Buses in Carlow: Every Route, Timetable & Operator
A complete index of public transport in Carlow: 14 routes, 292 journeys today, every one linked to its live timetable. Search covers every stop on every line.
City buses 1
Routes running inside Carlow and its immediate suburbs.
Intercity coaches 3
Long-distance services linking Carlow with other cities and the airports.
Regional buses 6
Services connecting Carlow with the towns and countryside around it.
TFI Local Link 4
Rural connections serving smaller villages near Carlow.
How the network is laid out
Almost every journey inside Carlow touches the same handful of streets, which is why the network looks the way it does. The 1 city routes fan out from the centre rather than crossing it, so a trip between two suburbs usually means changing in town.
Areas served
Between them the routes on this page call at 160 stops around Carlow, including Abbeyleix, Airport Zone 16, Annacurragh, Arklow, Arklow Train Station, Ashgrove, Askea, Athlone Stn. Type any of these into the search box to see which services reach them.
The busiest routes today
Frequency varies enormously between routes here. These five carry the most journeys today, which usually means you can turn up without checking a timetable — the rest reward planning.
| Route | Where it goes | Operator | Journeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| CW1 | MSD – Tyndall College | Bus Éireann | 75 |
| CW2 | Barrow Valley RPK – Business Park | Bus Éireann | 74 |
| 880 | Carlow – Naas | TFI Local Link Kildare Sou | 38 |
| 736 | Dublin Airport – Waterford City | JJ Kavanagh | 34 |
| 822 | Mountrath – Carlow | TFI Local Link Laois Offal | 22 |
Fares and tickets
Two ticketing systems overlap in Carlow. Anything under the TFI umbrella accepts the Leap Card; independent coach companies do not. The operator is listed on every route card above.
- Leap Card — tap on as you board; the fare is deducted automatically.
- Cash — accepted on most services but at a higher fare, and exact change is often required.
- Coach tickets — book directly with the operator, usually cheaper online than at the desk.
Weekends and evenings
Weekend timetables in Carlow are lighter than weekday ones and Sunday is lighter again. Some routes on this page run Monday to Friday only. The journey counts shown are for today, so check the route page itself if you are planning for a different day.
What catches people out
Assuming one ticket covers everything
Leap works on TFI services, not on private coaches. Check the operator on the route card before you rely on it.
Trusting the terminus time
The headline departure time is from the first stop. Your stop may be twenty minutes later — open the route page for times from where you actually board.
When the network runs
The earliest departure listed for Carlow today is early morning and the latest is late evening. Outside that window there is no scheduled service, so late arrivals need a taxi.
Check the day type
Saturday and Sunday timetables are thinner than weekdays, and some routes do not run at all.
Work backwards
Pick the arrival you need first, then find the departure that gets you there with a margin.
Confirm the last bus
The final departure of the day is the one most often missed — check it before you commit to the trip.
Planning a journey
Find the route
Search by number, stop, suburb or operator in the box above — the search covers every stop on every route listed.
Open its timetable
Each card links to the full schedule, with departures from any stop on the line.
Check the connection
If you need to change, the transfer tool on each route page shows what you can connect to.