Dublin Public Transit

Dublin Bus

Dublin Bus is the core of Dublin Public Transit. Your two main resources for deciphering Dublin Bus are its website, dublinbus.ie, or asking the staff at your hotel for help navigating the city. Once you know your route number, it is simple to explore the city with the bus. A single ride costs 1.15, and exact change is necessary. When you board the bus, you’ll drop your change into a slot near the driver, and then a ticket will print out. If you don’t have exact change, you’ll need to overpay, and no change will be returned. The driver will fly by stops if no one presses the stop button, so before your departure point, be sure to press the red button alerting the driver you’d like to get off.

DART Dublin Area Rapid Transit

The DART isn’t much use for travel within the city center, but is a great way to explore areas just outside the city. The train going south from the center of Dublin has an especially scenic route, traveling alongside the sea. For visitors who are looking to experience some of Ireland beyond Dublin, trips along the DART are easy and affordable. To the south, Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire are popular destinations. With cafés, bookshops, and places to walk, these locations are great examples of quaint Irish villages. Taking the DART to the North, Howth or Malahide are both great places to spend an afternoon wandering in and out of shops, fish markets, and enticing restaurants.

Luas

Many Dubliners rely on the LUAS, the tram system, to get around in the center of the city. It does have a very limited route however. There are two lines, one on the North side of the Liffey River and one in the South side. On the North, the tram connects the two main train stations, Connolly Station and Heuston Station. Visitors interested in stopping at Smithfield can also take this tram. On the south side, the LUAS goes very far out into the suburbs, stopping at popular villages like Ranelagh along the way. This neighborhood is a great place to for brunch or lunch to escape the city center crowds.

Dublinbikes

Recently launched after the success of similar schemes in cities like Paris, Dublinbikes is the new city center bike rental system. There are forty stations now in the center of the city, and visitors and locals alike can take advantage of this new rental system. The first half hour of any journey is free, and after that a fee applies. An additional hour is only .50 and an additional two hours is 1.50. 3-day tickets and long-term cards are also available if you’re going to be spending a bit of time in Dublin.

Taxis

Unfortunately, taxis are the only form of transportation after a certain hour. Even Dublinbikes can’t be rented after midnight. Knowledge of the rest of forms of transportation in Dublin will limit your need to take taxis to late at night. When you do have to take a taxi, be sure the driver starts the meter, and be aware that a fee of one euro is charged per additional passenger. Most taxi drivers will bring you directly to your destination, but be confident in telling them where you are going to avoid indirect routes that may bump up the fare.

Aircoach

A taxi to the airport can cost anywhere from 25 – 40 euro depending on your location. While Dublin bus does go to the airport, the bus isn’t especially well-equipped to handle luggage, and can be a very slow process. Aircoach is the affordable answer for people trying to reach the airport. For 7 euro one-way or 10 euro roundtrip, the Aircoach is a comfortable, fairly-quick bus that stores luggage beneath. Depending on the time of day, the bus can come every ten minutes or so. If you’re traveling early in the morning, be sure to give yourself extra time as the Aircoach runs less often then.