While the wedding is in Ahascragh, we recommend staying in Athlone which is about a thirty minute drive from Ahascragh and where there are more options for hotels and lodging. We will also be having our welcome drinks and day-after-party in Athlone and providing transportation to/from Ahascragh on the wedding day. Recommended hotels are on our "travel" page.

You can fly into Dublin or Shannon airports, both of which are approximately an hour and a half drive to Athlone. We recommend only flying into Shannon if you're planning to rent a car as transport by bus and train is more difficult than it is from Dublin.

Car rentals require a valid drivers license. Rentals in Ireland also have mandatory, local insurance requirements. Insurance is paid for when you pick up the car in many cases and a "hold” will be placed on your card equal to the coverage amount you choose (Usually €5000 or more). And while many credit cards offer insurance coverage, most do not cover rentals in Ireland. Some rental companies like NewWay offer insurance as an included upfront cost. **Cars on the island of Ireland drive on the left-hand side of the road.**

Bus transportation from Dublin airport to Athlone is available via AirCoach and takes about two hours with a one-way ticket costing $17. Train transportation is also available from Dublin, though a bus or taxi connection is needed to get to the train station from the airport. For groups or those who want less hassle, a private driver may also be an option to consider.

CJ's Aunt Lisa put together a spreadsheet for those who might want to coordinate to share rides from the Dublin Airport to Athlone and from Athlone back to the airport. If you're interested, you can add your name or look for others with similar travel times: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gWLGd_xhwsH77HRGmbHvjD3iXbYuRklZTgUTGO0k14g/edit#gid=0

When departing Dublin and flying back to the US, note that there is a pre-clearance facility at Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport that allows US bound passengers to undertake all US immigration, customs and agriculture inspections at Dublin Airport prior to departure. Dublin Airport is one of only a few airports outside North America that offers a US Preclearance (USCBP) facility. The benefit is that having cleared USCBP, passengers arriving in the US are treated as domestic arrivals, allowing them to avoid immigration queues upon arrival. We advise that you arrive at your terminal 3 hours before your flight back to the US.