Carlow's central location means that it is quite accessible to visitors from overseas.
By ship
If you are travelling by car and you arrive at the sea port of Rosslare, Carlow town is about a 60 minute drive away, while eastern parts of the county are a good deal closer. Those who leave the car behind can get the train to Carlow; however you will have to change services, usually at either Waterford or Dublin. More information is available from the Irish Rail website (http://www.irishrail.ie).
If you arrive at Dublin Port, you can either get the train direct from Dublin Heuston to Carlow, or you can travel by bus. Bus Ãireann services depart from Busáras or you can get the JJ Kavanagh service, which leaves from its bus stop on George's Quay. Check out their websites for more.
By train
Carlow and Bagenalstown are served by the Dublin-Waterford rail line. Seven trains leave Heuston Station in Dublin on weekdays, the earliest being the 7:30AM service, the latest is the 8:05PM service. Trains take one hour and 20 minutes to reach Carlow, and about ten minutes longer to reach Bagenalstown. Eight trains make the return journey to Dublin.
Six trains leave Waterford each weekday, however the last train from Plunkett Station in Waterford city is at 6:25PM. These take about an hour and a half to reach either Carlow or Bagenalstown, and six trains make the return journey to Waterford.
Naas, Newbridge, Kildare, Athy in County Kildare and Kilkenny and Thomastown in County Kilkenny are also served by this line, meaning Carlow and Bagenalstown are easily accessible from these towns.
The best source of information is the Irish Rail website (http://www.irishrail.ie), where full timetables are available. For other enquiries, the information line can be contacted on 1850 366222 within Ireland. Lines are open from 9AM to 5PM, Monday to Friday.
By plane
Carlow doesn't have a public airport, but can be easily reached from Dublin Airport, the largest in the country - see the Get in section of the Dublin article.
The most straightforward way to get to Carlow from Dublin Airport is to travel by JJ Kavanagh / Rapid Express Coaches (http://www.jjkavanagh.ie). Eight buses leave the airport daily, serving Carlow along the way. Nine buses make the return journey every day. All JJ Kavanagh tickets are valid for one month from the date of purchase, and you shouldn't expect to pay more than â¬15 for a return ticket.
A single Bus Ãireann (http://www.buseireann.ie) trip from Dublin Airport costs â¬13.50. Note that these aren't direct services, so you'll have to change at Busarás Dublin city's central bus station near Custom House Quay.
Alternatively, direct bus services connect Dublin Airport with Heuston Station, Dublin's main train centre. See the By train section below for more information.