Booking choice: The Cliffs of Moher rail tour, from $185 per person. Check dates Tour details
Search for a train to the Cliffs of Moher and you will find the rail tour, which makes it sound as if the train goes there. It does not: the rail tour takes the train from Dublin Heuston to Limerick in the morning and from Galway back to Dublin in the evening, and a coach does everything in between.
Coach tours from Dublin drive both ways instead, for about half the price. Here is how the two compare.
The quick answer
You cannot take a train all the way to the Cliffs of Moher. The rail tour ($185 per person, about 15 hours) combines two train legs with a coach in Clare and includes Bunratty Castle. Coach tours from Dublin cost from about $80 to $89 per person, run 12 to 13 hours and include the cliffs' entry too, but mean about 6 to 7 hours on a coach.
Can you take a train to the Cliffs of Moher?
Not all the way: no railway reaches the cliffs, so every rail option combines a train with a coach.
The rail tour's listing puts it plainly: all travel is by rail and coach. The trains run Dublin Heuston to Limerick and Galway to Dublin; Bunratty, Doolin, the cliffs and the drive along Galway Bay are by coach with a driver-guide.
Want the train for the long legs? Check your date for the rail tour from Heuston.
Check dates for the Cliffs of Moher rail tourWhat is the nearest train station to the Cliffs of Moher?
Ennis, on the Limerick to Galway line, is the nearest town with a station, and from there you still need a road connection to the coast.
On your own, you take the train to Ennis or Galway and then Bus Éireann route 350, which links Ennis, the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin and Galway. The connections eat a lot of the day, which is why most visitors from Dublin book a tour. Cliffs admission on your own is €15 per adult at the gate; on every tour on this site it is already included.
How do the rail tour and the coach tours compare?
The rail tour costs about twice as much and runs longer, but adds Bunratty Castle and Limerick and puts the long legs on a train.
| Rail tour | Wild Rover coach | Burren and Galway coach | Doolin and Burren coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From (per person) | $185 | $86 | $89 | $86 |
| Day length | 15 hours | 13 hours | 12.5 hours | 13 hours |
| Start | Heuston, 6:40 AM check-in | Two Dublin points, 6:55 AM | Parnell Square, 6:45 AM | Molly Malone Statue, 6:50 AM |
| At the cliffs | 2 h | 2 h | At least 2 h | 1 h 30 min |
| Bunratty Castle | Visit, 1 h 30 min | Pass-by | Not on the itinerary | Not on the itinerary |
| The Burren | Pass-by | Pass-by | Pass-by | 20 min stop |
| Rating | 4.6 (1,227) | 4.9 (24,964) | 4.9 (15,096) | 4.6 (2,956) |
Is the rail tour worth the extra money?
It is if you value the train over a full day on the road and want time inside Bunratty Castle; if you only want the cliffs, a coach tour does that for about half the price.
The extra pays for the two train legs, the Bunratty and Folk Park admission and the Limerick city tour. The trade-off is a longer day (about 15 hours against 12 to 13) and three meals at your own expense either way.
Decided the train is worth it? Bunratty and the cliffs are both in the price.
Check dates for the Cliffs of Moher rail tourHow much time do you spend on a coach?
On a Dublin coach tour, about 6 to 7 hours of the day is driving; on the rail tour, the coach section is the sightseeing loop in Clare and Galway.
Wild Rover warns that its routes include long stretches on winding roads and that it cannot guarantee front seats, so guests prone to motion sickness should plan ahead. Wild Rover's coaches have no toilet on board and stop roughly every two hours.
Which coach tour is the closest alternative?
For the most time on site, Wild Rover or the Burren and Galway coach; for a coach version of the rail tour's Limerick side, the Ennis and Limerick tour.
Wild Rover is the most reviewed tour listed here, with 24,964 reviews: two hours at the cliffs and two in Galway. The Ennis and Limerick coach gives 1 hour 45 minutes at the cliffs, then Ennis and Limerick (King John's Castle entry is not included). Compare all of them in Cliffs of Moher day trips from Dublin.
Want the coach option most people review? Two hours at the cliffs, two in Galway, admission included.
Explore the Wild Rover coach tour Tour detailsDoes the train make the day shorter?
No. The rail tour runs about 15 hours, Heuston to Heuston, against 12 to 13 hours for the coach tours.
The operator's timetable has the evening train into Heuston at 22:10, and one guest wrote about a 16-hour day. The train is not faster overall, because the day includes Limerick and Bunratty as well as the cliffs.
What if you want the train without the 15-hour day?
Take the same operator's 3-day rail tour, or stay a night in Galway and visit the cliffs from there.
The 3-day rail tour ($1,191 per person) adds Blarney, Cobh and the Ring of Kerry with two B&B nights, and cancels free only up to 6 days before. From Galway, a 10-hour day adds the Aran island of Inisheer.
Want the train at a slower pace? Three days, two B&B nights, Blarney, Kerry and the cliffs.
Explore the 3-day rail tour Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Is there a direct train from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher?
No. No railway reaches the cliffs. The rail tour takes the train to Limerick and back from Galway, with a coach in between.
Is the bus or the train cheaper?
The coach tours, from about $80 to $89 per person, against $185 for the rail tour. Cliffs admission is included in all of them.
Which is faster, the train or the bus?
Neither saves time overall: coach tours run 12 to 13 hours and the rail tour about 15, because it adds Limerick and Bunratty.
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Choose your day
Prices are from-prices in USD per person and move with the season; each listing shows its own cancellation terms.
Limerick, Cliffs of Moher, Burren & Galway Rail Tour
- Reserved train seats Dublin Heuston to Limerick and Galway to Dublin, with a host on the trains
- Driver-guide on the coach between Limerick and Galway
- Admission to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and to the Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher, Wild Atlantic Way & Galway by Coach
- Coach from two Dublin pickup points, about 6:55 AM
- Professional guide and a guided walk in Galway
- Cliffs of Moher admission; on-board WiFi
Cliffs of Moher, Burren & Galway Coach Tour
At least 2 hours at the cliffs, then Galway
