Most visitors will probably arrive at Dublin International Airport ( DUB ). Located about 10km (6 miles) north of the centre, the airport is struggling to keep up with the huge increase in air traffic over recent years and the single terminal can be really chaotic at times.
Getting from airport to accommodation can be a hassle if you have not done some research. No rail link, so the options are taxi, [hire car] or bus. A taxi to the city cost €22 - €35 depending on the time of day, traffic, destination etc. Taxi drivers are (largely) helpful, entertaining and informative.
Aircoach operate two routes to the city centre. First stop is O'Connell St. then going to the suburbs via a great many hotels. The combined frequency is every 10 minutes. Fare is €7.00 one-way. €12 return
The Patton Flyer operates one route: Airport Ailesbury Rd- Blackrock -Monkstown-Dun Laoghaire-Glasthule -Dalkey Its stop is on the far side of the short-term car park It leaves every hour from 5 am to midnight from the Airport and 4 am to 11 pm from Dalkey It operates via the East Link Toll Bridge & Dublin Port Tunnel. Travel time to Dalkey is approximately one hour. A one-way ticket is €7 or €12 for return.
Airlink Dublin Bus operates two 'express' routes Route 747 to and from Dublin Airport via Central Bus Station and Connolly Rail Station. Route 748 to and from Dublin Airport via Heuston Rail Station, Connolly Rail Station and Central Bus Station They have a combined frequency of about 10/15minutes 748 serves Heuston railway station for trains South and West. Both routes charge €6.00 one-way. From Heuston station a return ticket can be purchased at a cost of €9.00 from the newsagents inside the train station but not on the bus for some unknown reason.
You can buy one-day travel cards in the arrivals hall for €6.00, valid on 747/748 and all Dublin Bus routes for the whole day.
Dublin Bus also operates several local services which are considerably cheaper than the express buses. Most useful of these for visitors is probably route 16A which traverses the city from north to south. Another useful route is the 41 which terminates at Abbey Street in the city centre beside the LUAS red line. The 230 links the airport to some northern suburbs, including Malahide which is on the DART rail system. This is useful if your destination is close to a suburban DART station. On regular buses the fare can be paid in coins only - notes are not accepted. If you put more in the farebox you will receive a refund receipt, not cash.
For details of reaching many hotels from the airport by public transport, see the Inside Dublin page From Dublin Airport To Your Hotel.
For visitors arriving at Dublin airport but heading further afield, there are several long-distance bus services direct from the airport. Aircoach offers services to Belfast, Bus Eireann operate services to Belfast, J.J. Kavanagh & Sons operate 2 routes to Waterford and Limerick, and Citylink and Bus Nestor operate to Galway. For more details, see the Dublin Airport site. Many other destinations in Ireland can be reached either by taking the 747/748 bus and changing at Bus Aras or Connolly or Heuston rail stations.
If you travel by ferry from Britain you will end up at either Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire. The former lies about 3km (2 miles) east of the city centre, the latter is a suburban town about 11km (7 miles) south of the centre.
For additional information on getting around Dublin, please see TripAdvisor's other traveler article: Getting Around.
