How can we help?

We offer a wide range of ticketing options which provide different levels of flexibility. With a 'Flexible Fare' amendments or cancellations can be made online up to 90 minutes before departure if ticket has not been printed.

If customers are unsure of their return travel plans we would advise customers to make two separate bookings as return tickets include both legs of travel on the one ticket.

For more information on our ticketing options, please see our Tickets Explained section. 

You can now reserve seats on most Intercity trains:

• Online at http://www.irishrail.ie/ - Check out our step by step guide to buying online
• Customer Contact Centre
• At selected Intercity Stations
• Tickets are also available at selected Travel Agents

Iarnród Éireann recommends purchasing tickets in advance to ease ticket queues at peak times.

Student/Adult/Child and Seat only reservation tickets are available online, subject to availability and the terms and conditions associated with each ticket and fare type. Check out our step by step guide to buying online or our Online Ticket Information section for more information. 

Certain trains such as sporting event specials are sold by reservation only and advance purchase is necessary.

Reservations made Online/Telesales:

• Visa credit/ debit cards
• Mastercard credit/ debit cards

Reservations can be made for travel up to 90 days in advance of the date of purchase. This is to ensure that services you have selected are operating as normal.

Please note booking will close a minimum of 60 minutes prior to departure from originating station. (This is subject to change without notice).

The journey that you have selected may not be bookable for several reasons. Below are some of the reasons why there are no online tickets available to book - 

1. Bookings within 60 minutes of Departure - The booking query is being made less than 60 minutes prior to the train departure. Online tickets cannot be booked less than an hour before train departure.
2. Planned Engineering Works - The booking date/s chosen may be currently blocked off due to planned engineering works. The service/s will display online as 'Train sold out' if blocked from sales. Once the revised train schedule which will include bus transfers has been finalised, these services will be made available to book once again.
3. Wheelchair and Bike Bookings - If there is no wheelchair or bike inventory available on an InterCity service, you will see a message advising that there is no wheelchair or bike availability. Please select another service to continue with your planned booking.
   • DART and Commuter Services - The facility to book wheelchair and bike spaces is not possible on DART and Commuter services. If you see the message that no bikes or wheelchairs are available, please proceed to travel without an online booking
   • Bicycles are not permitted on DART and Commuter services between 07:00 and 10:00 and between the hours of 16:00 and 19:00 Monday to Friday. Customers can travel with bikes all day Saturday and Sunday.
4. Booking outside of 90 day booking window - Services are not bookable online 90 days or more in advance.
5. Technical Issues - There may be a technical issue with our booking system. Please try our alternative Journey Planner if the main Journey Planner is not working as expected.
6. Tickets can only be purchased at the station - At the time of the Journey Planner query, online tickets may not be available to book due to a number of reasons. Online tickets will be made available to book shortly. We would ask customers to be patient and wait for online tickets to become available.

For further information please contact the Digital Channels Department.

Please note the 'Single Bus Eireann - Coach transfer between Cork Kent Station and Cork Airport' add-on is only available to book from the following stations to Cork Kent Station:

• Banteer
• Charleville
• Cobh
• Farranfore
• Killarney
• Limerick
• Limerick Junction
• Mallow
• Midleton
• Millstreet
• Portlaoise
• Rathmore
• Templemore
• Thurles
• Tralee

The journey that you have selected may not be bookable for several reasons. Below are some of the reasons why there are no online tickets available to book - 

1. Bookings within 60 minutes of Departure - The booking query is being made less than 60 minutes prior to the train departure. Online tickets cannot be booked less than an hour before train departure.
2. Planned Engineering Works - The booking date/s chosen may be currently blocked off due to planned engineering works. The service/s will display online as 'Train sold out' if blocked from sales. Once the revised train schedule which will include bus transfers has been finalised, these services will be made available to book once again.
3. Wheelchair and Bike Bookings - If there is no wheelchair or bike inventory available on an InterCity service, you will see a message advising that there is no wheelchair or bike availability. Please select another service to continue with your planned booking.
   • DART and Commuter Services - The facility to book wheelchair and bike spaces is not possible on DART and Commuter services. If you see the message that no bikes or wheelchairs are available, please proceed to travel without an online booking
   • Bicycles are not permitted on DART and Commuter services between 07:00 and 10:00 and between the hours of 16:00 and 19:00 Monday to Friday. Customers can travel with bikes all day Saturday and Sunday.
4. Booking outside of 90 day booking window - Services are not bookable online 90 days or more in advance.
5. Technical Issues - There may be a technical issue with our booking system. Please try our alternative Journey Planner if the main Journey Planner is not working as expected.

• For further information please contact the Digital Channels Department.

First Class is only available on Cork services and not on Limerick or Tralee direct services.

If you are travelling to/from Limerick you can avail of First Class between Limerick Junction and Dublin Heuston on services that require a change-over. 

If you are travelling to/from Tralee you can avail of First Class between Mallow and Dublin Heuston on services that require a change-over. 

When booking we would advise customers to book a standard ticket from Limerick or Tralee to/from Dublin Heuston, ensuring that you select a service with a changeover. Then you can buy a 'First Class Upgrade' at the Station or Online, to travel First Class between Limerick Junction or Mallow to/from Dublin Heuston.

To buy the First Class Upgrade online simply add the required number of passengers to ‘Reservation Only’ on the Journey Planner and hit ‘Go’. Once the results load you will see the 'First Class Upgrade', please ensure that you select the same service as originally booked for Limerick or Tralee to/from Dublin Heuston.