How to get from Kilarney to Shannon Airport
 

This Saturday we will begin a one-week self-guided walking trip on the Kerry Way in southwest Ireland. Our walk begins and ends in Kilarney.

On the last Saturday morning we have to get from Kilarney to Shannon Airport for a 12:05 pm flight to France.

The walking tour company provides a free shuttle, but I am concerned that the shuttle arrives at Shannon Airport too late for us to safely check-in for our Ryanair flight. The walking tour company told me that a taxi for our family of three from Kilarney to Shannon Airport would be 160 euro.

Does anyone know of other ways to get from Kilarney to Shannon Airport. We don't mind getting up quite early in order to save that kind of money.

Kathy

Let me get this straight. You're beginning your trip THIS Saturday, and you're asking for help about getting to the airport on time?

Sorry Mikey for not being clear.

We are flying to Ireland from the USA this Thursday afternoon. We start our walk on the Kery Way on Saturday. We walk for a week. The the following Saturday (a week and a half from now) we need to get from Kilarney to Shannon.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.

Kathy

The best plan is to take the 06.25 train from Killarney station to Mallow,change there for Limerick Junction and change there again for Limerick. You will arrive in Limerick at 09.15. That is only 15 or so miles to Shannon and a taxi will not be expensive.A bus may be an option too but check that in Limerick.

Bus Eireann website here
www.buseireann.ie

All bus eireann buses in and out of shannon are here

http://www.buseireann.ie/site/your_j...s/expressway/1
6.pdf

Looks like the early one only runs on a monday so no good for you - check that by calling maybe? I would also doublecheck train connections mentioned above on iarnroad eireann's site.

A hire car for one day from irishcarrentals has got to be cheaper than the taxi - if you can pick up killarney - dropping off in SNN. You would probably have to pick up the night before though because you want to leave killarney early on the sat.

My main piece of info is to you might be able to use ryanair's new online check-in. I did this 2 weeks ago for a flight from SNN. Having printed your own boarding card you won't have to worry about getting to the desk before they close it. They say you must be at the gate 30mins before but i can't see that they have any way of checking this. Obviously you wouldn't want to cut it too fine and i don't know if, coming from the us you are allowed to do this. (i'm irish) But it might mean you could take shuttle after all.

The hitch for check'n'go is you must have only one piece of carryon luggage within the usual dimensions and weighing max 10 kg. That's the rule - my (usual caveats) personal observation is that the girl on the gate is too harassed to really notice what you have - my 'extras' (handbag and carrier bag FULL of books taken out of case to try and make the weight limit) weren't noticed. The big irony is - you don't go through the checkin desk so they don't ever have the opportunity to weigh it anyways! Still scratching my head over that one. I guess dimensions are more important. It must go overhead.

Sorry for over-long reply but those are my ideas. good luck - always happy to help a fellow walker. Have climbed Brandon and Carrauntoohil but not long distance. Sounds nice.

Edmundus and longtimelurker, thanks so much for your helpful replies. You've given me several ideas to pursue.

Longtimelurker (quite a mouthful!), I had checked on the Ryanair site about checkin procedures. You are right about only being able to do it if you have carryon luggage. But you can also only do that if you have an EU passport. Since we are American, that knocks us out. Also, we are going to Europe for seven+ weeks. We are trying to pack light, but can't quite do it with just a carryon each!

I would obviously love to take the free shuttle provided by the walking tour people, which they say gets to Shannon at 10:45 am. Our flight is at 12:05. I keep reading about how strict Ryanair is, and don't want to risk missing our flight and forfeiting our tickets, so if anyone has any input about whether or not this allows us enough time for check-in, I'd appreciate it.

Since you are a fellow walker, I'll mention that this is our family's fifth European long-distance walk... and our first trip to Ireland. In 2004 we did the 190 mile Coast to Coast walk across England. You might enjoy the story of that walk: http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=800

Thanks again,

Kathy

If you take the train from Killarney to Limerick, here are the bus times from Limerick to Shannon:
Leave Limerick at 09:25 and arrive at Shannon at 09:55.
Leave at 09:30 and arrive at 10:20 (intermediate stops).
Leave at 10:25 and arrive at 10:55.

Will have to save that trip report for my next extended coffee break - looks good. I live in the UK but again, mainly done day hikes. The footpath network is excellent here. Ireland will be different, but good. Certainly less people on the way - just because its a less crowded country and the networked paths are newer.

I think the train is looking like a good option for you, btw - see irishrail.ie if you haven't found it yet.

I've flown ryanair on numerous occasions but strangely this last trip through shannon was my first time ever to use that airport so i can't call myself an expert. Ryanair are strict in that they close the desk 40 mins before (check this). If you could be at the desk by 11 I can't see the problem with check-in. The security line is of course variable. Its not that big an airport. I'd say we went from front door to gate in about 15 mins recently. (nb no check in just security and walk to gate) Personally, I'd probably risk it but I've a high risk tolerance on these things!