Galway Bay (photo © James Byard / dreamstime.com)

17th edition: West to Europe's Celtic fringe (Route 5)

A chance to travel the Heart of Wales line

Route introduction

One of the great things about Galway is that the Irish city doesn’t have a working airport. It closed in 2011, and since then visitors have been forced to travel to Galway by road or rail. It’s perfectly possible to travel from London to Galway
in a day by the rail-sea route via Holyhead. But Route 5 is the way to do it if you want to see some of the finest scenery in England, Wales and Ireland along the way. It’s a chance to savour a journey for its own sake.

Countries covered
England Wales Ireland

MAP Double click on the map (or double tap on mobile) to zoom in. You can connect onto other routes in places shown in red. Change to a layer showing a more familiar road map view by clicking on the menu at the top right of the map. Get back to the original view by clicking on the house icon shown in the top left menu on the map.

Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide

Whether you are making a long grand tour or just planning a couple of weekend breaks, Europe by Rail is the perfect guide. The book describes 50 key routes in detail. Together, they span mainland Europe and the British Isles. Find out more about the guidebook below.

The 18th edition of the definitive guide to exploring Europe by rail will be published on 24 October 2024. With tips on ticketing, fares and accommodation, Europe by Rail has become the definitive guide to exploring Europe by train. Read here the book's word of welcome.
Europe by Rail contains all that's necessary to plan your rail journey through Europe: 50 route descriptions, a country gazetteer, rail connections, information on Eurail and Interrail passes and more.
The 18th edition of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide will be published on 24 October 2024. Here, we list a few places which have regularly stocked the 17th edition.