Airport Transfers in Dundalk

Choosing between Dublin and Belfast

Most Dundalk groups fly from Dublin, which has the wider choice of routes, especially long-haul. Belfast International is the alternative when its flight times or airline fit the group better. The road times are close, so decide by the flights, then check the papers. Belfast is in the UK, and travellers holding neither Irish nor British citizenship require a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation or visa to enter Northern Ireland, unless they are legally resident in Ireland. There is no passport control at the land border itself. Belfast City Airport, beside Belfast Lough on the east side of the city, is another possibility for some routes; name the airport when you book and the operator will confirm where the coach stops there.

South on the M1 to Dublin

The coach joins the M1 south of the town and stays on it as far as the airport junction. South of Drogheda the motorway is tolled at the Balgeen plaza on the Monasterboice to Gormanston section, so a Dublin transfer pays a toll both ways. Traffic thickens as the M1 nears the M50 interchange, especially on weekday mornings. At the airport, coaches may not use the Terminal 1 departures road; the set-down is the road signed T2 Departures Road Inner, next to Terminal 2 check-in, and the vehicle moves off as soon as it is empty. Arriving passengers walk from either terminal to Zone 16, the coach park for pre-booked vehicles, where the driver waits, timing the pickup from the flight number.

North to Belfast International

Going north, the M1 turns into the A1 at the border and continues as dual carriageway past Newry to Sprucefield near Lisburn. From there the coach runs west on the Northern Ireland M1 and north on the A26 to the airport at Aldergrove. No toll applies anywhere on the way. Distances and speed limits switch to miles once over the border, and airport shops charge in sterling. Belfast International has a coach park next to the terminal, behind the taxi rank, shared with scheduled coaches, and a charge is made for using it. If the coach is also bringing the group home, give the operator the inbound flight number and the collection will follow the actual landing.

Carlingford, Ballymascanlon and visiting teams

Not every group starts in Dundalk itself. Wedding guests and golfers often stay at Ballymascanlon, just north of the town, or in Carlingford, about 25 minutes away on the Cooley Peninsula. Carlingford’s medieval streets are narrow, so ask the operator whether a midi coach suits the hotel or venue better than a full-size one, and where the driver can load. Teams and supporters coming to Oriel Park for Dundalk FC fixtures usually land in Dublin and travel up the M1. Share the kick-off time with the flight details, and the transfer can leave room to check in and eat before the match.

Which is quicker from Dundalk, Dublin or Belfast International?

They are close: about 50 minutes to an hour to Dublin Airport and about an hour to Belfast International in normal traffic. The approach to the M50 can slow the Dublin run in the morning peak. Choose by the flight times and the passengers’ papers rather than by the road.

Do passengers need passports for the Belfast run?

There is no immigration check on the land border, though the airline will want photo ID at check-in. Visitors who are not Irish or British citizens must hold a UK ETA or visa in advance unless they legally live in Ireland. Check each traveller on GOV.UK before you book the flights.

Can the coach collect from Carlingford as well as Dundalk?

Yes. Add every pickup to the request with a passenger count for each. The operator then plans the order of stops and the vehicle size. A Carlingford start adds roughly 25 minutes to the Dundalk timing in either direction, because the coach comes back through Dundalk to reach the M1.

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 Dundalk.

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