How to Get to and From the Dublin Airport
You’ve landed in Dublin! Now what? If you’re like me, you’ve waited until this moment to figure out how to get to where you’re going. If you’re more prepared, you already know what you’re doing.
My suggestion is to land with a plan, and I am going to help you figure out what that plan is. Since I obviously don’t know where you’re staying these options will be purely to get into the city centre. If you aren’t staying in the city centre, getting there will at least help you easily get to the next leg of your journey.
There are 3 main ways to get from Dublin Airport to Dublin city centre. Once you exit the airport you will be bombarded with different options to get to the city. Depending on your personal travel style, the time you arrive, and your budget, there is an option for you.
TAXI
Taking a taxi is the most expensive way to get to the city centre, but it also the easiest. The average cost is around €25.
When you land in Dublin there is a taxi rank outside, and you must join the queue to get a taxi. You cannot pre-order a taxi to the airport through MyTaxi, the taxi app that basically everyone in Dublin uses. Joining this queue is your only option. I would say 98% of these taxis do not have a card reader so you will need to have cash ready to pay. There are plenty of ATM’s in the airport to get money out before joining the taxi queue. You will also need to note that taxis charge extra per person. This rate depends on what time of day it is. UPDATE JULY 2019: MyTaxi is now called FREE NOW.
If you decide to take a taxi back to the airport you can use the MyTaxi app to schedule pick up up to 4 days in advance. Ireland doesn’t really use Uber so MyTaxi will be your best bet. You can pay with a card through the app, so you don’t have to worry about having cash on you again. You can also hail a cab on the side of the road. Choice is up to you but have your cash ready if you choose to go this route.
I only recently discovered Airport Taxi Dublin which offers fixed fares to and from Dublin Airport to all over town. The fixed fare to city centre (Zone 2 per their website) starts at €24. If you are using this service on a bank holiday (check here for a list of all bank holidays in Ireland for 2019), fixed fares do not apply. You can book the service online. I have never used this service myself so I cannot speak for or against it, but it seems like an affordable way to reserve and pay for a taxi. It isn’t clear on their website if they accept cards so maybe have cash with you to be safe.
COACH SERVICE – AIRCOACH
Aircoach is Ireland's leading private bus and coach operator. Aircoach provides a range of frequent and scheduled coach services to and from Dublin City Centre and Dublin Airport. Route 700 will get you from Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre. They have many routes, going to many different places so always ask the ticket salesman if you are unsure. The bus driver will also check your ticket before allowing you on.
You can book online, or you can buy a ticket from the stall. If you book online the price is slightly lower and you’re guaranteed a seat on the bus. A single ticket from Dublin Airport to O’Connell Street (city centre) for an adult is €6 and €11.50 for a return ticket. If you buy your ticket from the stall for the same route it will cost you €7 for a single journey and €12 for a return ticket.
The timetable (24 hours) for the Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre can be found below:
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The Airlink Express (Route 747 or 757) is another option to get from Dublin Airport to Dublin city centre. Airlink prepaid tickets can be bought at the Bus and Travel Information desk. I find this to be the easiest option when we have done this in the past. They can also be bought directly from the driver and from the vending machines located at the bus departure points on the arrivals road.
The timetable for the routes begins at 4:45am and runs until 12:30am so you should pretty much always be covered in terms of when you land. A single adult ticket is €6, and a return ticket is €11. Airlink tickets are valid for three months from date of purchase if bought online or when first validated with a prepaid ticket.
Airport:
Terminal 1
- Bus and Travel Information Desk, Arrivals Hall.
- Vending machines located at the Airlink Bus Stop.
- Spar Shop
Terminal 2
- Spar Shop
City Centre:
- Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O’ Connell Street.
Dublin Bus also offers many routes to get to city centre including the 16 to Ballinteer, the 41 to Lower Abbey Street and the 102 to Sutton Station. I personally have taken the 16 to the city centre from Dublin Airport and would caution you to take a taxi or one of the buses with specific routes to and from the airport. Yes, this is the absolute cheapest way to get to the city centre, but it is not worth it. This is a regular bus service so it isn’t suited for suitcases and it will not be as efficient in getting you to the city centre. If you are really pinching pennies and want to see some of suburban Dublin then sure, take it but don’t say I didn’t tell you so! For the 16 the fee is a cash fare of €3.30. Please be aware that you must have the exact fare and only coins are accepted.
If you are ever unsure about anything, just ask somebody! The Irish are extremely friendly, and someone will help to point you in the right direction. And of course, have fun in Dublin!
CURRENT AS OF: March 2019
*thumbnail image not original to Candid Alexandra. Stock image from Typorama.
Author’s Note: This post was originally published on my old blog in March 2019.