Dublin Airport to the City Centre: Foolproof 2026 Guide

The decision on how to get from Dublin Airport to the city centre comes down to cost versus convenience – buses are the cheapest option, while taxis and ride-hailing apps like Uber and Free Now are the quickest and easiest.

Dublin Airport is 17.5 km (around 11 miles) from the city centre, and depending on traffic, the drive takes between 25 and 40 minutes.

There are several transportation options:

• Option 1: Dublin Bus/express buses
• Option 2: Registered taxi
• Option 3: Uber/Free Now/Bolt
• Option 4: Private driver/chauffeur
• Option 5: Rental car

Getting from Dublin Airport to the City Centre

Right, let’s get you up-to-speed very quickly with some need-to-knows:

1. There’s no train or tram

Yep, by all accounts Dublin Airport is one of the only airports in Europe with no direct tram/train link into the city centre. This is due to change with the arrival of Metro North, but it’ll be a long time before that’s here.

2. It’s worth getting a Leap Card or the DoDublin Card

• Visitor Leap Card: A travel card that gives you unlimited journeys for 24 hours (€8), 72 hours (€16) or 7 days (€32)
• DoDublin Card: A €49 pass that includes 48 hours on the Hop-on Hop-off tour plus 72 hours of unlimited travel on Dublin’s public transport network (including airport buses)

3. The cheapest option

The cheapest way to get from Dublin Airport to the city centre is to take a Dublin Bus, with fares costing €2 using a Leap Card or €2.60 in cash (exact change only). Do note that the one major drawback of the public bus is that there is very limited luggage storage.

4. The best option

The best way to get from Dublin Airport to the city centre is by taxi or Uber, as you’ll have plenty of luggage space, they can use taxi lanes to skip traffic, and can be reserved in advance (Uber) or picked up directly outside both terminals.

Getting the bus from Dublin Airport to the City Centre (Terminal 1)

There are three different options if you’d like to get the bus from Dublin Airport to the City Centre – Dublin Express, Aircoach and Dublin Bus.

Below, you’ll find maps showing you where to go along with info on how much each option costs.

1. Dublin Bus

Dublin Bus offers several services from Dublin Airport to the City. The number 16 bus (towards Ballinteer) will drop you at O’Connell St. right in the heart of the city centre.

You can also get the 41 (towards Lower Abbey St.) which will take you into the city, too.

• Cost €2/€2.60: I’d recommend the Leap Card or the DoDublin card for best value
• Leaves from: Zones 13 and 15
• Advance booking available: No

2. Dublin Express

Dublin Express is another handy bus from Dublin Airport to the City Centre and it operates throughout the day.

The main disadvantage of this one is that they don’t except the Leap Card. So you’ll pay €10 for the trip.

• Cost: €10 one way
• Leaves from: Zone 1
• Advance booking available: Yes

3. Aircoach

The last of the bus options is Aircoach, which runs every 15 minutes on the 700 route towards Leopardstown and costs €9.

You can use a Leap Card to pay, but standard Leap discounts like the €2 90-minute fare or daily caps don’t apply – you’ll still pay the normal Aircoach fare.

• Cost: €9 – €10
• Leaves from: Zone 2
• Advance booking available: Yes

Getting the bus from Dublin Airport to the City Centre (Terminal 2)

There are three different options if you’d like to get bus transportation from Dublin Airport to the City Centre – Dublin Express and Aircoach.

Below, you’ll find maps showing you where to go along with info on how much each option costs.

1. Dublin Express

Dublin Express also operates from Terminal 2, around a 5-minute walk from arrivals.

• Cost: €10 one way
• Leaves from: Zone 21
• Advance booking available: Yes

2. Aircoach

Aircoach also operates from Terminal 2, a short walk from arrivals, at Zone 20.

• Cost: €9 – €10
• Leaves from: Zone 20
• Advance booking available: Yes

Getting an Uber to the city

Personally, I think getting an Uber/Free Now or Bolt is the best way to get from Dublin Airport to the city centre, as you can book one after collecting your bag and you’re not forced to wait in line.

The pick-up points are a short stroll from the arrival areas and, unlike in other countries, only registered taxis can operate on these apps.

From Terminal 1

While it’s far from the cheapest way to get from Dublin Airport to the city, it’s arguably the handiest, especially if you’re used to using ride-hailing apps like Uber and Free Now.

• Cost: €25 – €35 depending on where you’re going
• Leaves from: Usually from here on maps (follow what your app says)
• Advance booking available: Yes

From Terminal 2

For Uber, anyway, it’s the same pick-up point for both terminals. Not an ideal walk if it’s raining, but still less than 5 minutes from the arrivals door.

• Cost: €25 – €35 depending on where you’re going
• Leaves from: Usually from here on maps (follow what your app says)
• Advance booking available: Yes

Getting a Taxi from Dublin Airport to the City Centre

Getting a taxi from Dublin Airport to the City Centre is arguably the most convenient option, but you’ll pay for the pleasure.

The taxis leave from outside Terminal 1 and 2 (you can’t miss them) and there’s generally a fairly fast-moving queue.

From Terminal 1

The taxi rank at Terminal 1 is just outside the door of arrivals.

• Cost: €25-€35 (use this estimator tool)
• Advance booking available: Yes

From Terminal 2

The taxi rank at Terminal 2 is further out than T1 – follow the map above and you’ll find it with ease.

• Cost: €25-€35 (use this estimator tool)
• Advance booking available: Yes

Driving and/or renting a car to get to the city

If you’re spending 24 hours in Dublin or 2 days in Dublin, you don’t need a car. While public transport in Ireland is a pain, getting around Dublin is very easy.

However, if you plan on getting around Ireland in a car, you might end up renting a car in Dublin Airport. If that’s the case, you’ll find everything you need-to-know right here.

Do note that you’ll be charged an additional fee for renting cars from any of the airports in Ireland.

FAQs about how to get from Dublin Airport to downtown Dublin

We get questions about how to get from Dublin Airport to downtown Dublin – firstly, you’ll rarely hear ‘downtown’ mentioned and, if you do, it’ll only be from tourist.

Below, we’ll answer the most FAQs about the different transportation options.