Trains in Dublin

Irish Rail runs from two main stations. Dublin Connolly serves Belfast, Sligo, Rosslare, the north coast and the DART. Dublin Heuston serves Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Kerry and Mayo. The DART is the electric coast line from Howth and Malahide through the city to Bray and Greystones.

Trains to Belfast run about hourly from 05:50 to 20:50 Monday to Saturday and every one to two hours on Sundays. Other intercity lines run every one to three hours. A new timetable starts on 14 December 2026, so check irishrail.ie for your date.

Tickets and prices

• Intercity and Belfast: Low Fare and Flexible Fare tickets online, cheapest when booked early. Belfast advance fares start at about 15 EUR each way
• DART and commuter trains in the city: Leap fare, about 1.50 EUR short trip or 2.00 EUR for 90 minutes of travel, capped at 6.00 EUR a day
• Commuter zones outside the city by Leap: Zone 2 about 3.90 EUR, Zone 3 about 6.00 EUR, Zone 4 about 7.50 EUR to the city centre
• Leap Visitor Card: 8 EUR for 24 hours, 18 EUR for 72 hours, 24 EUR for 7 days, valid on DART and commuter rail in the Dublin city zone
• Bank cards and phones cannot be tapped on Dublin trains yet. Contactless payment is planned from 2028

Where to buy tickets

• Irish Rail website and app for intercity and Belfast tickets (e-ticket on your phone)
• Ticket machines and counters at Connolly, Heuston, Pearse and other main stations
• Leap card on DART and commuter trains: tap on and off at the gates or validators
• Leap Visitor Card: Spar (Terminal 2) and WHSmith (Terminal 1) at Dublin Airport, Mullins Newsagent at Heuston, Tom Stanley at Connolly, or order online and have it posted
• On board: only if the station counter is closed and the machines are out of order, and then an Onboard Supplement may apply
• Without a valid ticket you pay a 100 EUR fixed penalty plus the fare. Fare evasion is an offence and a court fine of up to 1,000 EUR is possible

Good to know: Bring a Leap card for the DART and commuter trains. For Cork, Galway or Belfast, book online before you go, because tickets cost more at the station on the day.

Irish Rail (official site)

Direct trains from Dublin

• Drogheda: see irishrail.ie from Dublin Connolly, Irish Rail (Belfast and Dundalk line)
• Dundalk: see irishrail.ie from Dublin Connolly, Irish Rail (Belfast and Dundalk line)
• Kilkenny: see irishrail.ie from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail (Waterford line)
• Waterford: about 2 h 25 min from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail
• Kildare and Portlaoise: see irishrail.ie from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail (Cork and Limerick lines)
• Limerick: about 2 h 45 min from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail
• Cork: about 2 h 30 min to 2 h 50 min from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail
• Killarney and Tralee: about 4 h to Tralee from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail
• Athlone: see irishrail.ie from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail (Galway and Westport line)
• Galway: about 2 h 45 min from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail
• Westport and Ballina: see irishrail.ie from Dublin Heuston, Irish Rail
• Maynooth, Longford and M3 Parkway: see irishrail.ie from Dublin Connolly, Irish Rail (commuter line)
• Sligo: see irishrail.ie from Dublin Connolly, Irish Rail
• Bray, Greystones and Dun Laoghaire: see irishrail.ie from Pearse, Connolly, DART
• Wicklow, Wexford and Rosslare Europort: about 3 h to Rosslare from Dublin Connolly, Irish Rail
• Belfast (United Kingdom): about 2 h 10 min from Dublin Connolly, Enterprise (Irish Rail and Translink)

Trams and metro in Dublin

Luas is Dublin's tram system with two lines. The Red Line runs between the city centre and Tallaght and Saggart, with a branch to The Point. The Green Line runs through the city between Broombridge and Brides Glen. The DART rail line covers the coast.

Trams run from early morning until late at night, every few minutes at busy times. Check luas.ie for the first and last tram on your line.

Tickets and prices

• Leap fare: about 1.50 EUR short trip, 2.00 EUR for 90 minutes of travel
• Cash single from a stop machine: about 2.00 EUR for a short trip, 2.60 EUR for a longer one
• Leap daily cap 6.00 EUR across Luas, Dublin Bus and DART, weekly cap 24.00 EUR
• Leap Visitor Card: 8 EUR for 24 hours, 18 EUR for 72 hours, 24 EUR for 7 days
• Children under 5 travel free

Where to buy tickets

• Ticket machines at Luas stops (single and return tickets)
• Leap card or Leap Visitor Card: tap on at the platform validator before boarding
• Leap Top-Up app, or top up at Luas ticket machines
• Not sold on board. Buy or tap on at the stop
• Without a valid ticket you get a 100 EUR Standard Fare Notice, reduced to 45 EUR if you pay within 14 days

Good to know: Tap your Leap card on the platform reader before you board and tap off when you leave. If you forget, you can be fined.

Transport for Ireland: Luas fares (official site)

Dublin network

Dublin has no metro. Two Luas tram lines and the DART coast line cover the city. Buses fill the gaps.

• Luas Green Line: Broombridge to Brides Glen. Stops: O'Connell GPO (Main street), Dawson (Grafton Street), Trinity (College), St Stephen's Green (Park).
• Luas Red Line: The Point / Connolly to Tallaght / Saggart. Stops: Connolly (Trains, DART), Busáras (Bus station), Jervis (Shopping), Smithfield (Distillery), Heuston (Trains west).
• DART: Howth / Malahide to Greystones. Stops: Connolly (Trains, Luas), Tara Street (Centre), Pearse (Trinity), Dalkey (Coast), Howth (Fishing village).

Where lines meet: Connolly (Luas Red + DART + trains); Heuston (Luas Red + trains west).

Buses in Dublin

Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland run the city and suburban buses. Bus Eireann runs buses to other counties. Aircoach, Dublin Express and other coach companies run to the airport and to other cities.

City buses run from early morning until about midnight. Route 41 runs around the clock. Aircoach 700 to the airport runs 24 hours a day.

Tickets and prices

• Leap card: about 1.50 EUR short trip, 2.00 EUR long trip
• Cash: about 2.00 EUR short trip, 2.60 EUR long trip. Coins only, no notes and no change
• Leap 90 minute fare: about 2.00 EUR across bus, Luas and DART
• Leap daily cap: 6.00 EUR, weekly cap 24.00 EUR
• Leap Visitor Card: 8 EUR for 24 hours, 18 EUR for 72 hours, 24 EUR for 7 days (not valid on Bus Eireann)

Where to buy tickets

• Pay the driver in exact coins. Notes and bank cards are not accepted
• Leap card: tap the reader at the front of the bus every time you board
• Leap card from post offices, PostPoint shops and some Irish Rail ticket machines. A 5 EUR deposit and a 5 EUR minimum top-up apply
• Leap Top-Up app for topping up your card
• Without a valid ticket you pay a 100 EUR penalty, reduced to 50 EUR if paid within 21 days, plus the fare

Good to know: Cash is awkward because the driver cannot take notes or give change. A Leap card or Leap Visitor Card is much easier. Bank cards cannot be tapped on buses.

Dublin Bus (official site)

Airport links in Dublin

Dublin Airport (DUB) is about 10 km north of the centre. There is no train at the airport. Buses and coaches run to the centre, and the trip takes about 20 to 40 minutes depending on traffic.

Aircoach 700 runs 24 hours a day, up to every 15 minutes. Dublin Express runs from about 03:05 to 00:35. Airlink 747 runs up to every 10 minutes from 04:45 (06:30 on Sundays) to 00:30. Dublin Bus 41 runs through the night.

Tickets and prices

• Aircoach 700 to the city centre: from about 6 EUR one way and 8 EUR return when booked online
• Dublin Express: from about 9 EUR one way when booked online, fastest trip about 14 minutes
• Airlink 747: single and return fares are set by Dublin Bus. Leap card and Leap Visitor Card are accepted
• Dublin Bus 16, 19, 24 and 41: normal city fares, about 2.00 to 2.60 EUR in cash
• Taxi to the centre: about 30 to 45 EUR

Where to buy tickets

• Aircoach and Dublin Express: book online in advance for the best fare, or pay by contactless card on the coach
• Airlink 747: cash on board (exact fare, no cards), Leap card or Leap Visitor Card. Check fares at the Bus and Travel Information Desk in the Terminal 1 arrivals hall
• Dublin Bus routes: exact coins, Leap card or Leap Visitor Card. Follow signs to the Transport Zones after arrivals
• Leap Visitor Card: WHSmith in Terminal 1 and Spar in Terminal 2
• Taxis: rank outside arrivals

Good to know: The Leap Visitor Card is not accepted on Aircoach or Dublin Express. It does work on Dublin Bus routes such as 16, 41, 19 and 24 and on the Airlink 747.

Dublin Airport: bus services (official site)

Airport to city centre: full guide

Tips for Dublin

• A Leap card is the cheapest way to travel. Fares are capped at 6.00 EUR a day across bus, Luas and DART in the city.
• Tap on and off on Luas and DART. Bank cards cannot be tapped on Dublin public transport yet.
• Bus drivers do not take notes and give no change. Keep coins or use Leap.
• Connolly and Heuston are different stations on opposite sides of the city. Check which one your train leaves from.

Apps to download

• Leap Top-Up: Top up and manage your Leap card
• TFI Journey Planner: Routes and timetables for bus, Luas, DART and rail
• Irish Rail: Intercity and Belfast train times and tickets
• Google Maps: Route planning. Check times against the operator