Dublin Airport to City Centre: Bus, Coach, Taxi & Transfer Prices 2026

The quickest way from Dublin Airport to the city centre is an airport coach: Dublin Express and Aircoach run from outside both terminals, reach the centre in as little as 15–20 minutes outside rush hour and cost from €8 one way when booked online. The cheapest option is Dublin Bus route 16 or 41 for €2.00 with a Leap card, while a taxi usually costs around €30–45 on the meter. There is no train or metro to the airport. If you prefer a driver waiting in arrivals, compare operators on our Dublin Airport transfers page.

Dublin Airport to city centre: quick comparison

Option	Price	Journey time	Runs	Best for
Dublin Express 782 / 784	€8 online, €10 at the airport or on board (adult single)	From about 15 min; 25–45 min is typical	782: 03:05–00:35; 784: 05:30–23:00	Quays, Temple Bar, Heuston, Docklands
Aircoach 700	From €8 to O’Connell Street (adult single)	20–40 min depending on traffic	24/7, up to every 15 min	O’Connell St, St Stephen’s Green, night arrivals
Dublin Bus 16 / 41 and other TFI routes	€2.00 with Leap (90-minute fare); €2.60 cash	About 40 min to O’Connell St off-peak	Route 16 about every 10–15 min, 06:00–23:30	Budget travellers, Drumcondra, Rathmines side
Taxi (metered)	Around €30–45	About 25–45 min	24/7 outside both terminals	Luggage, door-to-door
Uber / FreeNow	Shown in the app	As taxi	24/7	App users
Pre-booked private transfer	Fixed price agreed in advance	As taxi; 2–3 h to Galway or Belfast	24/7	Groups, families, long-distance trips

Coach and bus fares are per person; taxi and transfer prices are per vehicle. Ireland uses the euro.

How to get from Dublin Airport to the city centre by train or metro

You can’t, for now. Dublin Airport has no rail link: the planned MetroLink line between Swords, the airport and the city centre is still at an early stage and is not expected to open until the 2030s. The nearest DART and train stations, such as Connolly and Tara Street, are served by the airport coaches, so you can change there for trains to the coast or the rest of Ireland.

Dublin Express from Dublin Airport (782 and 784)

Dublin Express runs two airport routes, both from Zone 1 outside Terminal 1 and Zone 21 outside Terminal 2:

• 782 (City and Heuston): follows the quays through the centre, stopping at Custom House Quay (for Connolly), George’s Quay (Tara Street station), Aston Quay (O’Connell Bridge and Temple Bar), Wellington Quay, Merchant’s Quay, Usher’s Quay (for the Guinness Storehouse) and Heuston Station, then back along Arran Quay and Ormond Quay. It is close to 24-hour: the first coach leaves the airport at 03:05 and the last at 00:35, roughly every 15–30 minutes.
• 784 (City and Docklands): serves the 3Arena, North Wall Quay, Eden Quay (for O’Connell Street), Trinity College and on towards Pearse Station, Merrion Square and Harcourt. It runs from about 05:30 to 23:00, around every 30 minutes, with fewer evening departures.

Together the two routes offer a departure roughly every 7–8 minutes at busy times, and the fastest trips reach the city in about 14 minutes. In weekday rush hour allow 30–45 minutes.

Dublin Express price

An adult single costs €8 online or €10 if bought at the airport or on board (card only); an online return is €10. Children pay €3.50 single online. Tickets are for the next available coach rather than a set time, and each passenger can bring two 20 kg bags plus a soft hand bag at no extra cost.

Aircoach 700 to Dublin city centre

Aircoach route 700 runs 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, picking up outside Terminal 1 (Zone 2) and Terminal 2 (Zone 20). It goes via Drumcondra to O’Connell Street, O’Connell Bridge/Westmoreland Street and Kildare Street/St Stephen’s Green, then continues south to Donnybrook, UCD, Stillorgan, Sandyford and Leopardstown. Coaches run up to every 15 minutes and take 20 to 40 minutes to the centre, more at rush hour.

The fare to O’Connell Street or St Stephen’s Green is from €8 single or €12 return for adults (children €4 single), with higher fares to the southern suburbs, up to €14.50 single to Leopardstown. Tickets are sold online, in the Aircoach app, at the customer service desk in the airport and on board by contactless card or phone. Booking online guarantees a seat, which helps at busy times. Because it never stops overnight, Aircoach is the main public option for flights landing in the small hours.

Dublin Airport bus: routes 16, 41 and other TFI buses

Ordinary city buses are the cheapest way into Dublin but they stop often and take longer. They leave from Zones 11, 13 and 15 at the airport. Routes serving the airport include 16, 19, 24, 33a, 41, 101, 102 and 109A; for the city centre the most useful are:

• Route 16: airport – Drumcondra – Dorset Street – O’Connell Street – South Great George’s Street – Aungier Street – Rathmines side – Ballinteer. It runs about every 10–15 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes at weekends, from 06:00 (08:00 on Sundays) to 23:30. Allow about 40 minutes to O’Connell Street off-peak.
• Route 41: links the airport with the city centre at Lower Abbey Street, near O’Connell Street.
• Route 19: a BusConnects route from the airport via Ballymun and Drumcondra to Parnell Square, at the top of O’Connell Street.

Dublin Bus fares and Leap cards

With a TFI Leap card the adult fare is €2.00, the TFI 90 Minute Fare, which also lets you change to other Dublin buses, the Luas or DART within 90 minutes in the city zone. Paying with coins costs €2.60 for a longer trip, and drivers cannot accept notes or give change. Leap fares are capped at €6.00 a day and €24.00 a week. Visitors can also buy a Leap Visitor Card at the airport for unlimited travel on city buses, Luas, DART and commuter rail for a set period; note that it does not cover Dublin Express or Aircoach.

Dublin Airport taxi price to the city centre

Taxis wait at the ranks outside both terminals around the clock. All Irish taxis use a meter set to the National Maximum Taxi Fare, which has applied since 1 December 2024:

• Standard rate (08:00–20:00 Monday to Saturday): €4.40 initial charge, then €1.32 per km for the next 15 km and €1.72 per km after that.
• Premium rate (20:00–08:00, Sundays and public holidays): €5.40, then €1.81 per km, and €2.20 per km after 15 km.
• Special rate (00:00–04:00 on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and over Christmas and New Year): €5.40 plus €2.20 per km.

Time in slow traffic is charged per minute instead of per kilometre, so the fare depends on congestion as well as distance. In practice a ride from the airport to central Dublin usually costs around €30–45, more at night, at weekends and if you are going south of the river at rush hour. A €3 booking fee applies if you order a taxi in advance, and Port Tunnel tolls are added if your route uses it. Ask for a printed receipt at the end of the trip, especially if you have a complaint about the fare.

Uber and FreeNow at Dublin Airport

Ride-hailing in Dublin works differently from many European cities: Uber and FreeNow mainly book licensed taxis, so you are getting a regular taxi through an app. Uber offers taxi options such as Taxi, Taxi XL and Green, and premium private cars are also available. The app shows the price or an estimate before you confirm and gives pickup directions for your terminal. Booking through an app can add a booking fee.

Pre-booked private transfers from Dublin Airport

A private transfer is worth considering when you travel as a family or group, land late with lots of luggage, need child seats, or want to go straight on to Galway, Belfast, Dublin Port or a hotel outside the city. The price is fixed when you book, the driver tracks your flight and meets you in arrivals, and a people carrier or minibus can work out cheaper per head than two taxis.

Compare local operators on our Dublin Airport transfers page or see all Dublin transfers. Companies listed include:

• Lynk Taxis
• Airport Fixed Fare Taxis
• VIPTransfer.ie
• Admiral Chauffeur
• Premier Chauffeur Drive
• Nolan Coaches (for larger groups)

When booking, check the total price including any night or waiting charges, the meeting point and what happens if your flight is late.

Getting from Dublin Airport to Galway, Belfast and Dublin Port

Dublin Airport to Galway

Citylink coaches run from the airport (Zones 10 and 11) to Galway across the day. Express services are the quickest; the multi-stop route 763 via Athlone has around eight departures a day between about 06:30 and 21:30 and takes close to four hours. By car Galway is roughly 2½ to 3 hours away on the M6. Local operators are listed on our Galway transfers page.

Dublin Airport to Belfast

You don’t need to go into Dublin first. Aircoach route 705X, Dublin Express and Translink coaches run direct from the airport to Belfast Grand Central Station, taking about 2 hours 20 minutes. Aircoach runs hourly during the day and every two hours overnight. By car it is around two hours.

Dublin Airport to Dublin Port

For ferries to Holyhead or Liverpool, Dublin Port is a short drive from the airport through the Dublin Port Tunnel, which avoids the city centre traffic. A taxi is the simplest option; see our Dublin Port transfers page for pre-booked cars and minibuses.

Tips for arriving at Dublin Airport

• Night arrivals: Aircoach 700 runs 24/7 and the Dublin Express 782 starts again at 03:05, so there is almost always a coach. Dublin Bus routes stop around 23:30.
• Know your terminal and zone: Dublin Express uses Zones 1 and 21, Aircoach Zones 2 and 20, and city buses Zones 11, 13 and 15.
• Book coaches online: it is cheaper on Dublin Express and guarantees a seat on Aircoach.
• Use the official rank: licensed taxis show a roof sign, the driver’s ID on the dashboard and a working meter; avoid anyone offering a ride inside the terminal.
• Paying: cards and contactless are accepted on the airport coaches, and in most taxis. Dublin Bus drivers do not give change.
• Tipping: tipping taxi drivers is not expected, though rounding up is common.
• Peak traffic: the M50, M1 and the north side of the city are slow at weekday rush hours, so allow 45 minutes or more if you have a train, ferry or meeting to catch.