Dublin airport to city centre: taking a taxi, bus, or transfer

Gert Svaiko

Hopping over to Dublin from the UK? The good news is that Dublin airport is very well-connected, with a choice of fast, direct ways to travel to the city centre.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about travelling from Dublin airport to the city centre. This includes taxis, buses, and private transfers, along with roughly how much your journey will cost.

And for a cheap way to pay for transport in EUR just like a local, check out the Wise card. This clever multi-currency card automatically converts GBP to EUR at the mid-market rate whenever you spend. So, you can start spending from the moment you land in Dublin, on shopping, dining and hotels, without interrupting your trip to change money.

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Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

What to know before heading to the city centre?

Dublin airport is approximately 10km to the north of the city centre.¹ It takes around 20 minutes to travel between them by car or taxi, or around 30-40 minutes by bus.²

There are taxi ranks outside both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, along with bus zones for all bus and coach services.³

If you need to change currency or withdraw cash, you’ll find ATMs and Bureau de Change services in T1 and T2 Arrivals. But remember that if you have the Wise card, you don’t need to bother changing currency. You can start spending in euros from the moment you land.

Taxis from Dublin airport to city centre

When you head to the taxi ranks at Dublin airport, you’ll find a taxi dispatcher at both. All licensed taxis running from here will calculate fares based on a meter, and can travel up to 30km from the airport

If you prefer, you can arrange your own taxi for pickup at the airport. Popular apps and companies include the FreeNow app (where you can pay with cash or card), Lynk, BetterTaxi and Taxi Dublin.⁴

How much is the taxi fare to Dublin?

According to the Dublin Airport website, the cost of a taxi from Dublin airport to the city centre is €25/£21.90 to €30/£26.28*.³

How taxis look and where are they parked?

Taxis in Dublin don’t have uniform markings, colours or branding, as they’re run by different taxi companies. However, you’ll easily be able to recognise them by the yellow ‘TAXI’ roof signs on top, which all licensed taxis must display.⁵ Hackney cabs look just like they do in other cities, and are generally unmarked.

You’ll find all taxis at Dublin airport parked at the taxi ranks outside Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. On exiting the terminal, simply follow the signs pointing towards the taxi ranks.

Here’s a handy interactive Dublin airport map showing the location of taxi ranks among other useful locations.

Shuttle buses from Dublin airport to city centre

Another option for getting to the city centre is a shuttle bus. There are lots of services to choose from at the airport, including:⁶

  • Dublin Express - Route 782, 784
  • Aircoach - Route 700
  • Dublin Bus - Route 41

Getting a visitor Leap card

To save money on transport while in Dublin, including your Dublin airport transfers, you can buy a Leap Visitor Card.

This offers discounted public transport for tourists and visitors, with unlimited travel over your selected time period on Dublin City Bus, rail and other services. It costs from €8/£7.01* for 24 hours, €16/£14.02* for 72 hours or €32/£28.03* for 7 days.⁷

You can buy a Leap card from WHSmith in T1 Arrivals in Dublin airport.⁷

Aircoach from Dublin airport

To hop on an Aircoach from Dublin airport to the city centre, head to either bus zone 2, Terminal 1 or bus zone 20, Terminal 2. Each is only a 2-minute walk from the terminal, and there is signage to help you find your way.

You can also check the Dublin airport bus map here.

How much does Aircoach cost?

It costs around €7/£6.13* for a single Aircoach trip from Dublin airport to the city centre, and a return journey from €9/£7.88*.⁸

Transfers and chauffeurs

Another option is to arrange a private Dublin airport transfer for yourself, through a service like Hoppa or Shuttle Direct.

Or you can use a premium chauffeur service, one that has a permit with Dublin airport to carry out pickups there.

Cheap transfers from Dublin airport

If you’re looking for the cheapest way to travel from Dublin airport to the city centre, your best bet is to catch a shuttle bus. There are lots of services running very regularly, and you’ll find it much cheaper than a taxi or a private transfer.


After reading this guide, you should have all the info you need to plan your Dublin airport transfers. Whether you opt for bus, taxi or private transfer, you should find it pretty easy and quick to travel between the airport and the city centre.

And for a convenient way to pay for transport and spend in Dublin, consider going with Wise. You can get a Wise card for spending abroad that lets you convert GBP to over 50 currencies using a fair exchange rate, the mid-market rate.

Register with Wise today

Please see the Terms of Use for your region.


*1 EUR = 0.8760 GBP (19-09-2022)

Sources used:

  1. Dublin Airport - How to get to and from Dublin Airport
  2. Dublin Airport - Plan Your Journey
  3. Dublin Airport - How to get to and from Dublin Airport - Taxis
  4. Ireland.com - Taxis in Ireland
  5. Citizens Information - Taxis, hackneys and limousines
  6. Dublin Airport - How to get to and from Dublin Airport - Buses
  7. Leap Visitor Card
  8. Aircoach.ie - Book Tickets

Sources last checked on date: 12-09-2022


*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

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