Airport Desk

Travelling through Ireland by rental car is a wonderful experience. There are no crowds of tourists to get irritated with when you’re in a tour bus. You can take a leisurely drive on Ireland’s roads and stop wherever you please without having to worry about following a schedule other people have imposed on you.

 

Europcar’s customers can begin the collection process at two different locations in Shannon Airport. Those who are arriving at the airport and haven’t made an advance booking will want to proceed to the kiosk near the exit of the arrivals area. Meanwhile, passengers who booked in advanced can check-in through the booth in the luggage collection area near carousels 1 and 2.

 

Getting behind the wheel of your Shannon Airport hire car is a quick and painless process. You’ll be happy you booked through Europcar when you see other passengers lugging their bags into an airport shuttle, waiting around in taxi queues or calling their hotels to follow up on an airport transfer offer.

 

When you book in advance through Europcar’s website, be sure to print out the confirmation page. While waiting for your luggage at the carousel, present this printout at the Europcar booth. At this point, you’ll be able to complete your rental contract. Once you’ve collected your luggage, the associate will show you to the shuttle bus that will take you to the collection point.

 

The ride takes a mere two minutes. As long as you are able to collect your luggage in a timely manner, you’ll probably be behind the wheel in a total of about five minutes. The Europcar fleet is an average of six months old, so you’re vehicle should be in top shape when you take the driver’s seat. All the same, the associate will ask you to make a quick inspection to ensure that everything is in good working order.

From here, take the Airport Road to the N18 and begin your journey. It’s about 30 minutes’ drive to Limerick or Ennis, where a network of motorways diverges to access the rest of south-west Ireland.

 

Car Rental Returns

The most convenient car hire at Shannon Airport is offered by Europcar. Vehicles can be returned at the same place they were picked up, in a depot that is connected to the terminal building by a complimentary two-minute shuttle ride. Associates will expedite you through the drop-off process, help you with your luggage and see to it that you are on your way to check-in and security in no time.

 

Drop-off facilities are open from 06:00 to 18:00, but special arrangements can be made for off-hours vehicle drops. In this case, drivers park in the short-term lot and deliver the keys to the Europcar associate at the company’s kiosk in the Arrivals Hall.

 

For those returning to Shannon Airport during regular hours, the Europcar depot can be reached by turning off of the N19 (Airport Road) at the signpost. On-site associates are fast and efficient, and they’ll have you aboard the airport shuttle in short order. Officially, Europcar suggest allowing 30 minutes for the entire exchange, but it rarely takes this long.

 

Airport Facilities

Shannon Airport sports 21st-century facilities thanks to a terminal-wide update in early 2000. Visitors will find everything they need at the airport, including convenient pick-up and drop-off facilities for car rental at Shannon Airport.

Airport Facilities

Basic facilities include bureau de change desks operated in the check-in area, at the customs hall and in the departures lounge. There is also an ATM in the arrivals area. For more involved transactions, a Bank of Ireland branch is located close to the tourist information office.

 

Wireless broadband Internet broadcasts throughout the terminal, so visitors can take advantage of this wherever they are located. Those without a notebook computer or tablet can still go online at the Internet kiosk in the arrivals area near the WHSmith bookseller. These machines take coins or cards.

 

Booking your Shannon Airport hire car in advance is a wise move, as this allows greater speed and convenience by checking drivers in at the kiosk near the luggage carousel. Even when early booking isn’t possible, Europcar associates will see to it that you’re behind the wheel as quickly as possible.

 

For passengers on the return leg of their journey, the speed and efficiency of Europcar’s drop-off procedures may leave them with more time in the terminal than they anticipated. A pair of executive lounges near in the departures area is well-suited for passing time in comfort. Lounge facilities include business services, refreshments and shower facilities. The lounges are open to Aer Lingus Gold Circle members, or admission can be purchased in three-hour blocks.

 

Airport Information

Shannon Airport is the westernmost airport in Europe and has served an important role in transatlantic travel. In the days when planes needed to refuel frequently in order to complete long-haul flights, Shannon was a last stop before crossing to North America. In fact, it was for this original purpose that the airport was launched.

 

The original airstrip began operating in the 1940s, but an overhaul in March of 2000 brought the terminal into the 21st century. One of the key features of Shannon Airport is the pre-screening facilities operated by US Customs and Border Protection. Passengers taking public and private flights across the Atlantic can complete immigration and customs proceedings in Ireland, and then pass through domestic channels upon landing in the US.

 

Around 2 million passengers pass through Shannon Airport every year. Flights connect to several regional destinations in Ireland and a few UK travel hubs. Overseas flights travel to New York’s JFK Airport, Newark, Toronto Paris CDG, Malaga, Palma, Tenerife and a few other cities.

 

Aer Lingus is one of the major carriers at the airport. Most of their traffic is London-Heathrow, with seasonal transatlantic flights to Boston and New York. Ryanair offers the greatest number of routes and remains the most popular discount carrier in Shannon. Beyond this, Aer Lingus Regional, Delta Airlines, Thomson Airways and United Airlines – along with a few smaller carriers and charter services – are active at the terminal.

 

Airport Security

Shannon Airport’s 40 check-in desks are located on the ground floor of the departures area, fronting an array of 14 boarding gates. It’s wise to allot plenty of time to checking in and clearing security, as predicting delays in service or clearance can be difficult. For those returning a hire car to Shannon Airport, plan for an extra 30 minutes just to be safe. Don’t be surprised if you complete this leg of your departure much more quickly.

 

For specific information about luggage allowances, contact your airline before setting out. Requirements vary, but standard procedures usually allow passengers to carry one personal item (such as a briefcase or laptop) along with one carry-on item. Dimensions of acceptable carryon may vary between airlines, but most require it to weigh in below 10 kilograms.

 

Passengers usually speed through the check-in facilities at Shannon Airport, though queues can be longer at the last minute. Delays are most likely to happen at the security checkpoint. Making fast work of security requires a few minutes’ preparation from passengers. Try to minimise loose change and have outer garments including jackets or cardigans ready to go through the x-ray machine.

 

EU regulations on liquids, gels and pastes also need to be considered. These items must be kept in bottles that are no larger than 100 millilitres. The entire lot of bottles carried by one passenger must fit into a plastic re-sealable that’s no bigger than 20 x 20 centimetres. Packing this in advance expedites security clearance.

 

Finally, certain items cannot be taken into the cabin at all. The following are all prohibited:

• Sharp tools and blades that could cut, puncture or slice
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• Needles (including those used for sewing or knitting), syringes or darts
• Baseball bats, clubs and billiard cues
• Firearms, other projectile-firing devices and realistic toy guns

 

Shannon Airport Links

One of the great conveniences of modern travel is the opportunity to make advanced online bookings. Doing so allows travellers to plan out a great deal of their journey if desired, and it also puts them in a position to reap the benefits of online discounts and early-booking deals.

 

Shannon Airport website has a great deal of information for passengers, including flight timetables, information on facilities and services and recommendations on meeting security guidelines. Travellers can also make use of information published online by Ireland’s and Shannon’s official tourism web portals.

 

You can also save a great deal of time and money by booking Shannon Airport car hire online. Europcar’s already-competitive rates are even more attractive when you secure them early. Better yet, you can also make use of the company’s own resources when hotels and tours across County Clare and greater Ireland.

 

Dublin Airport Authority (parent company of Shannon Airport):

www.dublinairportauthority.com

 

Tourism in Ireland

• Tourism Ireland: www.tourismireland.com
• Shannon Region: www.shannonregiontourism.ie

 

Shannon Airport website: www.shannonairport.com

• Arrivals: www.shannonairport.com/arrivals
• Departures: www.shannonairport.com/departures
• The Loop Airport Shopping: www.theloop.ie/Shannon
• Airport Security: www.shannonairport.com/airportsecurity
• Reduced Mobility: www.shannonairport.com/personswithreducedmobility

 

Public Transportation

• JJ Kavanagh & Sons: www.jjkavanagh.ie
• Bus Eireann: www.buseireann.ie

 

Shannon Shops and Restaurants

Shannon Airport has plenty in the way of shopping and dining facilities for passengers. These are especially useful for drivers who drop off their Shannon hire car with Europcar and end up using less time than they budgeted.

 

As with many airports in Ireland, the main retail area in Shannon’s terminal is The Loop, which is open 24 hours and carries snacks, spirits, cigarettes and luxury items. When purchasing something that falls under EU regulations on liquids and gels, staff at The Loop can help with packaging and seeing to it that the purchase is securely checked onto your flight.

 

There are other retail outlets at Shannon Airport. Londis Shop in the arrivals area deals in food, gifts and printed materials. On the check-in side of security, books, magazines and newspapers can be purchased at WHSmith. Finally, Glen Aran Irish Markets on the first floor deals in Irish woollen products and jewellery.

 

Restaurants and eateries are scattered around the terminal. Some are only open to passengers who have cleared security. Others can be enjoyed by anyone in the terminal. In the arrivals area is the Atlantic Coffee Company, serving light fare and coffees.

 

There is more available to departing passengers. The Sheridan Food Pub is open 24 hours and is named after the creator of the Irish coffee cocktail. Segafredo offers fast fare including baked goods and sandwiches, while Estuary Café and Marsh Point Bar are both in the check-in area and accessible to everyone on the land side of security.

 

Shannon Airport Location

The city of Shannon was designed and built alongside the airport. For this reason, most of the people who live here are connected to the airport in one way or another. There is little to keep tourists in town, which is part of what makes car hire from Shannon Airport such an attractive prospect. Those passengers who do end up staying in Shannon are usually those who are only passing through and have an early connecting flight.

 

The terminal itself is about 3 kilometres west of Shannon town. The terminal itself is in the southwest quadrant of the airport area. Runways are situated to the north, with parking facilities to the south. The Airport Road connects the terminal to the N18, which drivers bound for Limerick or Ennis make use of. Outside of peak periods of traffic, connecting to either of these cities takes about half an hour.

 

Of the cities closest to Shannon Airport, Limerick has the most to offer tourists. This is a town of trendy cafés and five-star hotels, with connections to the Frank McCourt novel, Angela’s Ashes. This is the fourth-biggest city in Ireland, with more than enough to warrant a stopover.

 

But for visitors with a rental car from Shannon Airport have many more options at hand. Greater County Clare is a great place to explore on four wheels. Bunratty Castle, the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher are favourites. Planning your own itinerary and driving yourself to these destinations allows much more freedom than a commercial tour could afford.

 

Shannon Airport Public Transport

Shannon Airport is an important gateway to south-west Ireland. The majority of visitors fly into the airport and immediately travel on. Limerick is 25 kilometres north of the city, with Ennis equal distance to the east. A range of public transport options are available, but none are as convenient as hiring a car from the airport.

 

By Car:For those travelling by car from Shannon Airport, the N18 is one of the most important arteries. It passes the terminal to the east connects to several important regional motorways. Roads connecting Dublin, Galway and Cork to Dublin have been recently redeveloped and are in particularly good condition.

There are roughly 1,000 parking spaces on offer at Shannon Airport, including short- and long-term options. The car parks are operated by the local airport authority, and they’re regularly patrolled by airport police. Around three-quarters of the parking facilities are designated for long-term parking. The short-term car park is across from the terminal entrance, within walking distance of the Arrivals and Departure Halls.

 

By Bus:Travellers who don’t mind touring Ireland by bus find two major operators at Shannon Airport. Bus Éireann connects to Galway (1 hour, 45 minutes), Cork (2 hours, 30 minutes) and Ennis (about 1 hour). Tickets can be purchased directly from the driver or from the ticket office in the terminal. JJ Kavanagh & Sons runs lines to Dublin (3 hours, 15 minutes) and Limerick (30 minutes).

 

By Taxi: Taxis operate between Shannon Airport and area destinations whenever flights are running. Fares are expensive, but it’s sometimes possible to save a few euros by purchasing a ticket from the desk inside the terminal. The desk is located in the centre of the Arrivals Hall, and information on travel routes and distances can be viewed on the airport website.

 

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