Getting Around Dublin: Transport Apps & Your First 48 Hours
Dublin is a compact, walkable city where the big thing to know is what isn't there: no train or metro from the airport. Sort a Leap card and the bus, and the rest is easy. Here's what actually works.
The best default: walk, then Leap
Central Dublin is small — you'll walk most of it. For longer trips, a TFI Leap card cuts fares across Dublin Bus, the Luas tram and the DART coastal train, and caps your daily spend.
Leap card or Leap Visitor Card
A standard Leap card discounts every fare below cash price. Short on time? The Leap Visitor Card gives unlimited travel for 1, 3 or 7 days and includes the Airlink airport bus — handy if you'll ride a lot.
Getting in from the airport
There's no train — take the bus
Dublin Airport has no rail or metro link. The Airlink 747 express bus runs to the city centre (about €6.50 with Leap vs €9 cash), and the Leap Visitor Card covers it. Private coaches (Dublin Express, Aircoach) also run — but the Leap Visitor Card is not valid on those.
Apps you can reuse
- TFI Go — official journey planner and mobile tickets
- Google Maps / Citymapper — reliable bus, Luas and DART routing
- FreeNow — the standard app for licensed taxis
Arrived launches soon. Get the right transport setup the moment you land.
Join the waitlistYour first 48 hours
- At the airport, grab a Leap Visitor Card (or a standard Leap card) and take the Airlink 747 into town.
- Use the Leap card on Dublin Bus, Luas and DART to dodge cash fares and hit the daily cap.
- Keep Google Maps or Citymapper for routing — and walk the compact centre.
- Save FreeNow for late nights and trips beyond the core.
Do those four things and Dublin's transport is sorted from the moment you land.
Frequently asked questions
- Which transport app is best in Dublin?
- The TFI Go app plans journeys and sells tickets across Dublin Bus, Luas and DART. Google Maps and Citymapper both cover the network well too. For taxis, FreeNow is the standard app in Dublin.
- Do I need a Leap card in Dublin?
- It's worth it — a TFI Leap card cuts fares well below the cash price on buses, the Luas tram and DART trains, and caps your daily and weekly spend. Visitors can also buy a Leap Visitor Card for unlimited travel over 1, 3 or 7 days, including the Airlink airport bus.
- How do I get from Dublin Airport to the city centre?
- There's no train or metro to Dublin Airport — it's buses. The Airlink 747 express runs to the city centre (about €6.50 with a Leap card versus €9 cash), and the Leap Visitor Card covers it. Private coaches like Dublin Express and Aircoach also run, but the Leap Visitor Card is NOT valid on those.
- Is the Leap Visitor Card valid on private airport buses?
- No. The Leap Visitor Card and standard Leap fares apply to the public Airlink 747, Dublin Bus, Luas and DART — but not to private operators like Dublin Express or Aircoach, which sell their own tickets.
- Can I use a contactless bank card on Dublin transport?
- It's being introduced gradually — Transport for Ireland is rolling out contactless bank-card payment on Dublin Bus and the Luas, but not every reader accepts it yet, and it charges the higher cash fare rather than the Leap discount. For now, a Leap card is still the cheaper, more reliable option.
- What's the difference between the Luas and DART in Dublin?
- The Luas is the city tram (Green and Red lines) covering central and suburban routes; the DART is the coastal commuter rail running along Dublin Bay. Both take the Leap card. For the compact city centre, though, you'll mostly walk.
- Which ride-hailing app works in Dublin?
- FreeNow is the main app and books licensed taxis (Ireland doesn't have Uber's private-driver model — Uber also dispatches regular taxis here). Handy at night, but the centre is small enough that walking often wins.