Transportation in Dublin

There are several methods of transportation in Dublin, but generally public transit is expensive and mostly inefficient.

You can travel by bus, Luas, DART or Dublin bike. Below I detail each of these.

Dublin Bus

When we first arrived in Dublin we were afraid of the bus, since there was no clear explanation of how it works, where it goes, how much to pay etc. Since then, the Dublin Bus website has improved dramatically, but yet could still use some more improvement.

Dublin busses generally go in routes that extend in radials from the city centre. Therefore, for example, if you wanted to get from point A, which is 5 km south of the centre to point B which is 3 km south-west of the centre, you are forced to go through the city centre, even though the direct route is faster.

The cost of travelling depends on how far you want to go. The fares are broken into several stages. If you are unsure, ask the driver and have the change ready. Dublin bus only accepts coins and does not give change. You deposit the money into the box by the driver and the driver gives you a ticket. If you overpay because you do not have an exact amount, the driver will give you an extra ticket with the amount you overpaid. You cannot reuse those overpayment tickets, but you can claim them back at the bus terminal near the Connoly Station on the North Side.

Luas

Luas is a light rail tram that goes along the two branches, one on the South Side, the other mostly on the North Side. The two branches do not intersect, much to the chagrin of the locals. The south branch goes pretty far south so it is ideal for some treks into the country. If you want to go further, I recommend the DART.

The north branch goes from the Point near the Dublin Port, where O2 is located (O2 is the place where most of the concerts and events are held) all the way to …..

Luas goes pretty often and the times until the next train are displayed on each stop. The payment machines are handy and will accept coins and notes and will give change, unlike Dublin Bus.

DART

DART is the Dublin version of the subway, which goes above ground. DART goes mostly along the coast and through city centre, all the way to the suburbs on the North and South sides. Commuter trains that go farther in to the country go along the same tracks. Buying a ticket is easy via ticket machines that are similar to those of Luas. The map is not very clear, since it does not overlay the city map, so if you are in doubt you can always ask the ticket agent.

Dublin Bikes

Dublin bikes are ideal when moving around in the city centre. All you have to do is go to their website and apply. After you pay a 10 Euro deposit with your credit card they will send you a membership card, which you will use to take out a bike. Alternatively, you can use your credit card at the bike station (most of them accept it) as a deposit.

Dublin Bikes are free for the first half an hour, which is enough to cross the whole city on a bike, so unless you plan on going longer distances, you will never have to pay for the bikes.

Beware that Dublin Bike stations are not available everywhere, so check out the map on their website.

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