Getting Around Dublin: Transport, Airport Transfers and Where to Leave Your Bag
Last updated: October 2026
Intro
Dublin has no airport train and no contactless tap-in on its buses, trams or DART. In 2026 the cheapest way to move is a Leap card, which caps at €6 a day, or exact coins on a Dublin Bus, and the airport link is a bus, not a metro. The MetroLink is still a tender-stage project, and the Airlink Express name that many guides lead with now points at a booking site, not a clear bus timetable. Prices below were checked in October 2026.
Disclosure: Ciceru earns a commission if you book luggage storage through its Radical Storage link, and you get 10% off. It does not change what is recommended.
Once the bag is dropped, a self-guided walk in the Ciceru app has a story and a quiz question at each stop, plus a free 500 MB global eSIM. The Ciceru Dublin walk costs €5, covers 3 km in about 2 hours and runs through 9 stops from the James Joyce Statue to The Brazen Head.
⚡ Quick answer
- Airport to centre: Aircoach or Dublin Express coach, from about €6 to €8 online, or Dublin Bus 41 and 16 for €2.60 in coins. Taxis cost €30 to €45 by the airport's own estimate
- Normal rides: €2.00 on a Leap card covers any Dublin Bus, Luas or DART journey for 90 minutes. Cash on a bus is €2.60, exact coins only
- Best pass: a plain Leap card. Spending stops at €6 a day and €24 a week, which beats the €8 one-day Visitor Card
- Bank cards: not accepted by Dublin Bus, Luas or DART. Contactless is reported for Dublin in 2028
- Luggage: no station lockers could be confirmed. Radical Storage has 48 spots from €3.90 a bag a day
✈️ From Dublin Airport
There is no train. The MetroLink is not built: its own site shows a project at detailed tender stage and gives no opening date. Every route from the terminals is a road journey.
Aircoach is the easiest all-hours choice. Routes 700, 700X and 702 leave Terminal 1 (Zone 2) and Terminal 2 (Zone 20), up to every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. Aircoach says tickets start from €6 one way or €8 return online, with fares on board possibly higher, and it takes contactless cards and phones. Allow 20 to 40 minutes.
Dublin Express (routes 782 and 784) lists €8 single and €10 return online, and €10 and €14 on board, for an adult. Coaches run from the early hours to about 00:35 (the first departure is listed between 03:05 and 04:05, so check the timetable), with two 20 kg bags allowed. The fare page sits on an older part of the site, so check the booking screen.
Dublin Bus 41 and 16 are the cheap options. The 41 runs round the clock, the 16 roughly 06:00 to 23:00. Allow 30 to 50 minutes. The cash fare is €2.60 and the driver takes coins only, with no change and no notes. Buy a Leap card first, or a Travel 90 ticket from Wright's Food Fayre at the airport, which takes card.
Airlink 747 and 757 are the trap. The Airlink Express site still lists the 747 and 757 at €10 single and €13 return, yet a sister page calls Airlink Express an online hub that sells Dublin Express and Aircoach tickets. Dublin Bus's own airport page lists only routes 16, 19, 24 and 41. Treat any 747 or 757 fare as unconfirmed and check the journey planner on transportforireland.ie before relying on one.
🎫 The ticket system, explained once
Dublin has one stored-value card, the TFI Leap card, plus coins on buses. Two fares matter:
- 💶 TFI 90 Minute fare, €2.00: one tap on, then every further bus, Luas or DART journey in Zone 1 within 90 minutes is free. It excludes Express and Nitelink buses
- 💶 Short fare, €1.50: a journey of roughly 3 km or less on a bus or tram
Top up a Leap card at Irish Rail machines, Luas machines, Leap agents, post offices or the Leap Top Up app on an NFC phone. Convenience stores in both airport terminals sell the cards. On Luas and DART you must tap on and tap off; on a bus you tap on only.
Cash costs more: €2.00 for a short bus ride and €2.60 for a long one.
💳 Which pass is worth it
Daily and weekly caps apply to Dublin City Bus, Go-Ahead buses, Luas, DART and commuter rail inside Zone 1. Once the day's fares reach €6.00, the rest of the day is free. The weekly cap is €24.00, counted Monday to Sunday.
The Leap Visitor Card is a one-off alternative that needs no top-up:
- 💶 24 hours, €8.00
- 💶 72 hours, €18.00
- 💶 168 hours, €24.00
It covers Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead, Luas and DART or commuter rail in Zone 1, and the clock starts at first use. It does not cover Aircoach, Dublin Express or Bus Éireann.
The sums are plain. A one-day visitor ticket is €8 against a €6 cap, so a Leap card wins. Three days cost €18 on the visitor card and at most €18 on a capped Leap card, a tie, though the capped card often costs less. The 168-hour card matches the weekly cap and only wins if your week straddles a Sunday. The Visitor Card is a convenience, not a saving.
The wider cost picture is in Dublin on a budget.
🚇 Validation, fines and traps
- No contactless in the city. Dublin Bus, Luas and DART do not take bank cards or phones. TFI's news page shows contactless arriving first on Local Link buses outside Dublin, and Travel Extra reported in July 2026 that Dublin Bus, Luas and Irish Rail follow in summer 2028
- Coins only on buses. Drivers cannot accept notes or give change, so an overpaid fare is lost
- Tap off on Luas and DART. Leap says you must tap on and off on both, and on commuter rail. Penalty amounts were not checked, so read the notice on the platform
- Caps stop at the airport. Aircoach, Dublin Express and any private coach are separate tickets, and sit outside both the caps and the visitor card
🚶 What you will actually walk
The centre is small. The Ciceru Dublin walk covers its 9 stops in 3 km, about 2 hours with pauses, so most of what a first visit wants lies within a stroll of the Liffey. Use transport for the edges: Heuston, Phoenix Park and the coast.
The Luas has two lines. The Red Line runs from Saggart to The Point, passing Heuston, Smithfield, Four Courts, Jervis, Abbey Street, Busáras and Connolly. The Green Line runs from Brides Glen to Broombridge, passing St Stephen's Green, Trinity and O'Connell Street. The lines cross in the centre around Abbey Street and O'Connell Street, so check the Luas map for the exact interchange stop.
🧳 Luggage storage in Dublin
Left luggage is the weak spot. Station lockers first: Irish Rail's own pages do not confirm a public left-luggage desk or lockers at Connolly or Heuston, and a rival storage network states there are none. If a locker is vital, ask at the station information desk before you travel.
Airport: Dublin Airport's news pages record an Excess Baggage Company left-luggage counter in the Terminal 1 arrivals hall. Hours and prices were not published on a page that could be read, so confirm before you rely on it.
Where Radical Storage wins here: with no confirmed station lockers, a shop is the practical answer. Radical Storage lists 48 verified partners across Dublin from €3.90 per bag per day, with no size or weight limit and a €10,000 guarantee per bag. Its list includes partners at Connolly Station (08:00 to 21:00) and near Heuston. Opening hours vary by partner, so read the hours on the booking page. It needs an advance online booking. Ten per cent off with Ciceru's link.
🚕 Taxis and ride apps
Dublin taxis are metered and capped by the National Transport Authority's maximum fare, in force since 1 December 2024:
- 💶 Standard rate (08:00 to 20:00, Monday to Saturday): €4.40 to start, then €1.32 a km plus €0.47 a minute
- 💶 Premium rate (20:00 to 08:00 Monday to Saturday, all day Sunday, most public holidays): €5.40 to start, then €1.81 a km plus €0.64 a minute
- 💶 Extras: €1.00 for each passenger after the first, and a €3.00 pre-booking fee
The airport's own page says to expect €30 to €45 into the centre, €25 to €40 to Busáras and €40 to €50 to Heuston. These are ceilings, not fixed prices, and a driver may charge less. Check the meter and ask for a receipt.
Taxis wait outside both terminals with dispatchers. Apps such as Free Now book a licensed taxi, so the meter rules still apply and the €3 pre-booking fee may be added. Compare the quote with the airport range before you confirm.
🕐 Your first hour in Dublin
- Buy a Leap card at a terminal shop and top up €6 to €10. Skip it if you are taking Aircoach and walking after.
- Take Aircoach or Dublin Express for speed, or Dublin Bus 41 for €2.60 in coins.
- Too early to check in? Book a drop-off partner near Connolly or Heuston before you land.
- Tap on and off if you hop on the Luas, and tap on only on a bus.
- Walk. The Ciceru Dublin walk starts from the James Joyce Statue on North Earl Street.
❓ FAQ
Can I pay with a contactless card on Dublin buses and trams?
No. Dublin Bus, Luas and DART need a Leap card, and buses also take exact coins. Contactless is reported for Dublin in 2028.
How much does the bus from Dublin Airport to the city cost?
Dublin Bus 41 and 16 cost €2.60 in coins. Aircoach lists €6 one way online and Dublin Express €8, with higher fares on board.
Where can I leave my luggage in Dublin?
No station lockers could be confirmed at Connolly or Heuston. Radical Storage has 48 spots from €3.90 a bag a day, and the airport has listed a left-luggage counter in Terminal 1 arrivals, with hours and prices to confirm.
✅ Before you go
Carry coins for the bus, buy a Leap card rather than a Visitor Card, and book a drop-off before you land. For the bigger picture, start with Dublin Explained, and once the bag is dropped, the Ciceru Dublin walk is an easy first look. The broader Dublin destination page has the rest.
