Travellers say it is 'ridiculous' that all Dublin Airport car parks are full for the coming weekend.
On Thursday operators warned that anyone without a booking should plan to travel to the airport "via an alternate method".
All of our car parks are SOLD OUT for this weekend. Anyone without a booking should plan to travel to @DublinAirport via an alternate method such as by bus, taxi or by being dropped off by a friend or relative. pic.twitter.com/eOSsDrDJgr
— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) July 4, 2024
Mike was at Dublin Airport last Wednesday and told Lunchtime Live there were no spaces.
"We went to the short-term car park and it was absolutely jammed," he said.
"I understand people have to travel; people who don't live near public transport and all need to use their car to get to the airport.
"But we drove around in the car park for 10 [or] 12 minutes which felt like about an hour until finally a little Fiat 500 pulled out".
Mike said getting to the airport on public transport has also been made more difficult.
"I would take the bus into town from where we live into Talbot Street, walk through to Busáras and get the 747 bus," he said.
"[The 747] brought you through the Port Tunnel and up to the airport - it was a painless way of doing it.
"Dublin Bus dropped the 747 around the time of the pandemic and they haven't reintroduced it.
"We live about 10 kilometres from the airport and we have to take our car - that doesn't make sense".
'It's a mess'
Olivia is heading to Dublin Airport on Saturday and says there needs to be a transport focus group.
"They should have a focus team concentrating on all of this transport system," she said.
"This is ridiculous now: one of the busiest weekends and people are told the car parks are full.
"We're overcapacity obviously in terms of the flights, even with the cancellations - it's a mess.
"Any incoming businesses would be put off with that kind of chaos going on - even on a business-level nevermind on a holiday".
Regional airports
Jerry said the entire process hasn't been well thought-out.
"It goes back years that planning people didn't think about Terminal 2 someplace else," he said.
"[Airlines could have] put holiday flights into Knock - anybody from the Midwest wouldn't have to travel to Dublin.
"Baldonnel could have been developed as well.
"People that live in Fingal, they're huge housing estates that weren't there 40 or 50 years ago.
"Now there's a cap on flying there at night - so it wasn't very joined up thinking".
'Scope for extra flights'
Derek lives in Shannon and said he believes a lot more can be done.
"There's so much scope for extra flights to come to Shannon," he said.
"We have great connectivity now to Shannon...and everything [is] going to Dublin.
"Why have so much congestion going into one airport? The Government and the relevant stakeholders really need to have a change of mindset".
Passengers at Dublin Airport's Terminal 1, 3-4-23. Image: Piere Bonbon / AlamyDerek is travelling to Dublin Airport next week to pick up his son who's flying home from Zurich.
"I've no other choice but to go to Dublin because there's no direct flights to Switzerland [from Shannon]," he said.
"We're a small country, it doesn't take long to get from any part of Ireland to Shannon," he added.
Derek suggested the "monster that is Dublin Airport" needs to be stopped by giving more flights to regional airports.
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