Bus Travel

Busáras, just behind the Custom House on the Northside, is Dublin's main station for buses to and from the city. Dublin Bus runs the city's regular buses. Bus Éireann is the main intercity bus company, with service throughout the country. Aircoach has direct bus connections to Cork and Belfast, and is usually a bit cheaper than Bus Éireann.

In town, there's an extensive network of buses, most of which are yellow and blue double-deckers.

Some bus services run on cross-city routes but most buses start in the city center.

Buses to the north of the city begin in the Lower Abbey Street–Parnell Street area, while those to the west begin in Middle Abbey Street and in the Aston Quay area. Routes to the southern suburbs begin at Eden Quay and in the College Street area. Several buses link to the DART and LUAS stations, and another regular bus route connects the two main provincial railway stations, Connolly and Heuston. If the destination board indicates "an lár," that means that the bus is going to the city center.

Bus Fares and Schedules

In the city, fares begin at €2.15 and are paid to the driver, who will accept cash but can't give any change. Ticket buying and the city's heavy traffic can slow service considerably. Most bus lines run until 11:30 at night, but some Nitelink buses run Friday to Saturday until 4:30 am on some major routes; the fare is €6.60. You can save a lot of money by buying a Leap Card, which works for the bus, DART, and LUAS (trams). You can even order your Leap Card online (www.leapcard.ie) before coming to Ireland. Otherwise you can get a card at shops throughout the city.

Contacts

Aircoach. 01/844–7118; www.aircoach.ie.

Bus Éireann. 01/836--6111; www.buseireann.ie.

Busáras. Store St., Dublin North, Dublin, Co. Dublin, 1. 01/836–6111.

Dublin Bus. 59 Upper O'Connell St., Dublin North, Dublin, Co. Dublin, 1. 01/873–4222; www.dublinbus.ie.