In short, you will need to take a bus or a train to get to Waterford even after arriving in Ireland. Waterford Airport (IATA code WAT) has lacked commercial flights since June 2016, although airport administrators hope to lure a new airline to the airport soon. This means you will be arriving in Ireland at Dublin Airport (IATA code DUB), Cork Airport (IATA code ORK) or Shannon Airport (IATA code SNN).

From Dublin Airport: Take the Dublin Bus (www.dublinbus.ie) Xpress bus from Dublin Airport (stops at Terminals 1 and 2) to Dublin Heuston station; buses traditionally leave every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. every day of the week. Tickets are under €10, can be purchased online or in person at the airport, and the ride to Heuston station takes approximately 20 minutes. Eight Irish Rail trains leave from Dublin Heuston station for Waterford Plunkett station each day, with the first leaving around 7 a.m. and the last leaving after 6 p.m. The train ride is roughly two hours and fifteen minutes in length and a one-way pass starts in the neighborhood of €20 via journeyplanner.irishrail.ie.

National long-haul bus companies Expressway and Bus Eireann run uninterrupted routes from Dublin Airport (Atrium Road, Zone 11, Stop 2) to Waterford bus station on Merchants Quay. Ten buses run daily between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. and each journey takes three hours. One-way tickets are priced at under €25; visit national.buseireann.ie for schedules and purchases.

From Cork Airport: Expect to pay €20 or so for a taxi from one of the airport`s taxi ranks and ask the driver to take you to Cork Kent railway station. Eight Irish Rail trains leave from nearby Cork Kent station each day (between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.) and take approximately four hours each to arrive at Waterford Plunkett station. Online fares are priced in the €40 range (one-way).

From Shannon Airport: Expressway Bus Route 51 takes passengers from the Shannon Airport Arrivals Terminal to Limerick bus station, 30 minutes away, for approximately €10. Those buses leave approximately 2-3 times per hour during the day. Route 55 leaves every 1-2 hours from Limerick bus station, dropping off at Waterford bus station about 2 1/2 hours later. This bus ticket is priced at around €20 one-way. All prices quoted for these buses are online fares; visit national.buseireann.ie for more info.

There will be taxi ranks located just outside the train station and the bus station, and a taxi will be available to take you to your hotel. (Fares will set you back between €5 and €10 no matter where you`re staying in Waterford City.)

Two national bus companies, Bus Eireann and JJ Kavanagh and Sons (www.jjkavanagh.ie), operate limited bus services. Two JJ Kavanagh and Sons bus routes, 607 and 617, run every half-hour from approximately 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in a loop from Ballygunner to the Bridge Hotel (areas further out receive bus service as well, but less frequently). Bus Eireann routes 601, 603, 604 and 605 stop at many of the sights in and around The Viking Triangle; if you want to venture into the suburbs, you can explore Slievekeale by taking route 603; Ballytruckle is accessible from route 602 (take the Patrick Street stop). All routes are active by 8 a.m. each morning, with buses leaving at least every 40 minutes on every line until 5 p.m. (limited service occurs on most lines until 9:30 p.m.).

Bus Eireann offers a Leap Card for the City of Waterford. For €20, Leap Cardholders can ride on any of Bus Eireann`s local bus routes for a period of seven days. You can purchase a Leap Card online at www.leapcard.ie or you can find a list of participating retailers who stock the card at www.payzone.ie. JJ Kavanagh ticketholders do not have access to Leap Card savings, but if they save their tickets, they can receive discounts at a number of businesses and attractions. For a full list, visit www.jjkavanagh.ie/day-trips-kilkeny-ireland/day-trips-waterford-city-ireland.

NOTE: Waterford`s bus services, provided by Bus Eireann and JJ Kavanagh and Sons, do not operate on Sundays. Plan accordingly!

Taxis can be hailed off the street with no issues in Waterford. A few taxi ranks exist throughout the city, but it is fairly common to encounter one while out and about. Base fare is approximately €4 and expect an addition of €1 to €1.50 for each mile traveled. Prices are higher at night, on Sundays and during public holidays.

Only three public parking lots are located in The Viking Triangle. There is no shortage of parking outside the old Viking walls, however; once you head in the direction of Ballytruckle and Slievekeale, you can find plentiful parking options for free. We advise that you utilize one of those parking lots and use buses and taxis to get around the city.

In short, no and no. Let us explain: Queues are manageable at every attraction in Waterford, except for perhaps the House of Waterford Crystal on summer weekdays. Arrive at the beginning of the day (9 a.m.) or after 3 p.m. to beat most of the crowds. Discover Ireland currently does not offer a `Waterford Card` of any type. To learn more about possible discounts or rewards while visiting Waterford, visit the Discover Ireland Centre located at 120 Parade Quay.

The currency of Ireland is the euro (€). U.S. dollars are not accepted. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand or be prepared to exchange your dollars for euros upon arrival. ATMs can be found at the train station and many locations throughout the city.

For authentic Irish souvenirs, the gift shop at the Medieval Museum can`t be beat in terms of selection and price. For Waterford Crystal, the House of Waterford Crystal`s in-house store is the largest in the world and shipping can be arranged for most destinations in Europe and North America. Visit High Street to visit one of southeast Ireland`s largest shopping centers: City Square Shopping Centre. The shopping center is anchored by Dunnes and Debenhams and dozens of extra stores are located under its massive roofs.

To rent a bicycle in Waterford City, call ahead to Greenway Waterford Bike Hire (086 1292724) or The Greenway Man at Durrow (086 8351233). Bicycle delivery may be available upon request depending on time of day and year. With the new Greenway opening in 2017, more and more people are looking to Waterford as a bicyclist`s dream destination!