Dublin city transport: Luas, DART, buses and Leap fares

Luas, DART and city buses

Luas is Dublin’s tram system, with Red and Green lines. DART is the coastal railway, with central stations including Pearse, Tara Street and Connolly. Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland run city bus services.

For Kilmainham Gaol, the visitor guidance lists bus 60 and G1/G2 approaches. The Kilmainham guide explains the final approach to the prison and how early to arrive for the tour.

Leap travel credit and the 90-minute fare

A regular Leap Card carries travel credit. In Dublin Zone 1, the adult TFI 90 Minute Fare is €2 for eligible services. It includes Dublin City Bus services, Luas and DART/commuter rail within the specified area. Express, Nitelink and commuter-bus products have separate rules, so the fare is not a promise that every vehicle displaying a transport brand costs €2.

The first eligible tap starts the 90-minute period. Tap for each following journey within that period, and tap off rail and Luas journeys too. For example, an eligible bus followed by Luas can be covered by the same fare when the second tap-on is within 90 minutes. A long museum visit between the two usually means a later journey begins outside that period.

The adult cap for eligible Dublin journeys is €6 daily and €24 over a Monday-to-Sunday week. The cap does not buy commercial airport-coach tickets. Use TFI’s fare and coverage page when the journey crosses fare zones or uses a less familiar bus service.

Board and leave Luas correctly

With Leap, tap on at the platform validator before boarding the tram and tap off after leaving it. Choose the line, direction and destination on the stop display; a tram stop’s name by itself does not tell you which direction to board. Keep your card ready for inspection during the ride.

A bus-to-Luas transfer still needs the Luas tap-on. Holding a card with money on it is different from validating the journey. At the end, tap off even when the fare period or daily cap may cover the ride.

A separately purchased Luas ticket is another way to travel. The regular Leap fare and a timed Visitor Card follow different payment rules, so choose one for the journeys you intend to make.

DART to Howth: read the destination before boarding

From the centre, choose a train marked Howth. Northbound DART trains also use the Malahide branch, so northbound alone is not enough. Pearse, Tara Street and Connolly provide central starting points; select the station that fits where you are staying or visiting.

Use the station’s ticket machine or a valid Leap product. With Leap, tap on and off at the railway’s validators or gates. Retain the ticket or card until the exit. Arranging the train to Howth does not arrange the separate cliff walk: the Howth guide distinguishes a harbour visit from the longer 7.8 km loop.

For a group needing assistance, arrange the train-access help ahead of travel. Howth’s road-to-platform access does not describe every harbour surface or the cliff path. Decide which outing suits the group separately from the rail ticket.

Using a city bus

Tap on for each bus journey. A city-bus ride does not use the tap-off procedure required on Luas and DART. If paying cash, use the operator’s exact-fare arrangement rather than assuming a bank card will work at a Leap validator.

Look at the route number, direction and stop for the destination you need. The bus serving a western attraction may leave from a different city-centre stop from an airport coach. Keep the attraction address with the route, especially when walking from an arrival station or changing during a diversion.

When a Leap Visitor Card is simpler

Leap Visitor is an unlimited-travel product for a chosen period: 24 hours costs €8, 72 hours €18 and 168 hours €24. Its clock starts at first use. It covers the listed city buses, Luas and Zone 1 DART/commuter rail, including Howth, but not Dublin Express or Aircoach commercial airport coaches.

Compare the rides you intend to take with regular Leap credit and its caps. A visitor pass can be convenient for several transport-heavy days; a mostly walkable central day may need fewer paid journeys. An online Visitor Card order is physically posted rather than delivered as an instant electronic ticket, so buy locally if postal delivery cannot arrive before the trip.

The airport guide deals with coaches, bus zones and the final city stop. For 10–13 November 2026, the dated travel notice explains eastern-quay bus diversions and eastern Red Line restrictions. Those changes affect specific dates and sections, not every Dublin journey.