Living in Galway

Travelling to Galway

PLANNING A JOURNEY WITHIN IRELAND:  On the Transport for Ireland website, you will find useful information to help you get around Ireland. You can also download the TFI app.
The service helps people plan their personal journeys from door to door, anywhere in Ireland, and it covers travel by bus, rail, tram, taxis, ferries and on foot, with fully mapped-out route information, printable timetables and details of overall journey times – all in one place.

The principal airports are at Dublin (on the east coast) and Shannon (on the west coast, approximately 130km from Galway), and there is another, smaller airport called Ireland West, located at Knock, around 70km north of Galway.
The connections to Galway are most frequent from Dublin Airport, but you will be able to reach Galway from any of these airports using public transport.

Dublin to Galway

From Dublin Airport to Galway – Direct
This is the most convenient way to reach Galway.  The companies Bus Éireann, Citylink and GoBus all operate frequent direct bus services to Galway, departing from Terminal One of Dublin Airport.  The direct bus journey takes between 2.5 – 3 hours.

From Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre
Dublin Airport is situated around 10 km north of Dublin City. If you wish to visit the city before coming to Galway, you can take the "Airlink" bus, which leaves from directly outside Terminal One: departures are every 15 – 20 minutes. It connects the Airport with Busáras (the central bus station).  Check the Dublin Bus website for timetables and further information.

From Dublin City to Galway - by Train:
There is a frequent train service from Dublin (Heuston Station) to Galway each day. The journey takes just over two-and-a-half hours.  A train journey to Galway will be more expensive than travelling by bus.

From Dublin City to Galway - by Bus:
There is a regular Bus Éireann service from the Dublin central bus station (Busáras) to Galway. Some of the routes of the private bus operators Citylink and GoBus also stop in Dublin City en route from the Airport to Galway.  Please check the websites for full details.

Shannon Airport to Galway

There are regular bus services between Shannon Airport and Galway, run by Bus Éireann.  The journey takes approximately one and a half hours.

Arrival in Galway

Upon your arrival at Galway Bus or Rail Station you can hire a taxi to take you to your final destination. Or you can use the journey planner app mentioned at the top of this page, or the corresponding website, to find public transport options.

You should try to arrive in Galway on a weekday and preferably not too late at night, especially if you still have to arrange accommodation. If you have not been able to secure long-term accommodation before your arrival, it is advisable to pre-book temporary accommodation.  See the accommodation section for further details.  Please note that University offices are not open on Saturdays or Sundays, and that office opening hours from Monday to Friday are 09.00 - 17.00, with many offices closing for a period over lunchtime between 13.00 and 14.00.  Some offices may operate restricted opening hours for student consultations; please check departmental websites.

Useful Web Addresses

Iarnród Éireann train timetables can be found at: http://www.irishrail.ie/
Bus Éireann timetables can be found at: http://www.buseireann.ie/
Dublin Bus timetables can be found at http://www.dublinbus.ie/
Private Bus Operators from Dublin Airport to Galway: http://www.citylink.ie/ and http://www.gobus.ie/
Dublin Airport Website: http://www.dublinairport.com/
Shannon Airport Website: http://www.shannonairport.com/  
Knock (Ireland West) Airport Website: http://www.irelandwestairport.com/

Helpful Hints for our Erasmus Students

Please check our Accommodation Office website for general information on finding accommodation in Galway.

Please read this Advice on Rental Scams.

• Please be aware that it may not be easy to find student accommodation in Galway, and that it can be expensive. Particularly in semester 1, there will be a lot of students looking for somewhere to live, so you are advised to start your search early. 
• There are a number of Student Residences in Galway where it is possible to pre-book accommodation - see the Accommodation Office webpage for details of all the approved residences.  Please note, however, that the supply of rooms in student residences is very limited and there is no guarantee that you will succeed in booking one.
• The Accommodation Office website provides links to accommodation agencies, flat-hunting websites, local newspapers, etc, but please do heed the advice they give: "We recommend that you do not pay a deposit for accommodation advertised on these websites prior to viewing it, meeting with the landlord and receiving the key to the property". 
• You should keep in mind that Corrib Village and Goldcrest Village are the only student residences with a formal link to the University, but all the residences are managed independently of the university and any reservations must be made by dealing directly with the management via their websites.  Demand is usually high, and early booking is advisable.  Plesase note that it is not usually possible to book a room in these residences for a single semester.  However, in the case of Corrib Village and Goldcrest Village, nominated Erasmus students will be given an opportunity to apply for one of a limited number of rooms resesrved in those residences for Erasmus students, either for a semester or a full academic year.  You will receive more information about this from the Erasmus Team in the International Office after you are nominated by your home university.
• For all other forms of accommodation, students need to be in Galway so that they can go and look at the property.  You should not book accommodation without viewing it in person (or having a trusted person view on your behalf), and you should never make any payments to private individuals offering accommodation over the internet.  You should only pay a deposit when you have met the landlord, viewed the property, received the keys and discreetly checked that the keys do indeed match the lock on the door of the property.  BEWARE OF ACCOMMODATION SCAMS.  A scam is an attempt to trick you, in this case to trick you into handing over money as a deposit for an apartment that does not exist.  Most scams involve an ad on the internet (for instance, on Facebook) showing the interior of an apartment or flat with what looks like a Galway address.  Very often if you google the name of the contact person, you'll find they have several other properties to let in various cities.  They will correspond with you by e-mail or on Facebook/Messenger but will be unable to meet you - instead they may ask you to transfer a substantial sum of money to their account and they'll promise to send you the keys.  If you send the money, it's quite likely you will never receive the keys and you will probably never see your money again.  Be warned - this has happened a number of times in Galway in recent years.   As of August 2018, there is a national awareness campaign aimed at helping people avoid accommodation scams - you should click on that link and read the useful advice given, as well as reading this leaflet, Advice on Rental Scams which has been issued by the Garda Síochána (Ireland's police force).
• Even if you apply early, you might find that some residences are fully booked. We recommend that if you are interested in particular residences, you should apply to join their waiting list if this option is given.  In the case of Corrib Village, for instance, it is likely that there will be cancellations: an e-mail is usually sent to everyone on the waiting list around the 20th August and the available rooms will then be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
• You should sign up for "My StudentPad", a message board service operated by University of Galway's Accommodation Office.  My StudentPad allows you register your details, indicate your preferred type of accommodation, and get e-mail alerts if suitable accommodation becomes available.  It's likely that you will see more house-sharing options becoming available here as the summer progresses and  more landlords make contact with the Accommodation Office to advertise rooms.  It may be a good idea to search as an "International Student", since some landlords have had good experiences with Erasmus students and may request international students as tenants.
• If you need to search for accommodation in Galway, it's important that you arrive here at least one week before lectures begin (consult the calendar on the Academic Procedures page).  Make sure to book temporary accommodation in Galway for the first days after you arrive.  You will find the names of several hostels on the Accommodation Office website.
• Once you're settled in your temporary accommodation, make your way to the Student Accommodation Office at University of Galway or get in contact by phone or e-mail.  Up-to-date registers of available housing will be provided, along with maps of the area and general advice. 
• The University of Galway Student Accommodation Office does not inspect properties in the private sector.  Individual students will need to view these properties personally before committing themselves by signing a lease.  NEVER RESERVE A ROOM OVER THE PHONE.  Making a reservation in person ensures that you are happy both with the condition of the property and your future housemates. 
• It is worth noting that there are restrictions involved in certain forms of accommodation.  If sharing a house with the owner (self-catering), or living in the student residences, you are normally not permitted to have overnight guests.  If you intend having friends or family from your home country to stay with you in Galway, you should keep in mind that they may need to book their own accommodation.
• Hosting Power specialises in accommodation for international students.  You will need to check the location of the rooms offered, however: there are two third-level institutions in Galway, and some of the accommodation offered on this website is on the other side of the city and therefore not ideal for students attending University of Galway.  The City Centre, Newcastle and Salthill are the areas most convenient to the University, although there are bus connections to areas further away.
• You will find various other links on the Accommodation Office website; see "Other sources of accommodation".   One of the best known is daft.ie (see under "Lettings").
• Another possibility worth investigating  is EazyCity.
• The Galway Advertiser, a local free newspaper, has a list of houses/apartments for rent on its website and this is frequently updated.   You might also wish to consider placing an ad in this newspaper under "Accommodation Wanted" if you feel that you can appeal to landlords as a careful tenant; be aware, though, that this is not guaranteed to produce results and, as usual, it will be necessary to inspect the property before paying any deposit.
• Check to see if someone has set up a Facebook Group for Erasmus in Galway - you may find other students there seeking to share houses, etc.  Another Facebook page worth investigating is Househunting Galway for Sound People.  Please be alert,  however, to the fact that scam artists may also be active on these pages.  You really need to be vigilant in checking people's credentials.
• When you arrive in Galway, it's a good idea to buy an Irish SIM card for your mobile phone, to enable you to make appointments to view accommodation.  Phone calls from your home number may be very costly. 
• It is possible that other residence-type options may become available in due course, so please do keep an eye on the Accommodation Office website.

Finance

What are the additional costs such as the cost of living?

The cost of living can come as a surprise but should be factored in and budgeted for prior to coming to Unviersity.   To help you we have provided a cost of living chart available below to help you and inform you prior to arrival. 

This table will give you a good indication of your monthly costs in Galway.

Monthly Cost of Living Expenses 

This budget is based on 2022 estimated cost.  Checkout Numbeo which is updated regularly.

To help ease your concerns about money management check out http://www.consumerhelp.ie/going-to-college to find out about costs associated with going to University. 

When making your decision to study in Ireland you should ensure that you will have enough money to see you through to the end of your studies. University of Galway will not be in position to offer you any funding. If you are going to receive an Erasmus mobility grant your home university will administer this to you.

Banking and Finance

You might decide to simply use the bank account you hold in your home country, but it's possible for international students to open a bank account after they have registered as students of University of Galway.  Banks on or near campus are:

Bank of Ireland, University of Galway

To open a bank account you will need a number of documents: a photocopy of your passport or national ID card, your University of Galway ID card, and a printout of your registration statement from your campus account (which should show your address in Galway).  The electronic transfer of funds from abroad will usually take 3 – 5 working days.

Ireland places no limit on the amount of money that you may bring into the country in euro or foreign currency, but you may need the approval of exchange control in your own country for any transfer of funds. You will certainly require, immediately on arrival, a certain amount of cash to cover such expenses as train, bus and taxi fares, overnight accommodation and meals. It is advisable to have about €250 in cash, and a credit card will be very useful. A convenient way to have cash at your disposal here is to make sure your foreign credit card account is in credit and then use your credit card to withdraw money from an ATM in Ireland - but do check first with your bank whether fees apply to cash withdrawals. Some account types will allow you to withdraw cash abroad without incurring transaction fees. 

Contactless payments are widely accepted in Ireland (i.e. tap your credit or debit card at the point of payment, or pay-by-phone) for amounts up to €30.

Most banks in Galway provide a Bureau de Change facility. There are also Bureaux de Change at Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport. 

Normal bank opening hours in Ireland are from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday; however, there is an increasingy tendency to carry out transactions at ATMs (self-service machines) rather than at the counter inside the bank branch.

Services you may need

Getting familiar with University of  Galway

We recommend that you download the very useful University of Galway App.  It will give you access to campus maps, a room location finder, e-mail, Blackboard and other services, information about accommodation, the health unit, printing services, and a host of other features that will simplify your life and improve your experience as a student at University of Galway. 

Local and National Travel

If you will be using local buses, a Student Leap Card is a good investment.  

Post Offices

There are several post offices in Galway, including one adjacent to the university campus on Newcastle Road. A standard 100g  letter to Britain or mainland Europe costs €1.35. The General Post Office, on Eglinton Street, is normally open from 09:00 – 17:30. Smaller post offices may close for lunch.

Climate and Clothing

Western Ireland’s proximity to the Gulf Stream ensures that the temperature in winter rarely falls below 0ºC. However, the climate is damp, so be prepared for frequent rain and wind. Waterproof clothing, a warm jacket or raincoat, an umbrella, and woollen sweaters are essential items for winter wear. These can all be purchased cheaply in the larger chain stores in Galway.

Telephone Services

The main mobile phone providers in Ireland are Vodafone, Meteor, Tesco Mobile and Three.  There will be an option of “bill-pay”, where you have an account and monthly charges, or “pay as you go”, where you buy call credit as you need it.  There are plenty of mobile phone shops around Galway where you can investigate the various packages.  You should shop around to find the one that best suits your own requirements and the duration of your stay here.

Prepaid international call cards are a cost-effective option too, and they can be purchased in newsagents or post offices.

When dialing Irish telephone numbers from overseas, you should omit the zero in the local area code. 

Police and Emergencies

A police officer in Ireland is called a Garda Siochána (Irish for "guardian of the peace"). Full details of national and local Garda stations can be found on the Garda website. In Galway, the main Garda station is located in Mill Street, telephone (091) 538000.

If you have an emergency dial 999 or 112 and ask for the service you require. The telephone number for University College Hospital is (091) 580580.

Shopping

City-centre shops and department stores are open six days a week, most closing at 6pm; some larger shops also open until 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and many shops also open on Sunday afternoons. Supermarkets are usually open till 9 or 10pm, including on Sundays. If you are cooking for yourself, you will find all the basic foodstuffs are cheapest in the main supermarkets (Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Supervalu, Lidl and Aldi), and some of these also have suburban branches. Most supermarkets will have own-brand foodstuffs, which will be cheaper than regular brands.

Driving in Ireland

A full driver’s licence from other EU countries is valid in Ireland. Traffic in Ireland travels on the left-hand side of the road. Cars can easily be rented provided you have a full driver's licence.

Electricity

The standard mains voltage is 220v. Three-pin plugs are standard on most electrical equipment.

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Embassy Addresses

Austria
15 Ailesbury Court, 93 Ailesbury Road, Dublin 4
Tel: 353 1 269 4577; Fax: 353 1 283 0860
e-mail: dublin-ob@bmeia.gv.at