Airport Transfers in Sligo

South to Knock

The airport is about 55 to 62 km from Sligo. The coach leaves on the N4 to Collooney, where it picks up the N17 south through Tubbercurry and past Charlestown to the airport, which stands on the N17 midway between Sligo and Galway. Most of the road is single carriageway, the towns are largely bypassed and there is no toll. Knock’s own figure for the drive from Sligo is around 45 minutes; allow up to an hour for a coach, and more when collecting from several hotels. For a departure, work back from the airline’s check-in time, adding each hotel pickup and a margin for slow traffic on the single-carriageway stretches.

Meeting arrivals at Knock

Knock has one terminal, and its kerbside is strict. There is a drop-off zone just outside the entrance where waiting is not allowed, and the airport tells anyone meeting a flight to use its on-site car park. It publishes no dedicated coach park, so the meeting point for a coach or minibus has to be agreed with the operator before the day. Send the flight number, and the collection follows the actual landing. If one passenger misses the transfer, Bus Éireann Expressway route 64, which runs between Galway, Sligo and Derry, calls at a stop under a minute on foot from the terminal and is a fallback to Sligo.

Dublin Airport by the N4

For a wider choice of flights, Sligo groups travel to Dublin. South of Collooney the N4 climbs over the Curlew Mountains, passes Boyle and reaches Carrick-on-Shannon, then runs through Longford and Mullingar to the M4 near Kinnegad, which carries a toll between Kinnegad and Kilcock. For the airport, the coach then takes the M50 north, where a camera toll applies between junctions 7 and 6. Allow about three hours. Carrick-on-Shannon, an hour out, is the usual comfort stop, and a return in a day means the operator schedules a 45-minute rest for the driver, which EU rules make compulsory after 4.5 hours of driving. Dublin lets coaches drop at Terminal 2 departures, but arriving groups are met in Zone 16, the coach park for private hire.

Arriving in Sligo, and the pilgrims’ detour

Sligo County Council keeps a coach-only bay on Markievicz Road, near the town centre, for setting down and picking up, and other vehicles found using it are ticketed. Hotels in the town are reached from there or at the door; the coach continues to Rosses Point or Strandhill for groups staying by the sea. Many arrivals head straight for Yeats country, with Drumcliffe churchyard about 15 minutes north and Lissadell House about 20. Pilgrim groups often stop at Knock Shrine first, about 20 km from the airport and away from Sligo, so the transfer becomes a longer day. The shrine’s coach parking is in the North Car Park, reached from the road to Ballyhaunis; the August Novena and first Saturdays are the busiest times.

How long is the transfer from Knock to Sligo?

The airport quotes about 45 minutes from Sligo. For a coach on the N17 and N4, allow 45 minutes to an hour, plus time for each hotel. The road is toll-free but mostly single carriageway, so slow traffic is the main variable.

Is a coach allowed to wait at the Knock terminal entrance?

No. The drop-off zone by the entrance is for setting down only, with no waiting, and the airport directs people meeting arrivals to its car park. The operator agrees the meeting point in advance and tells the group leader where to find the driver.

Which vehicle suits a Sligo airport transfer?

A minibus of 16 to 19 seats takes about a case per person in its rear compartment. Golfers staying at Rosses Point, or surfers bound for Strandhill with boards, need more hold space, so a vehicle with underfloor holds, a midi or full-size coach, is the safer choice. Give the bag count when you book.

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 Sligo.

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

Pick-up points we cover in Sligo

• Sligo town centre
• Strandhill
• Rosses Point
• Ballysadare and the southern approach