Athlone Forum: Bus connections at Athlone

I would think you'll have no problems.

Athlone bus station is small. There are about 10 parking bays. And like the previous poster says, they would normally wait for a connecting bus to arrive (unless it was delayed by hours!)

Thank you very much for your helpful replies. We are looking forward to re-connecting with our Irish roots! Do you have any other advice? We are taking several bus trips. Does the driver put the bags in the luggage compartment and is it customary to tip him/her, or do we load/unload our own? Is there one part of the bus that is more comfortable than another? Are there on-board toilets? Thanks again.

Hi, There are no toilets on the buses (Bus Eireann or Ulsterbus). The bus stations have them, even the little stations.

I have found all parts of the buses to be equally comfortable, and Irish roads are very good. However, if your are travelling on a very rural route in the west of Ireland, you may want to sit closer to the front. Some of the bog roads have a lot of dips and bumps - but it doesn't sound like you'll be on one of those.

On most buses, people load/unload their own luggage. Some drivers do it themselves. However, don't hesitate to ask a driver to assist you. On the express routes, the luggage compartment is low to the ground, and it's fairly easy to push your bags in. If you have trouble unloading them, ask the driver (sometimes they slide back). On other buses, the compartment is higher up - but I managed (57 yr female, traveling alone).

I've never seen anyone tip the drivers - usually they're gone before you can thank them!

"Irish roads are very good" (must be some bad roads in Chicago) Some are but the rest more than make up for the smoothness of the few. But on a whole Irish buses are very comfortable and usually punctual.

We have terrible roads in Chicago! Every spring, tire-busting potholes & chuckholes everywhere, then construction all summer.......Ireland's lovely smooth roads are a dream!

My experience of Chicago was in the late 70's being picked up at the Airport in a Daybus driven to Lockformer for a tour and meeting then back to the airport. All I saw was the Airport, the inside of a van and a factory. I am really pleased you had a more enjoyable experience over here.

We're back and what a wonderful trip. Bus travel in Ireland is easy, efficient and comfortable and there were no problems with connections. Fortunately, we always double-checked the website for schedule changes, because there are many during the summer.

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