Airport Transfers in Athlone

Three airports, three directions

Dublin offers the most flights, with motorway the whole way: the M6 east, the M4 and the M50 to the airport, about 125 km. That route passes two tolls, the M4 between Kilcock and Kinnegad and the barrier-free M50 section between Junctions 6 and 7. Knock is about 100 km north-west, via the N61 to Roscommon and national roads beyond, and the airport puts Athlone at just over an hour. Shannon is roughly 140 km south-west: the M6 west past Ballinasloe, then the M18 south past Gort and Ennis. That run goes through the M6 toll plaza between Ballinasloe and Galway. Allow about an hour and a half or more for Shannon.

What each airport asks of a coach

Dublin restricts hired coaches to Zone 16 for pickups and to the T2 Departures Road Inner for drop-offs, and keeps them off the Terminal 1 departures road entirely. Knock publishes no coach park. Vehicles may not wait in the drop-off area by the terminal door, and anyone meeting a flight is pointed to the on-site car park, so ask the operator where the driver will stand by. At Shannon, minibuses and coaches may never park at the terminal front; the airport has two coach parks for them, and Coach Park 2, by departures, also takes on-hire minibuses. Whichever airport you use, send the flight number so the driver times the pickup to the landing.

Shannon for groups bound for America

Shannon offers something that matters to groups flying to the United States: US Preclearance. US immigration and customs checks happen at Shannon, before the flight leaves, so the formalities are done before boarding rather than on landing. For a parish group, a band or a school exchange heading to the US, that can make Shannon worth the extra drive. Check with the airline that the flight uses preclearance, and allow time for it in the check-in plan. For arrivals from North America, both Shannon and Dublin work for Athlone, so weigh the landing times against the drive rather than looking at distance alone.

Hodson Bay, the town centre and TUS

Groups based in Athlone pick either the riverside town centre or Hodson Bay, on Lough Ree just outside the town. Where the hotel has its own car park, loading is simple. In the centre, the streets either side of the Shannon bridge are slow, so for a hotel near the castle the driver may use the public coach bay beside Athlone Castle, which allows stops of up to 15 minutes, or one of the four bus bays on Elliott Road. Students and staff at the TUS Athlone campus, and visiting sports teams, are regular airport passengers; give the operator the campus building or hotel name and the number of large bags.

Which airport is closest to Athlone?

Ireland West Airport Knock, about 100 km away and, by the airport’s own figure, just over an hour by road. Dublin is about 125 km, around 90 minutes, and Shannon is roughly 140 km. Because the drives are fairly close, flight times usually decide.

Is there a toll on every route?

No. The Dublin route passes two, the M4 toll between Kilcock and Kinnegad and the barrier-free M50 toll. The Shannon route passes the M6 toll between Ballinasloe and Galway. The road to Knock has none. The quote shows how any tolls on your route are handled.

Can one coach collect a group arriving at two airports?

It can, but two transfers, one per airport, are usually simpler, so neither half of the group sits waiting while the coach crosses the country. Tell the operator each flight and its headcount, and it will suggest the plan that fits the landing times and the drive.

Get a quote

Send the date, the passenger count and any timed entries you already hold. We come back with a fixed price for airport transfers in Athlone.

Request a quote online, or call +353 1 265 9152 and we will price it on the spot.