Dublin

Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath, “Town of the Hurdled Ford”) is the capital city of Ireland. Its vibrancy, nightlife and tourist attractions are renowned and it is the most popular entry point for international visitors to Ireland. It’s disproportionately large for the size of Ireland with nearly two million in the Greater Dublin Region – well over a third of the Republic’s population! The centre is, however, relatively small and can be navigated by foot, with most of the population living in suburbs.

More information on Wikitravel

Dublin is served by a two terminal airport approximately 10km (6 mi) north of the city centre. A full list of airlines flying to Dublin, along with timetables.

Ireland’s flag carrier airline, Aer Lingus, flies to Dublin from a large number of European cities. Aer Lingus fares are often lower than other flag carriers, but in part this has been achieved by matching the service levels of low-fare competitors. As a result, they now charge for checked-in bags and seat reservation at time of booking. Aer Lingus staff are always very friendly and helpful. The planes and flight attendants are decorated in bright green to get passengers ready to see all of the green in Ireland. Aer Lingus fly almost exclusively from Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport.

Ryanair, Ireland’s second airline and Europe’s largest low fares airline, has one of its main bases in Dublin from which it flies to a large number of European airports including Paris, London, Manchester, Liverpool, Madrid and Frankfurt as well as smaller regional airports such as Nantes or Kaunas. While famous for its low fares, Ryanair can be more expensive than other airlines for last minute bookings. Ireland’s third airline Aer Arann links Dublin to many regional Irish airports and some smaller UK cities. All Ryanair flights depart from Terminal 1.

Low-fare airline Flybe links Dublin to Exeter, Norwich and Southampton in the United Kingdom, and also Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands.

There are three types of bus transport to Dublin city:

• Bus
  Aircoach express service
  Large blue bus connects the airport and the city centre and many of Dublin’s major hotels, most of which are on the south side of the city. Buses leave the airport every fifteen minutes and the journey time to the centre is approximately thirty minutes. The fare is €9 single or €15 return. Aircoach also offers services to other destinations within Ireland, including Cork and Belfast.

  Dublin Bus – Express AirLink service
  Every 15 minutes at peak times to the city centre and bus station for €6 or €10 return (return tickets are valid for 2 months). The 1 and 3 day Rambler ticket has been discontinued with the introduction of Leap card (similar to London’s Oyster card), but avoid using the Leap card on the AirLink bus, as it does not count towards the daily price cap and will charge you €6 every time you board. This service uses the Dublin Port Tunnel to avoid the city traffic and can reach the city centre in minutes.

  Dublin Bus
  Also have a number of other local routes that serve the airport, and these offer substantially cheaper standard services to the centre and further afield in the southern suburbs: these are non-express and stop significantly more times going to and from the airport. Fares are €2.65 and buses run every 10-25min depending on time of day.

  • The 16 goes right through the city, stops at O’Connell Street and continues up Georges Street and, finally, to southern areas of Dublin (indicative : 40 minutes O’Connell Street to airport).
  • The 41 takes a slightly more direct route and finishes on Lower Abbey Street. It stops at O’Connell Street and close to Busáras (Dublin Bus Station).

  Depending on traffic, journey times can vary from 25min to over an hour. These buses are considerably cheaper than AirLink and Aircoach. Both of these local bus services stop across from Drumcondra train station which is on the Dublin-Maynooth commuter line. Some trains on this line continue past Maynooth and serve stations as far away as Longford. All Dublin Bus buses (except AirLink) do not give change and fares must be paid in coins. Ticket machines near a few outdoor bus stops, including the one at the airport, do not require exact change. Tickets can also be purchased at the newsagent inside the airport. Luggage racks are limited on the local buses, and it is not unknown for drivers to turn away travellers with packs that cannot be stored.

• Taxi
  A taxi to the city centre should cost around €20 to €30: it can be comparable to or cheaper than the bus options if you are in a group of three or more (as well as a lot less hassle). Taxis are legally obliged to provide an electronic receipt detailing the fare, distance and other pertinent details. Make sure to ask for one as otherwise they often do not furnish such a receipt.

  A metro connecting Dublin Airport to the city centre is planned, but no work has started on this yet.
  Unless your destination is Dublin City, it is probably best to use one of the extensive range of other bus services that stop at Dublin Airport and so avoid the city centre traffic.