Transport and the shape of the city in Dublin

Leap card and fares

The Leap card covers Dublin Bus, the Luas trams and DART and commuter rail on one balance, and paying with it is substantially cheaper than cash. Fares are capped daily and weekly, so heavy users stop paying once they hit the ceiling, and a ninety-minute fare lets you change between modes on a single charge. Cash fares on buses are being phased out in favour of the card and contactless, and drivers do not give change.

• Leap card, topped up online, in shops or by app; personalised cards allow auto top-up.
• The ninety-minute fare covers multiple legs across bus, Luas and rail.
• Daily and weekly caps apply automatically — no need to buy a pass in advance.

The network

Two Luas tram lines cross the city, the DART runs along the coast from Malahide to Greystones, and commuter rail reaches Maynooth, Drogheda and Kildare. Bus routes have been progressively rebuilt into a higher-frequency spine network, which is faster than the old system but renumbered enough to confuse anyone using old advice. The coastal DART corridor is the reason so many people commute from Dún Laoghaire and Howth rather than living centrally.

Driving, and the licence problem

Driving licences from the EU and from a list of recognised states can be exchanged at the NDLS; licences from other countries generally cannot, which means learner permits, lessons, a theory test and a driving test with a long waiting list. Motor insurance is expensive for anyone without an Irish or recognised no-claims record, so get a letter of driving history from your previous insurer before you leave. The M50 orbital motorway has a barrier-free toll that must be paid by the following day or it escalates.

• Check the NDLS exchange list for your country before you assume anything.
• Ask your old insurer for a written no-claims history — Irish insurers may or may not accept it.
• eFlow: the M50 toll is camera-based and must be paid by 8pm the next day.

Bikes, walking and the airport

Dublin is compact and much of the centre is walkable, cycling infrastructure has improved unevenly, and Dublinbikes covers the core with other schemes filling in beyond it. For the airport, frequent bus services run from the city centre and from several suburbs, and the journey is short outside peak and unpredictable inside it. Taxis are plentiful and can be hailed through apps; Uber in Ireland dispatches licensed taxis rather than private drivers.