In this guide
💡 The Short Version: There is no train to Dublin Airport. Dublin Express and Aircoach both cost under €10 each way online and stop in the city centre; Aircoach 700 and 700X run 24 hours, as often as every 15 minutes. Dublin Bus 16, 19, 24 and 41 also serve the airport, the 41 round the clock, and the driver takes coins only: no notes, no cards, no change. A taxi runs on the national metered tariff from the rank outside each terminal. The Leap Visitor Card is valid on Dublin Bus, not on the two coaches. Arriving by ferry from Holyhead: Dublin Port is 6 km east of the centre, and from 28 September 2026 every passenger needs a passport. Or pre-book: the Dublin Express ticket with a 24- or 48-hour hop-on hop-off ticketad is €39 (GetYourGuide).
The airport to the centre, compared
Coaches and buses leave from bus zones outside Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Dublin Airport’s bus page has the zone maps.
Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport, seen from a car park. Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Option | Where it goes | Fare | Hours and frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin Express (routes 782, 784, 783) | Trinity College, Aston Quay, Wellington Quay, George’s Quay, Custom House Quay, Heuston Station, Arran Quay, Usher’s Quay and Merchant’s Quay, and North Wall Quay | Under €10 each way online | First coach 03:05, last 00:35 from the airport | The operator gives 14 minutes as its fastest journey |
| Aircoach 700 and 700X | Drumcondra, O’Connell Street, O’Connell Bridge and, on the 700, Kildare Street and Leeson Street Lower | Under €10 each way online | 24 hours a day, up to every 15 minutes | Every day except Christmas Day; 20 to 40 minutes |
| Dublin Bus 16, 19, 24 and 41 | The 19 and 24 go to Merrion Square; the 16 to Ballinteer; the 41 to Lower Abbey Street | €2.60 cash in coins; €2.00 with Leap | The 41 runs round the clock; the 16 about every 10 to 15 minutes | The driver gives no change |
| Taxi | Rank outside each terminal | The national tariff, below | Metered |
Dublin Express
Dublin Express leaves from airport zones 1 and 21 and runs three routes. Routes 782 and 784 call at more than 15 stops in the centre, among them Trinity College on College Green for Temple Bar, Aston Quay for O’Connell Bridge, Wellington Quay for Dublin Castle, George’s Quay for Tara Street Station, Custom House Quay for Connolly Station, Heuston Station, Arran Quay for Smithfield and the Jameson Distillery, and Merchant’s Quay for the Guinness Storehouse and Christ Church Cathedral. Route 783 serves Portobello, Harcourt Street, Ranelagh, Rathmines, Rathgar and Terenure. A child aged 3 to 15 pays €3.50 single or €5 return online, and infants travel free. The coach does not accept Leap Cards or the Free Travel Pass, drivers take cards only, and a ticket bought from the driver is subject to availability. An online ticket is valid for 12 hours either side of the booked time on standby (dublinexpress.ie).
Aircoach
Aircoach stops at Terminal 1 Zone 2 and Terminal 2 Zone 20. The 700 goes on beyond the centre to Leopardstown, and the 700X stops at Drumcondra, O’Connell Street and O’Connell Bridge only. The 702 runs the other way, to the 3Arena, Grand Canal Dock, Ballsbridge, Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey. Contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted on the Dublin routes. Free Travel Pass holders travel free, and Young Adult and Student Leap Cards get 50 per cent off online (aircoach.ie). Irish Rail sells a “Train to Plane” ticket that joins a train journey to Drumcondra or Pearse station to the Aircoach.
An Aircoach coach at Dublin Airport. Photo: CAPTAIN RAJU, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Dublin Bus
Four Dublin Bus routes run from the airport: the 16 to Ballinteer about every 10 to 15 minutes, the 19 and 24 to Merrion Square, with the 24 via Glasnevin and Phibsborough, and the 41 between Swords and Lower Abbey Street, which runs round the clock. The cash fare is €2.60 in coins, and a Leap card pays the 90 Minute Fare of €2.00. A Leap Visitor Card, from WHSmith in Terminal 1 for the 24-hour card and the Spar in Terminal 2, is valid on these four routes. Leap card and Dublin public transport has the fares and the card sums.
Taxis
Metered · the national maximum fare · pre-booking adds €3
The rank is outside each terminal. TFI publishes the national maximum fare, and no airport flat fare is set. The standard and special rates are below; the premium rate (meter 2) for other hours is on TFI’s taxi fares page, which also has a fare estimator.
| Rate | When | Initial charge | Then, per km or per minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (meter shows 1) | 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, not public holidays | €4.40 for up to 500 m or 85 seconds | €1.32 per km or €0.47 per minute up to a total of €23.60; after that €1.72 per km or €0.61 per minute |
| Special (meter shows 3) | 00:00 to 04:00 Saturday and Sunday; Christmas Eve 20:00 to St Stephen’s Day 08:00; New Year’s Eve 20:00 to New Year’s Day 08:00 | €5.40 | €2.20 per km or €0.78 per minute |
A pre-booked taxi carries an extra €3. The driver must give a printed receipt.
Tickets that save a change
- Train to Plane. One Irish Rail ticket from Drumcondra or Pearse station to the Aircoach.
- Heuston and the coach. Dublin Express sells a connecting bus ticket from Heuston Station, bought through Irish Rail at least a day ahead.
- A private car. Dublin: DUB Airport Private Transfer to/from Dublin Cityad is from €32.15 for 1 hour (215 reviews).
- A transfer with a bus ticket. The Dublin Express ticket with a hop-on hop-off ticketad is €39 (319 reviews), and the DoDublin Freedom Cardad is €55 for 72 hours of public transport and a 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket (238 reviews). The hop-on hop-off options are compared on the hop-on hop-off bus page.
Arriving by ferry from Holyhead
Stena Line and Irish Ferries both sail from Holyhead to Dublin Port. Stena Line’s terminal, Terminal 2 on Alexandra Road, is open from 05:30 to 02:30, and it sails to Holyhead eight times a day on a crossing of 3 hours 30 minutes, with foot passengers checking in at least about 40 minutes before departure. Irish Ferries’ Dublin Ferryport is 2 miles from the centre.
- From the port to the centre. There is no train to Dublin Port. Nolan Coaches runs an express bus for every sailing, 30 to 35 minutes to Heuston Station via Connolly Station, George’s Quay and Aston Quay: €3 to the stops before Heuston and €4.50 to Heuston, and infants aged 0 to 3 free. Irish Ferries also lists a regular bus, route 53 from Talbot Street, and an express bus transfer seven days a week. The Luas Red Line stop The Point is a 40-minute walk from Stena Line’s terminal, and taxis wait outside.
- The passport rule. From 28 September 2026 Irish Ferries and Stena Line require every passenger on an Ireland to Britain crossing to show a valid passport at check-in, in both directions, and that includes Irish and UK citizens. Irish Ferries also accepts an Irish passport card. Driving licences and national identity cards no longer work. Irish Ferries adds that a passenger who needs a UK ETA and lacks one may not be allowed to board.
- Flights from Britain. Aer Lingus has asked for a passport or an Irish passport card on every Ireland to UK flight since 25 February 2026.
Which to take
- After midnight: Aircoach 700 or 700X, or Dublin Bus 41.
- To Heuston, Connolly, Temple Bar or Smithfield: Dublin Express, which has the most stops in the centre.
- With a Leap card or a Leap Visitor Card: Dublin Bus 16, 19, 24 or 41.
- With luggage or a group: a taxi from the rank.
- To Belfast: Dublin Express 785 and Aircoach 705X start from the airport; see Belfast from Dublin.
What to book before you go to Dublin lists the sights that need tickets and has the entry rules for Ireland, where to stay in Dublin compares the areas, and the day trips from Dublin leave from the centre. 3 days in Dublin shows what to do with the first afternoon, and Temple Bar is a stop on Dublin Express.
Common questions
How do I get from Dublin Airport to the city centre?
By coach or bus; there is no train. Dublin Express and Aircoach both cost under €10 each way online and stop in the centre. Dublin Bus routes 16, 19, 24 and 41 serve the airport, and a taxi runs on the national metered tariff from the rank outside each terminal.
Does the Aircoach run all night?
Yes. The Aircoach 700 and 700X run 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day, as often as every 15 minutes, from Terminal 1 Zone 2 and Terminal 2 Zone 20 to O'Connell Street, O'Connell Bridge and Kildare Street.
Can I pay cash on Dublin Bus from the airport?
Only in coins. Drivers cannot take notes, bank cards or tap-to-pay, and they give no change. The adult cash fare from the airport is €2.60. A Leap card pays the 90 Minute Fare of €2.00.
Do Dublin Express and Aircoach accept a Leap card?
No. Dublin Express does not accept Leap Cards or the Free Travel Pass on board, and the Leap Visitor Card is not valid on either private coach. It is valid on Dublin Bus routes 16, 19, 24 and 41.
What do I need for the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin?
A valid passport. From 28 September 2026 Irish Ferries and Stena Line require every passenger, Irish and UK citizens included, to show one. Irish Ferries also accepts an Irish passport card, and driving licences no longer work.
