Dublin is a small city pretending to be a big one.
The centre is walkable, and most visitors could see the main sights without ever taking public transport. But it rains, and the Phoenix Park is enormous, and Howth is on the sea, so here’s how the system works.
Walking
From Trinity College to Christ Church is about 10 minutes. From O’Connell Bridge to St Stephen’s Green is about 15. The Guinness Storehouse is 20 minutes from College Green. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a waterproof, and you’ll see far more on foot than from a bus. And read our guide to crossing O’Connell Street first.
Leap cards: the key to everything
A TFI Leap Card is a reusable prepaid travel card for buses, Luas, DART and trains. It’s cheaper than cash, and fares are capped: an adult in Dublin’s Zone 1 pays no more than €6 a day, however much you travel. Buy one in newsagents with the Leap sign, or at the airport.
The Leap Visitor Card gives unlimited travel on Dublin Bus, Luas, DART and commuter rail in the Dublin area, including the airport buses, for a fixed period. It’s sold in 24-hour, 72-hour and 7-day versions, and it starts the first time you use it. If you’re doing a lot of travel, especially out to Howth or Malahide, it can save money. If you’re mostly walking, the ordinary Leap card with its daily cap is enough.
The Luas (trams)
Two tram lines:
- Red Line, east–west along the north quays: Docklands, Abbey Street, Jervis, Four Courts, Smithfield (for Jameson), Museum (for Collins Barracks), Heuston Station, James’s (for the Guinness Storehouse), and Suir Road (for Kilmainham Gaol).
- Green Line, north–south through the centre: Broombridge, Parnell, O’Connell–GPO, Westmoreland, Trinity, St Stephen’s Green, then south to the suburbs.
Tap your Leap card on the platform before boarding and tap off when you get off. And please read the Luas will humiliate you before your first trip.
The DART (coastal trains)
The DART runs along Dublin Bay from Howth and Malahide in the north to Bray and Greystones in the south. City stations include Connolly, Tara Street and Pearse. It’s the best way to reach Howth, Malahide, Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, all covered in our guide to day trips from Dublin.
Buses
Dublin’s buses go everywhere the trams and trains don’t. Use the TFI Live app to plan trips and see real-time arrivals. Tap your Leap card on boarding. If you pay cash, have coins ready. And be patient at the stop: the real-time display is a guide, not a promise.
Hop-on hop-off buses are a separate thing: tourist buses that loop around the main sights with commentary. They stop right outside the Guinness Storehouse and near Kilmainham, and they’re useful if walking is hard for you.
Bikes
Dublin has bike-share schemes with docking stations around the city centre, plus app-based bikes and scooters. The city centre is flat, and there are cycle lanes along the canals and the quays. The Phoenix Park is a great place to cycle, and there’s bike hire near the main gate.
Wear a helmet, use lights, and remember that buses have right of way whether the law agrees or not.
Taxis
Taxis are metered and regulated, and you can hail them on the street, find them at ranks, or book them through an app. There’s a rank outside most big hotels and at the airport.
Car hire
You don’t need a car in Dublin itself. Parking is expensive, the one-way system is a test of character, and the city centre is better on foot. Hire a car only for day trips further out, ideally picking it up at the airport on the way out of town, so you never have to drive in the centre.
Remember: Ireland drives on the left. Most hire cars are manual unless you book an automatic, and the M50 ring road has a barrier-free toll that you pay online by 8pm the next day.
Trains to the rest of Ireland
Irish Rail intercity trains leave from Heuston (for Cork, Galway, Limerick, Kerry) and Connolly (for Belfast, Sligo and the south-east coast). The Luas Red Line connects the two stations.
Ferries
Ferries from Britain arrive at Dublin Port, east of the Docklands, and coaches and taxis run into the centre. Check the ferry operator for the latest routes and timetables.
Coming from the airport?
See our separate guide: Dublin Airport to the city centre.
More in our guide to things to do in Dublin.