Airport Transfers in Drogheda

The M1 and the toll at Balgeen

The coach joins the M1 at one of the Drogheda junctions and heads south past Julianstown and Balbriggan to the airport exit at Junction 2. Those junctions lie north of the Balgeen toll plaza on the Gormanston to Monasterboice section, so the airport run goes through it in both directions. Unlike the M50, this plaza has booths, taking cash, cards and electronic tags. The rest is plain motorway, though weekday mornings slow things down where the M1 meets the M50 and the airport traffic. For a flight before 9am, expect the operator to add a margin to the 30 to 40 minutes.

From the arrivals hall to the coach

At Dublin Airport a private-hire coach or minibus can collect only at Zone 16, never a terminal kerb. Terminal 1 passengers follow the Zone 16 signs, which lead them through the short-term car park; Terminal 2 passengers cross a covered pedestrian bridge and descend to ground level. Give the operator the flight number so it can follow the landing, and ask the group leader to message the driver once the last bag is off the belt. A heritage group of 30 off a transatlantic flight moves more slowly than a school team carrying hand luggage, and the pickup can be planned for either.

Straight to Brú na Bóinne

Plenty of groups landing in Dublin visit Newgrange before checking in. Brú na Bóinne is seen only from its visitor centre, where a shuttle bus runs out to the tombs, and a group of 15 to 30 has to book its time slot in advance. The visitor centre has coach parking and is about 15 minutes from Drogheda. Book a slot that leaves room for a late landing. Other short stops on the way north include the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre at Oldbridge, about 10 minutes west of the town, and the high crosses and round tower at Monasterboice. Luggage stays in the hold during the visits, so give the operator the full itinerary for the day.

Belfast as a second airport

Drogheda is near enough to the border that some groups fly from Belfast when the airline or the route suits them better. The run to Belfast International takes roughly an hour and a half. The coach heads up the M1, crosses the border where it turns into the A1, then follows the Northern Ireland M1 and the A26 to Aldergrove. Heading north, it joins the M1 beyond Balgeen and pays no Irish toll. There are no immigration checks at the land border, but anyone without Irish or British citizenship must obtain a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or visa, legal residents of Ireland excepted. The airport has a coach park beside the terminal, where a charge applies. Shops there take sterling, and road signs are in miles.

Departures and the vehicle

Back at Dublin, coaches drop at Terminal 2, on the T2 Departures Road Inner by its check-in hall. They are barred from the Terminal 1 departures road, so anyone flying from Terminal 1 walks over from Terminal 2, and the coach leaves once the bags are out. When choosing the vehicle, give the operator passengers and cases together: a full-size coach swallows a suitcase per person underneath, while a minibus has a smaller rear compartment. A party of eight or fewer can travel in an NTA-licensed hackney or limousine, such as a V-Class carrying up to seven, pre-booked as the licensing rules require.

How early should a Drogheda group leave for a morning flight?

Start from the bag-drop closing time. Take off the 30 to 40 minute drive, a few minutes at the toll plaza, the walk in from the Terminal 2 kerb, plus a cushion for traffic near the airport before 9am. The operator suggests a pickup time once it has the flight details.

Do we pay the M1 toll on the way?

To and from Dublin Airport, yes, because the Balgeen plaza sits between Drogheda and the airport. Northbound to Belfast there is no Irish toll, and the roads in Northern Ireland are untolled. How the toll is handled is shown on the quote.

Can the coach pick up in the Boyne Valley as well as the town?

Yes. Hotels around Slane and in the countryside add a stop, and some country lanes are easier in a midi coach. List every pickup point when you ask for the quote, so the timing allows for each and the vehicle fits the roads.

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 Drogheda.

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