On Trains & Buses

Considering Bus Routes for a Car-Free Walking Trip in Donegal

Posted on October 10, 2026

Reading time: 6 minutes.

A walking trip to County Donegal can work without a car, though the absence of a railway makes the quality of the bus timetables the deciding factor. Donegal is one of only three counties in the State without access to rail services, as a deputy told the Dáil, and a rail review proposes bringing trains back to Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan. For now that leaves buses as the only public option. What is easy to miss is how far the rural network has grown, and that may be why some walkers still assume that the best-known trailheads need a car.

The network falls into three parts. Expressway coaches and Bus Éireann regional routes link the larger towns, while TFI Local Link provides the rural buses that reach most of the villages. Private operators fill some of the remaining gaps.

Longer-Distance Coaches

The main link with Dublin is Expressway route 30, which runs via Cavan, Enniskillen and Ballyshannon to Donegal Town. An improved timetable brought all 26 daily services under the route 30 pattern. The current timetable shows 13 departures in each direction, which matches that total.

Dublin and Letterkenny are connected by Expressway route 32 via Monaghan, while Expressway route 64 links Galway and Derry through Sligo, Donegal Town and Letterkenny. Regional services cover most of the remainder, with route 480 running between Sligo and Derry and route 490 serving Glencolmcille from Donegal Town. Route 491 links Letterkenny with Ballybofey, and route 492 runs from Donegal Town to Dungloe via Glenties.

Derry is also well connected to the county. Expressway route 64 reaches it from Letterkenny with five or six journeys a day, and route 480 is listed between Sligo and Derry through Donegal Town and Letterkenny. Inishowen has its own links, with Local Link routes 952 and 957 running to Patrick Street in Derry from Carndonagh and Greencastle, both calling at Moville, Quigley’s Point and Muff.

McGeehan Coaches operates route 991 between Killybegs and Letterkenny. The timetable for the Killybegs stop lists it alongside routes 293, 490 and 492 in the south west. For onward travel, the nearest railway stations are at Derry and Sligo, with trains to Belfast and Dublin Connolly respectively.

The Local Link Network

Rural services are run by Local Link Donegal Sligo Leitrim, and its timetables are the best place to start. Several services have quirks that a timetable alone does not explain, so the office is worth contacting before relying on a particular route.

Inishowen is served by routes 952, 954, 957 and 959, with the 959 running between Greencastle and Buncrana via Carndonagh. The 954 between Malin Head and Carndonagh is the one most useful to walkers, and the current timetable shows seven journeys in each direction.

In the west, route 971 between Burtonport and Letterkenny offers up to eight return journeys every day. Route 966 links Falcarragh with Dungloe, while route 973 runs from Letterkenny through Ramelton, Rathmullan and Kerrykeel with up to ten return journeys, four of which continue to Fanad Head.

Further south, route 293 connects Glencolmcille with Donegal Town and route 982 runs between Sligo and Ballyshannon. These services do not all run with the same frequency or on the same days. A route on a network map therefore says little about whether it will work for a particular outing.

Choosing a Base

Letterkenny is the largest town in the county, and Glenveagh, Fanad and Errigal are all reachable from there. Connections towards Derry and Inishowen are also close at hand. Donegal Town suits the south west, with routes 293, 490 and 492 all starting from there or passing through.

Buncrana is convenient for Inishowen, while Dungloe works for the Rosses and the west coast because routes 966 and 971 both call there. The timing of rural buses can limit the length of a day out from any of these towns. Staying close to the walk itself may be the better choice where the last bus leaves early.

Reaching the Walks

Malin Head

Malin Head is served by route 954, which stops at the bottom of the tower access road, so a short walk remains to Banba’s Crown. From Monday to Saturday the first bus from Carndonagh leaves at 08:30 and reaches Malin Head at 09:20, while on Sundays the first leaves at 10:15 and arrives at 11:08. Having a Sunday service at all makes this one of the easier car-free destinations in the county.

Glenveagh National Park

The park is served by route 971, which runs daily and can be boarded at the bus stop in the car park. The castle lies 4 km from the Visitor Centre, with a shuttle bus between them. The castle is closed on Mondays and Fridays (except bank holiday Mondays), which matters for a midweek visit.

Slieve League

The shuttle bus from the Slieve League Cliffs Centre runs from April to mid-November, every 40 minutes (every 20 minutes at peak times), between 09:15 and 18:00 daily, according to Sliabh Liag Tours. The operator mentions connections with public transport in Carrick village. It was not possible to confirm which stop is nearest or how far the walk to the centre is, so that leg needs checking before travel.

Mount Errigal

Mount Errigal, at 751 m, is the highest peak in the county, and the usual route starts at a car park on the R251, about 2 km east of Dunlewey. Lonely Planet allows three hours for the 4.5 km round trip. Route 971 serves the Dunlewey area, which appears as Dún Lúiche in the timetables.

The timetables consulted do not show a stop at the Errigal car park, and none confirms that route 971 operates on a hail-and-ride basis there. Anyone relying on a drop-off should check with Local Link first, because the alternative is a longer walk along the road from Dunlewey.

Planning a Car-Free Donegal Trip

The practical question is not whether a bus serves a place but whether there is an early enough outward journey and a late enough return. That matters most on Sundays, and for walks where the stop is some distance from the trailhead. Timetables change from season to season, so they are best treated as planning references rather than guarantees.

The Transport for Ireland journey planner is the quickest way to test a specific day. A call to Local Link can settle anything the planner cannot answer. With that done, Donegal turns out to be far more workable by bus than its reputation suggests.