Information about transportation in Dublin, Ireland. Public transport of Dublin

Transportation in Dublin

Given the isolated location of Ireland, we could hardly determine Dublin as a European transportation hub. Nevertheless, the Irish capital is relatively easily accessible from abroad by air or water. But if we consider the city in local aspect, it turns into the undeniable centre of the whole transport system on the island. The national airport is in close proximity, ferries connect Dublin with a range of other destinations in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and the road and railway networks are dense and maintained in perfect condition. The extensive public transport system within the city also provides excellent service to all tourists and local citizens.

Getting To

A huge percentage of the foreign visitors arrive in Dublin by plane. The airport is some 10 kilometres north of the city centre, which suggests easy, fast and cheap transfer to the hotels and main attractions in the area. Dublin Airport however, suffers severe problems with queues and crowds, due to its small size. Improvement of the situation is expected in 2010, when a new terminal is planned to be launched. The big advantage of getting to Dublin by air is the frequency of flights to almost all major European airports. A large number of regular lines are served by the Irish national carrier, a couple of low-cost airlines and all leading international companies. Once you land at the airport, you generally have two opportunities to reach the city centre – bus and taxi. Buses are three types, depending on the speed and number of stops along the way. The fastest ones are Aircoach, which leave every 15 minutes and reach the heart of the city for less than 30 minutes. Single tickets cost 7 EUR, the return is 12 EUR. Especially attractive is the AirLink service provided by Dublin Bus (frequency: every 10 minutes, fare: 6 EUR one-way, 10 EUR return). These express buses use the Dublin Port Tunnel and reach the central bus station in the city in the blink of an eye. The cheapest alternative are the standard public buses, leaving every 10 to 25 minutes according to the time of the day and charging 1.90 EUR for a single ride. A taxi to the city centre should come up to about 30 EUR, but due to the street traffic is not substantially faster than express buses.

If you are crazy about water and happen to come from England or France, then the ferry is your thing. Luxurious vessels, operated by several local companies, connect Dublin Port with the above-mentioned countries and provide first-class comfort and breathtaking sceneries at reasonable prices.

From within the country, the best way to arrive in the capital is by train. The city has two main stations – Heuston in the west and Connolly in the north-east. They welcome trains from all bigger towns in the country and are connected by bus with each other. The state company Irish Rail boasts an extremely new and modern railway fleet that provides speed, reliability and comfort.

Bus

Buses are arguably the most widely used means of transport in the Irish capital. More than 200 routes connect the city centre and the deep suburbs, including some remote villages and townships in the countryside. In spite of this density, they are not always easy to use, because of the gratuitous and confusing way of numbering. Fortunately, this concerns locals and commuters much more than tourists, for all places of interest in the relatively small city are easily reached on Shanks’ pony. Generally buses operate from 6 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., but there are a few late night lines that run from midnight to about 4 a.m. in weekends. The system for calculating fares is also too complicated and the sum paid depends on the number of stages traveled. Standard adult fares vary from 1.05 EUR to 4.30 EUR, while children under 16 always travel for 0.60 EUR. The whole thing can be greatly facilitated if you buy a ticket for one, three, five or seven consecutive days. They cost between 6 EUR and 23 EUR and allow unlimited use of public buses for the denoted period.

Fare Type:	Who?	Price:	Validity:
Monthly ticket	All	85 EUR	30 days, bus only
Price for children under 16 years of age	Under 16	0.60 EUR	1 ride
Rambler ticket	All	6 – 23 EUR	1 – 7 days
Regular ticket	All	1.05 – 4.30 EUR	1 ride

Taxi

The easiest and, of course, most expensive way to travel within Dublin and the surroundings is by taxi. Taxis are copious in the city, as more than 20 companies offer their services in the area. Numerous stands are scattered around all major points in the centre. If you are in a hurry and can’t see a taxi stand nearby, just order one by phone or hail some of the empty taxis passing by. This kind of transport was deregulated a couple of years ago, but still there is a national standardized rate. In the common case, 4 to 8 EUR should see you through a trip between any two points in the tiny city centre.

Fare Type:	Who?	Price:	Validity:
For each 30 seconds	All	0.2 EUR	Per 30 seconds
Initial fee	All	2.75 EUR	Has to be paid

Car

As in all European metropolitan areas, your own car is the least recommended means of transport if you are a tourist in Dublin. The planning of roads in the centre is not perfect at all, with extensive one-way streets that cause severe congestions in rush hours. Furthermore, large parts of the streets are designated as bus lanes, which are an excellent opportunity to drive, if you hit upon the permitted hours. If you don’t, fines are really cruel. Car parks are easy to find and usually consist of several storeys. Parking at the street for a couple of minutes is also possible, but if you go too far, you are likely to have trouble with the constantly patrolling clamping companies.

Luas

Luas is the name of the tram service operating in Dublin. It uses separate tracks and avoids the riskiest places with traffic jams, as in such areas tracks run over the streets. The system is relatively new, inaugurated in 2004, and comprises only two routes. The “red” line goes from the city centre to the south-west, and the “green” one connects the centre with the remote southern outskirts. As a whole, this type of transport has not won recognition yet, but is very useful if you are an inhabitant of the deep south of Dublin County. Massive expansion of the network is planned in the next years. The vehicles are in operation daily between 5:30 a.m. and midnight at intervals varying from 4 to 20 minutes. The situation with tickets and fares here is even more complicated than in the case with buses. Prices are calculated depending on zone, length of ride and even time of the day. A host of special cards and discounts are also available. Just for orientation, a ride with Luas will cost you between 1.25 EUR and 2.30 EUR. For detailed information in each particular case, please consult http://www.luas.ie/. All tickets are purchased from the special machines on the platforms and don’t need to be validated when you enter the tram.

Fare Type:	Who?	Price:	Validity:
Children’s return ticket	Children	1.50 – 1.90	2 rides in opposite directions
Children’s ticket	Children	0.75 – 1.00 EUR	1 ride
Monthly ticket	All	44.70 – 69.00 EUR	30 days
Regular ticket	All	1.25 – 2.30 EUR	1 ride
Return ticket	All	2.80 – 4.10 EUR	2 rides in opposite directions
Weekly ticket	All	11.00 – 17.80 EUR	7 days

DART

The Dublin Area Rapid Transit, or DART, is a suburban railway system that covers the east coast of Ireland from Greystones in the south to Malahide in the north. Its four lines connect the capital with the other towns around the Bay of Dublin. Three of them use Connolly Station and the last one operates from Heuston Station. In some periods of the day trains run every 10 minutes. Tickets are bought from the stations, either from machines, or from windows.