How to get from Dublin Airport

How to get from Dublin airport

It can be tricky navigating transport from Dublin Airport arrivals. We have simplified the Dublin Airport to city centre journey into a few short steps, with a number of public and private bus routes, as well as a steady supply of taxis, available. Click here to view a short video on Dublin airport transport.

Dublin Bus / 30-50 minutes / €1 - €3

Dublin Bus is the city’s public bus operator, operating across most suburbs and some regional towns. The 16 and 41 routes run from Zone 15 outside Dublin Airport Terminal 1 (refer to the airport’s bus stop map).

The 16 bus travels through the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra to O’Connell Street in the city centre and on to Dublin’s southern suburbs. This route operates between 6am-11:30pm Monday to Saturday, and 8am-11:30pm on Sundays and Irish public holidays.

The 41 bus travels south through Drumcondra, finishing near O’Connell Street. This route runs 24 hours each day of the week, including weekends.

Payment can be made in coins (exact fare) to the bus driver or by purchasing pre-paid tickets using the TFI GO app. Unfortunately, bank cards and digital payment methods are not currently accepted. The standard one-way fare to the city centre from the airport is from €1. Dublin Airport to city centre journey times vary depending on traffic conditions but can take around 40 minutes.

Buses are low-floor accessible for wheelchair users via an onboard ramp that can be deployed. These buses have a limited capacity for luggage storage.

Aircoach / 30-40 minutes / €7

Aircoach operates several bus routes into Dublin city centre and on to suburbs in south Dublin. The Aircoach service has stops at Zone 2, Terminal 1 and Zone 20, Dublin Airport Terminal 2. Please refer to the airport bus stop map for more details.

The 700 bus route stops at city centre locations, including O’Connell Street and Trinity, and suburbs including Donnybrook and Stillorgan. 702 and 703 buses also go through the city, stopping at the 3 Arena and Grand Canal, and suburbs including Ballsbridge, Blackrock, and Dún Laoghaire, and on to regional towns such as Bray and Greystones.
The Aircoach service operates all year-round, except for Christmas Day. The 700 route operates 24 hours a day, with buses departing every 15 minutes at peak times. The 702 and 703 buses run between 3:30am-11:30pm. One-way fares differ depending on your stop, but a trip into the city centre will cost around €7, with stops closer to the end of the routes costing €15. Tickets can be purchased at the Aircoach departure points outside the airport terminals or from the bus driver using a bank card, Apple / Google Pay, or cash. However, we recommend pre-booking your ticket online. Journey time will depend on traffic congestion, but it is usually 30 minutes to the city centre and around one hour to destinations close to the end of the route.

Dublin Express / 15-30 minutes / €8

Dublin Express operates premium coaches between Dublin Airport and more than 15 stops in the city centre, including iconic spots such as Temple Bar, Trinity College, and O’Connell Street, and transport hubs such as Heuston train station. The Dublin Express buses run from Zone 1 outside Terminal 1 and Zone 21 outside Terminal 2 (check out Dublin Airport arrivals bus stop map), and each coach includes free customer Wi-Fi, USB charging points, and an onboard toilet.
Buses operate between 4am-12:30am, seven days a week. The standard one-way fare to the city centre is €8. You can purchase tickets at terminal bus stops using bank card or Apple / Google Pay (cash is not accepted), but we recommend pre-booking your ticket online. The journey time will depend on traffic conditions and other travel factors, but it is usually 30 minutes to the city centre.

Taxi / 20-30 minutes / €20-€40

One of the simplest ways to make the Dublin Airport to city centre journey is by taxi. To get a taxi from Dublin Airport, follow the signs from inside Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to the official Dublin taxi ranks outside each building. A dispatcher is available at taxi ranks if you require any assistance. All licensed taxis are obliged to display passenger rights and fare calculations on the taxi meter in the front and back of the vehicle. Driver identification cards must also be in clear view of passengers.
While taxi fare rates vary depending on the day, time, route taken, traffic congestion and other factors, here are a few approximate fares:

Bus Áras central station, €15-€25
Connolly train station, €20-€30
O’Connell Street, €20-€30
Trinity College, €25-€35
Heuston train station, €30-€40

When you arrive at Dublin Airport Terminal 1 or 2, you may notice that ride-share apps such as Uber, Lyft, and Via don’t operate as normal. This is because taxi services are heavily regulated in Ireland, so ride-sharing apps are used to book standard taxis. These vehicles operate under the same fare structure as licensed Dublin taxis found on the street. The app FreeNow is one of the more commonly used apps, so we recommend downloading that if you want to pre-book a taxi.