There are 4 ways to get from Athlone to Northern Ireland by train, bus, or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Train
best- Take the train from Athlone to Dublin Heustontrain Ic / ...
- Take the train from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Grand Centraltrain Ic
4h 19m£28–41Bus
cheapest- Take the bus from Athlone Stn to Cavan Bus Stnbus 466
- Take the bus from Cavan Bus Station to Grand Central Station Stand 14bus 270
5h 55m£20–26Bus via Dublin Airport (DUB)
- Take the bus from Arcadia to Airport Zone 11bus 763
- Take the bus from Terminal 1 Zone 2 to Belfast Glengallbus 705x
5h 2m£25–36Drive 134.4 mi
- Drive from Athlone to Belfastcar 134.4 mi
2h 53m£34–49
Athlone to Northern Ireland by train and tram
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Athlone to Northern Ireland is to bus which costs £20 - £26 and takes 5h 55m.
The fastest way to get from Athlone to Northern Ireland is to drive which takes 2h 53m and costs £30 - £50.
No, there is no direct bus from Athlone to Northern Ireland. However, there are services departing from Arcadia and arriving at Belfast Glengall via Terminal 1 Zone 2. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 5h 2m.
No, there is no direct train from Athlone to Northern Ireland. However, there are services departing from Athlone and arriving at Belfast Grand Central via Heuston and Dublin Connolly. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 4h 19m.
The distance between Athlone and Northern Ireland is 195 miles. The road distance is 135.2 miles.
The best way to get from Athlone to Northern Ireland without a car is to train which takes 4h 19m and costs £28 - £45.
It takes approximately 4h 19m to get from Athlone to Northern Ireland, including transfers.
Athlone to Northern Ireland bus services, operated by Citylink, depart from Arcadia station.
Athlone to Northern Ireland train services, operated by Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), depart from Athlone station.
The best way to get from Athlone to Northern Ireland is to train which takes 4h 19m and costs £28 - £45. Alternatively, you can bus via Dublin Airport (DUB), which costs £24 - £40 and takes 5h 2m.
What companies run services between Athlone, Ireland and Northern Ireland?
You can take a train from Athlone to Belfast Grand Central via Dublin Heuston, Heuston, Connolly, and Dublin Connolly in around 4h 19m. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Arcadia to Belfast Glengall via Airport Zone 11 and Terminal 1 Zone 2 in around 5h 2m.
- Phone
- 0818 294 015
- Website
- Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
Train from Athlone to Dublin Heuston
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 27m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £10–14
- Website
- Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
- Flexible
- £10–14
Train from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Grand Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 8m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
- Flexible
- £13–19
- Phone
- +44 28 9066 6630
- Website
- Translink
Train from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Grand Central
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 8m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £17–25
- Website
- Translink
- Phone
- +353 91 564 164
- [email protected]
- Website
- Citylink
Bus from Arcadia to Airport Zone 11
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £12–18
- Website
- Citylink
- Phone
- +353 0 1 844 7118
- [email protected]
- Website
- Aircoach
Bus from Terminal 1 Zone 2 to Belfast Glengall
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £12–18
- Website
- Aircoach
- Phone
- +353 1 836 6111
- [email protected]
- Website
- Bus Éireann
Bus from Athlone Stn to Cavan Bus Stn
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 5m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- £16–22
- Website
- Bus Éireann
- Standard
- £16–22
- Phone
- +44 28 9066 6630
- Website
- Translink
Bus from Cavan Bus Station to Grand Central Station Stand 14
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £4
- Website
- Translink
- Belfast urban network
- £4
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Booking & Getting There
Athlone to Northern Ireland bus services, operated by Citylink, arrive at Airport Zone 11 station.
Athlone to Northern Ireland train services, operated by Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), arrive at Dublin Heuston station.
Yes, the driving distance between Athlone to Northern Ireland is 135 miles. It takes approximately 2h 53m to drive from Athlone to Northern Ireland.
There are 1235+ hotels available in Northern Ireland.











