Dublin Airport has a large number of car hire companies and bus routes.

The cheapest buses to the city centre are numbers 16 and 41, whilst Dublin Express and Aircoach offer faster services with fewer stops. All services go to Dublin city centre.

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Car hire

For many travellers, Dublin Airport is the gateway to exploring the whole of Ireland. Hire a car straight at the airport and set off to explore the enchanting Irish countryside.

Prices for a week’s hire in summer range from 300 eur, and in the off-season from 190 eur. There are dozens of different car hire companies operating at the airport.

• Compare prices and book a car

Comparison of transport options to Dublin city centre

Stops for express and long-distance public transport can be found in the communal area in front of Terminals 1 and 2.

Stops for local buses and cheaper services to Dublin city centre are located behind the multi-storey car park, which is connected to the city centre via a pedestrian walkway.

	Price	Journey time	Frequency	Operating hours	Link
Bus 16	2,60 eur 2 eur with Leap Card	45 minutes	10 minutes	7.00 am–12.30 am	dublinbus.ie
Bus 41	2,60 eur 2 eur with a Leap Card	45 minutes	20 minutes	24/7	dublinbus.ie
Dublin Express 782	8 eur 10 eur return	30–35 minutes	15 minutes	3.30 am–0.35 am	terravision.eu
Dublin Express 784	8 eur 10 eur return	30–35 minutes	30 minutes	4:00–22:50	terravision.eu
Aircoach 700	7 eur 9 eur return	35 minutes	30 minutes	2:20–1:20	aircoach.ie

Buses 16 and 41 to Dublin

Buses on routes 16 and 41 are the cheapest way to get to the city centre.

• Timetable for route 16
• Timetable for route 41

A single ticket costs 2,60 eur; if you use a LEAP Card, you’ll pay just 2 eur. You can buy single tickets at Wrights Food Fayre on the way from the terminal to the bus stops, from the ticket machine at the bus stop (card payments accepted) or from the driver (exact cash only).

Bus number 16 runs from approximately 7.00 am to 12.30 am, whilst bus number 41 runs 24 hours a day.

The stop for routes 16 and 41 is just past the passageway under the car parks and is located roughly 200 metres from both terminals. Current fares and timetables can be found on the official website:dublinbus.ie.

Leap Card

If you’ll be travelling around Dublin frequently, it’s definitely worth buying a Leap Card. You can find detailed information on the websiteleapcard.ie.

Where can you buy a Leap Card at the airport?

• Wright Food Fayre in the passageway through the car park (open 24/7)
• Spar supermarket in the arrivals hall of Terminal 2 (open 06:00–22:00)

You’ll pay a deposit of 5 eur, which will be refunded when you return the card. You must top up your Leap Card with a minimum credit of5 eur(at any of the sales points, via the mobile app, or at ticket machines in railway stations or at tram stops). The fare is then deducted when you tap the card on the reader on the bus or any other form of transport. When travelling by bus, you only need to tap the card when boarding. You do not need to tap it again when alighting.

For example, a journey to Dublin city centre on buses 16 and 41 costs 2 eur with a Leap Card.

A more convenient alternative to the standard Leap Card isthe Leap Visitor Card. The card is available in the following denominations:

• 24 hours for 8 eur
• 72 hours for 16 eur
• 168 hours for 32 eur

Dublin Express buses

Dublin Express is the fastest way to get to the city centre. Buses run every 30 minutes from 4.45 am to 11.30 pm. The journey to the city centre takes just under half an hour.

You can buy a ticket online at Terravision.eu. A one-way ticket costs 8 eur, whilst a return ticket comes with a significant discount at 10 eur. If you miss your connection, you can take the next available service.

Buses run on two routes, 782 and 784, to Dublin city centre. When booking online at terravision.eu, you do not need to specify a particular stop – simply select “Dublin City Centre” – and you can take any service from any stop.

The locations of all stops are shown on theDublinexpress website. You can also find the bus route on the map below.

• Journey time: 25–30 minutes
• Frequency: every 15–20 minutes on route 782, and every 30 minutes on route 784
• Fare: 8 eur one-way / 10 eur return
• Online booking:terravision.eu

Aircoach buses

Aircoach express buses run to Dublin city centre on route 700. The journey time to the city centre at O’Connell Bridge is approximately 30–35 minutes, and buses run at 30-minute intervals from around 2.00 am to 1.25 am.

A single ticket costs 7 eur, whilst a return ticket costs 9 eur.

Official information and online ticket purchases:aircoach.ie

Taxis to Dublin city centre

There are always plenty of taxis available at the airport at any time of day or night. You can also use Uber or Bolt, although these can be more expensive than a taxi, particularly during peak times (early in the morning heading to the airport and late in the evening heading into the city centre).

The fare is calculated based on distance, but also takes into account time spent in traffic or at traffic lights, so it is not possible to determine the exact amount in advance.

Generally, a journey to Dublin city centre (O’Connell Street) during the day costs around 33 eur. At night, on Sundays and on public holidays, the fare is approximately 45 eur.

Buses to other Irish cities

Bus services operated by numerous companies run directly from the airport, with no changes required, to destinations literally all over Ireland.

You can find a single timetable on the search engine:transportforireland.ie. However, you must buy tickets online via the websites of the individual operators:Bus Éireann,Go Bus,Aircoach,Dublin Coach,CityLink,John McGinley.

• Belfast: from 14 eur, the journey takes 2 hours; the route is operated byAircoach and Translink
• Cork: from20 eur, the journey takes 3.5 hours; you’ll travel withAircoach andGo Bus
• Limerick: from25 eur, the journey takes 2.5 hours; you’ll travel withCityLink
• Galway: from 21 eur , the journey takes 2.5 hours; you’ll travel withCityLink andAircoach
• Derry/Londonderry: from 25 eur, the journey takes 3.5 hours; you’ll travel withAircoach and Translink
• Sligo: from25 eur, the journey takes 3 hours; you’ll travel withBus Éireann

And dozens more smaller towns across the island – see the full list of routes on the airport’s website.