22 May 2008)

lyonsie said:


> Thanks, 12/14Euro does not sound too bad.   Would we be advised to agree fare beforehand or do they do that in this country.... Rip off Ireland....



Taxi fares will be according to the meter

[broken link removed]


----------



## Lauren (22 May 2008)

lyonsie said:


> Thanks, 12/14Euro does not sound too bad. Would we be advised to agree fare beforehand or do they do that in this country.... Rip off Ireland....


 

12/14 from Heuston to Airport sounds very very optimistic.


----------



## lightup (22 May 2008)

Hardly a rip off.  The fares are set by the taxi regulator and are clearly on display.

The taxi driver must charge the fare on the meter and so fares cannot be agreed in advance.  Howerver the taxi driver can give you an indication of what the journey would usually cost given the time of day/traffic etc.


----------



## ClubMan (22 May 2008)

Lauren said:


> 12/14 from Heuston to Airport sounds very very optimistic.


VERY! I have never paid anything near that for that journey.


----------



## lyonsie (22 May 2008)

Would 20 Euro be a more optimistic figure for two of us to Airport from Heuston...  And do you think we would be there before 9am....  I think we would....


----------



## Lauren (22 May 2008)

I'd say timewise you will be ok so definitely would not rely on the bus. I'd imagine you would be looking at a fare closer to 30 Euro tbh. Clubman might know for sure...


----------



## ClubMan (22 May 2008)

c. €30 sounds a bit more like it. Having said that my journeys would have been very early morning and usually with wife, kid and baggage in tow which might have added to the cost. Think we paid c. €25 once. Your (taxi driver's) mileage may vary.


----------



## lyonsie (22 May 2008)

Thanks, was going to upgrade to first class (special treat as I have free travel) but think I will keep the money for taxi.


----------



## dereko1969 (22 May 2008)

if i were you i'd take a quick gander outside once you get to heuston and then if there's an airlink there, hop on as you will definitely make it on time traffic at that hour on a saturday morning will be fine. the references to croke park causing trouble don't wash as the game is on at 745pm.
you could also get the luas or 90 to connolly and hop off at busaras and get the airlink that goes via the port tunnel (maybe ring dublin bus and see which if any go via the port tunnel) seeing as money is tight the €25/30 on a taxi will probably pay for a meal out for the two of you when you get to your destination.


----------



## ClubMan (22 May 2008)

lyonsie said:


> Airlink bus leaves at 8.35 for airport from Heuston Station
> 
> ...
> 
> If the bus leaves on time and we are on it, I feel we should be at the airport by 9am


The [broken link removed] is 45 minutes so this is unlikely. Having said that since your latest time for check-in seems to be c. 10am I would certainly take the bus if it was me.


----------



## EvilDoctorK (22 May 2008)

ClubMan said:


> c. €30 sounds a bit more like it. Having said that my journeys would have been very early morning and usually with wife, kid and baggage in tow which might have added to the cost. Think we paid c. €25 once. Your (taxi driver's) mileage may vary.



Heuston to the Airport is about 14km (if the scenic route is avoided  ) ...  After 8.00am on a Saturday morning (so on the lower tariff) it should be €20 or just under on the meter if there's only a little traffic (no more than a few mins waiting at traffic lights) ...  Extra adult passengers is just €1 extra and no baggage charges any more 

Early morning it would be closer to €30 alright.


----------



## stevec (22 May 2008)

Don't forget the tariff drops to the daytime rate at 8am so it might be cheaper than that.

OP, ring a taxi co. and ask them e.g. NRC 01-708 9292.

or look here for a fare calculator. I'd guess heuston to airport is about 18km ~ €22 without traffic.


----------



## Simeon (22 May 2008)

You're chancing it! Too many things come into play. Unless you're an adrenalin junkie (not to mention partner and sproggs), take a cab. Or as someone else stated ........ overnight in Dublin and get the Blue bus. Enjoy!


----------



## ClubMan (22 May 2008)

EvilDoctorK said:


> Heuston to the Airport is about 14km (if the scenic route is avoided  ) ...  After 8.00am on a Saturday morning (so on the lower tariff) it should be €20 or just under on the meter if there's only a little traffic (no more than a few mins waiting at traffic lights) ...  Extra adult passengers is just €1 extra and no baggage charges any more
> 
> Early morning it would be closer to €30 alright.


That might explain why that is in or around what I paid in the past. Also my trips would probably have predated the new taxi fare rules etc.


----------



## zag (22 May 2008)

IE Cork staff and management are at it again and it's tools down as of today as far I can tell from here - http://www.forum.platform11.org/showthread.php?t=4041&page=2

Here's a snippet of todays no-runs from the IE website -
Services which are not operating are: 
- 11.00hrs Heuston to Cork 
- 13.30hrs Cork to Heuston
- 14.30hrs Cork to Heuston
- 15.30hrs Cork to Heuston
- 16.30hrs Cork to Heuston
- 17.30hrs Cork to Heuston
- 18.00hrs Heuston to Cork
- 18.30hrs Heuston to Cork
- 19.00hrs Heuston to Cork
- 20.00hrs Heuston to Cork
- 21.00hrs Heuston to Cork
- Cork commuter services (Cork/Cobh, Cork/Mallow)

So, you may want to re-evaluate the Aer Arann options if this looks like it is going to continue on through to the weekend.

z


----------



## tosullivan (27 May 2008)

very very risky to try to do it the morning of the flight. Get up to dublin the day before and stay in an airport at the hotel


----------



## stevec (27 May 2008)

Hope you made the flight lyonsie.


----------

