Getting to Dublin
GETTING TO DUBLIN
Dublin is easily accessible from most British airports and from an increasing number of European cities, often with low fares. There are long-haul direct flights from the USA and Canada, but no direct flights from Australia or the Far East; instead travelers from these countries should fly to London and make a connection there.
From the UK: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Cityjet, Easyjet (including Go flights) and Ryanair all offer frequent services into Dublin from most of Britain’s major cities. Smaller airlines offer less regular flights from other locations. Before you book your flight, check the price of a return trip compared to one way flights. Sometimes it can be cheaper to get two single flights, especially if you are paying in sterling in one direction and euros in the other. Flight time to Dublin from London is about an hour; less from most other UK cities.
From Europe: AB Airlines, Adria Airways, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Air France, Alitalia, Iberia, Lufthansa, Maersk, Ryanair and SAS, offer regular flights from most European cities into Dublin. Typical fares are E49 one-way from Paris; E74 one-way from Milan; E99 one-way from Rome. Flight times vary but are likely to be upwards of two hours.
From North America: Aer Lingus, TWA, United Airlines and United Airlines offer regular flights from major US cities to Dublin. Direct services on Aer Lingus depart from Baltimore, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Flights from the west coast of the USA can be very expensive and travelers may get a better deal by flying to London and taking a budget flight to Dublin from there. Flights from Canada are usually via London.
Dublin International Airport is located 12 km (eight miles) north of the city. Facilities at the arrivals hall include cash machines, car hire desks, left luggage facilities (daily 0600-2300), a Dublin Tourism office (daily 0800-2200) and a CIE counter that provides information about onward bus services. The departures hall has assorted shops, bars and cafés. There’s also a branch of the Bank of Ireland, where you can change money during banking hours, as well as a post office at car park level.
There is no train service between the airport and the city centre but Dublin Bus runs two Airlink Express buses: the 747 service stops at Parnell Square West, O’Connell Street, Busáras and the airport; the 748 service connects Tara Street DART station, Heuston Station, Connolly Station, Busáras and the airport. The fare for both routes is € 6 adult single, €10 adult return, child €3 single. Rambler tickets are also valid on the Airlink service. The 747 runs every 10 to 15 minutes from 0545 (0715 on Sun) to midnight daily, while the 748 runs about every 30 minutes from 0650 (0700 on Sun) to 2100. Journey time is about 35 minutes, but can be significantly longer in the rush hour.
A private Aircoach leaves the airport every 15 minutes from 0500 to midnight and then hourly from midnight to 0500. It travels directly to O’Connell Street and then continues on a circuit through south Dublin city centre and Ballsbridge, dropping off at designated stops beside the major hotels. The fare is €7 single, €12 return. Accompanied children travel for free.
Taxis cost around €25 from the airport to the city centre; slightly less from the city to the airport. A cab can be the most convenient transport option, but is expensive unless three or four people share the ride and the fare.
