Several buses link the DART stations. An acronym for Dublin Area Rapid Transit, the electric DART trains travel above ground, linking the city center stations at Connolly Station, Tara Street, and Pearse Street with suburbs and seaside communities. Service operates roughly every 10 to 20 minutes Monday to Saturday from around 5:30am to 12:00am (midnight) and Sunday from 9:30am to 11:30pm. Individual fares begin at €3.30 (€2.40 when using your Leap Card). Tickets can be bought at stations, but it`s also possible to buy weekly rail tickets, as well as weekly or monthly rail-and-bus tickets, from the Irish Rail Travel Centre. For further information, contact DART, Dublin Pearse Station (tel. 01/703-3592).

It can be difficult to hail a taxi on the street; instead, they line up at taxi stands called `ranks`. Taxi ranks are located outside major hotels, at bus and train stations, and on major thoroughfares such as Upper O`Connell Street, College Green and the north side of St. Stephen`s Green. The initial charge is €3.60 (reduced in 2018 from the former €4.10), with an additional charge of about €1.10 per kilometer afterwards (€1.45 for trips longer than 15 km). The fare is displayed on a meter (make sure it`s turned on). You may want to phone a taxi company to meet you at your hotel, but this may cost up to €2 extra. Each extra passenger costs €1, but there is no charge for luggage. To call a cab try Co-Op (tel. 01/677-7777), Trinity (tel. 01/708-2222), and VIP Taxis (which can be summoned by downloading the VIP Taxis app).

Please Note: Although the taxi fleet in Dublin is large, the cabs are not standard, and some cars are neither large nor in good condition. And not all cabs are equipped to accept credit cards so make sure you ask BEFORE you get in.

Unless absolutely necessary, we suggest that you don`t drive in Dublin! The city`s roads are crowded and confusing with heavy traffic, one way streets and bad signage being common problems. Gasoline is also expensive at around €2 a liter. If you have a car, leave it behind at your hotel or as close as you can get as parking is notoriously difficult. If you are planning on taking any day trips or touring the Irish countryside then we suggest you pick up your rental car as you depart the city to avoid excessive rental/parking expenses.

In December 2011, Transport for Ireland introduced the Leap Card, a contactless smart card meant to streamline transport options for locals and tourists. The Leap Card costs €5, and that deposit can be fully refunded. A minimum balance of €5 is also required. Luas, DART, Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus all accept Leap Cards, as do select Bus Éireann routes. Fares are discounted an average of 30% when using the Leap Card. For more information on the Leap Card, including where to purchase them, visit www.transportforireland.ie/faq/leap-card.

Visitors will be arriving by air at Dublin Airport (IATA code DUB), located approximately 6 miles north of the city center. If you have not booked a private transfer with us then you have a few options. Aircoach shuttle bus service runs from the airport to the city center 24 hours a day for €7 one way and €12 roundtrip. You buy your ticket from the driver and the service stops at major hotels. For more information, visit www.aircoach.ie.

If you need to connect with the Irish bus or rail service, Dublin Bus`s Airlink Express provides express coach services from the airport into central Dublin and beyond. Buses go to the city`s central bus station, Busáras, on Store Street and on to Connolly and Heuston railway stations. Service runs daily from 4:45am until 12:30am, with departures every 10 to 20 minutes. One way fare is €6 for adults and roundtrip is €11.

For speed and convenience, a taxi is the best way to get directly to your hotel. A line of taxis waits outside the arrivals gate; the fare for the 30 minute journey to most of the main city center hotels is between €20 and €35, depending on your destination. Ask about the fare before leaving the airport and note that a tip of a couple of euro is standard.

Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) runs intercity trains connecting Dublin with the rest of Ireland. Connolly Station provides train service to and from the East Coast, Belfast, the North, and the Northwest. Heuston Station is the place for trains to and from the South and West including Galway, Limerick and Cork. Trains also run from here to Kildare Town, Maynooth and other stops west of Dublin.

A regular bus route (Route 90) connects the two main railway stations, Connolly and Heuston. Additionally, the Luas Red Line services both stations. There is a DART train link at Connolly Station and a taxi rank located at the side entrance of Heuston station.

Irish Ferries runs a regular high speed car and passenger service into Dublin port from Holyhead and Pembroke in Wales. Stena Line has services to both Dublin and nearby Dun Laoghaire port from Holyhead. Taxis are available to take you into town from both ports or you can take DART or a bus to the city center.

Buses are the easiest way to get around the city. Dublin Bus operates a fleet of double-deckers, single-deckers, and minibuses (called `imps`). Bus stops are located every few blocks on main thoroughfares. Buses heading to the city center indicate that with the Irish phrase `An Lar`. Inner-city fares are based on distances traveled. Fares begin at €2.15 and are paid on board the bus. (The fare is €1.55 when using your Leap Card.)

Please Note: No Dublin bus accepts notes or gives change so be sure to have the correct coins. The sole exception to this rule is Airlink Express Route 747, which runs between the airport and the city center. It accepts notes and gives change.

Bus service operates daily starting at 5:00am (9:00am on Sunday) to midnight. On Friday and Saturday nights, Nitelink service runs from the city center to the suburbs from midnight to 4:00am at a cost of €6.60 (€4.50 on your Leap Card). Buses run about every 30 minutes; schedules are posted on revolving sign boards at bus stops.

Several buses link the DART stations. An acronym for Dublin Area Rapid Transit, the electric DART trains travel above ground, linking the city center stations at Connolly Station, Tara Street, and Pearse Street with suburbs and seaside communities. Service operates roughly every 10 to 20 minutes Monday to Saturday from around 5:30am to 12:00am (midnight) and Sunday from 9:30am to 11:30pm. Individual fares begin at €3.30 (€2.40 when using your Leap Card). Tickets can be bought at stations, but it`s also possible to buy weekly rail tickets, as well as weekly or monthly rail-and-bus tickets, from the Irish Rail Travel Centre. For further information, contact DART, Dublin Pearse Station (tel. 01/703-3592).

The sleek, modern (and wheelchair accessible) light rail tram system, known as Luas, runs from around 5:30am to 12:30am Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 12:30 am on Saturday, and 7:00am to 11:00pm on Sunday. There are two lines, Red and Green, facilitating easy access to sights like the Guinness Storehouse (James Street Stop), O`Connell Street (the Northside Abbey Street stop), and St. Stephen`s Green. They run every 7 to 10 minutes at peak times and every 15 to 20 minutes after that. Fares range from €2.10 to €3.20 according to the number of zones traveled. (That price range is reduced to €1.54-€2.40 for Leap Card holders.) For further information, contact Luas (tel. 01/800-300-604 or 01/461-4910).