There are plenty of options for getting from A to B in Dublin. This is a fairly compact city, which means walking and cycling are viable options for getting around; you can walk from many of the city’s outlying districts to its centre in 30 or 40 minutes.

Bus

Dublin Bus connects most parts of the city through a network of 200 routes that service 5,000 stops, with new services being added as the city grows.

Go-Ahead Dublin, the newest bus company in Dublin, operates a fleet of 53 buses across eight routes, formerly run by Dublin Bus. They are building up to a network of 24 routes across the city.

Aircoach is a private bus service from Dublin Airport (which is north of the city) to the city centre and destinations in the south of the county.

Train

The DART is Dublin’s electric train system and runs along the coast from Malahide and Howth in the north to Greystones in the south. It also connects to the national train system. Trains run every 10 to 20 minutes Monday to Saturday from around 06:00 to midnight and on Sunday from 09:30 to 23:00.

Tram

The Luas is the light rail system that connects Dublin’s suburbs to its core. There are two lines, the Green Line running from Broombridge in the north to Brides Glen in the south; the Red Line running from Tallaght in the west to The Point in the east.

Trams run every five minutes at peak times and every 10-15 minutes at other times. The service runs from around 5:30 to 00:30 Monday to Friday, 06:30 to 00:30 Saturday and 07:00 to 23:30 on Sunday. The last trams to certain stations are earlier — so check the timetable online.

Leap card

The Leap card is the key to all forms of Dublin’s transport system. It’s the simplest and most cost-effective way to avail of Dublin’s public transport services and can be used on the train, tram, bus, or to rent a Dublin bike. Leap card fares are up to 31% cheaper than single-purchase tickets. So if you commute to work each day via public transport, it can mean a significant saving. You can top up your card each week, or register for a monthly or annual ticket, which will save you more again.

You can register for a card yourself or via the Tax-Saver scheme offered by many employers. This can save you up to 52% compared to tickets bought from machines.

Cycling

Dublin city’s bike-sharing scheme is an easy, affordable way to travel the city without worrying about purchasing your own bike. For a yearly subscription of €25, you can use any ‘Dublin Bike’, as they are called, at any dock, anywhere in the city. The first 30 minutes of your journey are free, after which pricing is determined based on journey length.

A more recent addition to Dublin is Bleeper Bikes. Similar to Dublin Bikes in that anyone can borrow one, Bleeper Bikes are actually stationless. They are left locked to bike racks all over the city – just unlock one with the mobile app and off you go. (But do remember to park it somewhere legal when you have finished with it.)

There are cycle lanes across the city, although not everywhere. As cycling becomes a more and more common commuter habit, drivers and cyclists are co-existing more naturally on the roads.

Taxis

Need a lift quick? Lynk and Free Now offer taxi services in Dublin. There are taxi ranks dotted around the city and you can also hail one in the street: they can be any colour but they all have a yellow taxi sign on their roof (this won’t be turned on if the taxi already has a fare).

Car

You drive on the left in Ireland. Rush-hour traffic can be a problem for commuters. Dublin City Council has advice on planning your route and on how to avoid the busiest traffic in the core of the city. There are a number of public car park parks in the city centre. These are well sign-posted and can generally accommodate your car. Roadside parking (pay and display) is also available on some streets – you buy a ticket for a set amount of time from a nearby machine. This can work out rather expensive.

All the usual hire car options are available – both at the airport and in the city centre. Another option you might consider is hiring a car by the hour: GoCar is a popular choice.

Both roadside and filling-station charge points for electric cars are increasingly widely available. See this map.

Onward connections

See Getting to and from Dublin for information about getting out of town.