There are 5 ways to get from Londonderry to Athlone by bus, train, 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.
Bus, train
best- Take the bus from Derry Bus Station to Sligo Bus Stnbus 64
- Take the train from Sligo to Longfordtrain Ic
- Take the bus from Longford Stn to Athlone Stnbus 466 / ...
6h 26m€42–59Bus via Dublin Airport (DUB)
cheapest- Take the bus from Foyle Street Bus Station to Dublin Airport T2bus X4 / ...
- Take the bus from Airport Zone 11 to Arcadiabus 763
7h 25m€19–25Train
- Take the train from Londonderry to Belfast Grand Centraltrain Re
- Take the train from Belfast Grand Central to Dublin Connollytrain Ic
- Take the train from Dublin Heuston to Athlonetrain Ic / ...
6h 55m€50–73Drive 209 km
- Drive from Londonderry to Athlonecar 209 km
2h 47m€38–55Bus
- Take the bus from Derry Bus Station to Donegalbus 64
- Take the bus from Donegal to Cavan Bus Stnbus 30
- Take the bus from Cavan Bus Stn to Athlone Stnbus 466
7h 16m€52–75
Londonderry to Athlone by bus and train
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Londonderry to Athlone is to bus via Dublin Airport (DUB) which costs €19 - €25 and takes 7h 25m.
The fastest way to get from Londonderry to Athlone is to drive which takes 2h 47m and costs €35 - €55.
No, there is no direct bus from Londonderry station to Athlone. However, there are services departing from Derry Bus Station and arriving at Athlone Stn via Donegal and Cavan Bus Stn. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 7h 16m.
No, there is no direct train from Londonderry to Athlone. However, there are services departing from Londonderry and arriving at Athlone via Belfast Grand Central, Connolly and Dublin Heuston. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 6h 55m.
The distance between Londonderry and Athlone is 280 km. The road distance is 209 km.
The best way to get from Londonderry to Athlone without a car is to bus and train which takes 6h 26m and costs €40 - €60.
It takes approximately 6h 26m to get from Londonderry to Athlone, including transfers.
Londonderry to Athlone bus services, operated by Expressway (Bus Éireann), depart from Derry Bus Station.
Londonderry to Athlone train services, operated by Translink, depart from Londonderry station.
The best way to get from Londonderry to Athlone is to train which takes 6h 55m and costs €50 - €75. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs €50 - €75 and takes 7h 16m.
What companies run services between Londonderry, Northern Ireland and Athlone, Ireland?
You can take a train from Londonderry to Athlone via Belfast Grand Central, Dublin Connolly, Connolly, Heuston, and Dublin Heuston in around 6h 55m. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Derry Bus Station to Athlone Stn via Donegal and Cavan Bus Stn in around 7h 16m.
- Phone
- 0818 294 015
- Website
- Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
Train from Sligo to Longford
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 13m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €9–13
- Website
- Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
- Flexible
- €9–13
Train from Belfast Grand Central to Dublin Connolly
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 13m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €15–22
- Website
- Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
- Flexible
- €15–22
Train from Dublin Heuston to Athlone
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 33m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €11–17
- Website
- Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail)
- Flexible
- €11–17
- Phone
- 0818 15 15 15
- Website
- Expressway (Bus Éireann)
Bus from Derry Bus Station to Sligo Bus Stn
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 35m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €20–28
- Website
- Expressway (Bus Éireann)
Bus from Derry Bus Station to Donegal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- €15–21
- Website
- Expressway (Bus Éireann)
Bus from Donegal to Cavan Bus Stn
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- €18–25
- Website
- Expressway (Bus Éireann)
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Booking & Getting There
Londonderry to Athlone bus services, operated by Expressway (Bus Éireann), arrive at Donegal station.
Londonderry to Athlone train services, operated by Translink, arrive at Belfast Grand Central station.
Yes, the driving distance between Londonderry to Athlone is 209 km. It takes approximately 2h 47m to drive from Londonderry to Athlone.
There are 73+ hotels available in Athlone.



