Public transport in Dublin - Leap card, fares, Luas, DART and buses

• Luas Red Line: 32 stops from Tallaght and Saggart to Connolly and The Point, through the city centre.
• Luas Green Line: 35 stops from Brides Glen to Broombridge, through the city centre. You change between lines at Abbey Street (Red) and Marlborough Street or O'Connell GPO (Green), a 1 to 2 minute walk.
• Luas runs from 05:30 to 00:30 on weekdays, 06:30 to 00:30 on Saturdays and 07:00 to 23:00 on Sundays and public holidays, every 3 to 4 minutes at peak times and every 10 to 15 minutes otherwise. There is no service on Christmas Day.
• DART: the electric railway along the coast of Dublin Bay, from Howth and Malahide in the north to Greystones in County Wicklow in the south.
• Buses: Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland run the city bus network, which has been redesigned in recent years under the BusConnects programme. Use the TFI Journey Planner and the TFI Live app for current routes and real-time departures.

The Leap Card works on Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas, DART, commuter rail (zones 1 to 4) and several private operators. It saves up to about 30% compared with cash fares; Young Adult (19 to 25) and Student Leap Cards save up to 50%. Children aged 0 to 4 travel free.

Register your card online: registered cards can be replaced or refunded if lost, stolen or faulty; unregistered cards cannot. You can top up and check your balance with the Leap Top-Up app; balances can also be checked online, at Luas and Irish Rail ticket machines and at PostPoint agents and post offices.

TFI 90 Minute Fare with a Leap Card covers travel on most Dublin services, including transfers, for 90 minutes from your first tap:

• Adult €2.00, Young Adult or Student €1.00, Child (5 to 18) €0.65.
• It applies to Dublin Bus (except Express and Nitelink), Go-Ahead Ireland city buses, Luas, and DART and commuter rail within Zone 1. Express and Nitelink fares are €2.40 (adult) and €1.20 (student or young adult).
• A Short Fare of €1.50 (adult) covers single journeys of about 2 to 3 km.

Fare capping in Zone 1 (TFI Dublin) for any combination of Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas, DART and commuter rail:

• Adult: €6.00 a day, €24.00 a week (Monday to Sunday)
• Young Adult or Student: €3.00 a day, €12.00 a week
• Child: €1.95 a day, €7.80 a week

Bus Éireann and Go-Ahead commuter bus services are not included in the 90 Minute Fare or the caps.

Tap on before every bus journey. On Luas, DART and commuter rail, tap on at the platform validator before boarding and tap off when you leave. Luas tickets are not sold on board; travelling without a valid, validated ticket on the Luas can lead to a €100 standard fare notice.

Monthly and annual tickets are also available, including TaxSaver tickets bought through an employer.

Bicycles can travel free on DART and commuter trains off-peak. They are not allowed Monday to Friday before 10:00 or between 15:30 and 19:00; they are allowed all day at weekends. Folded and covered bikes are allowed at any time. Many Luas stops have bike parking.

If you live in Ireland (normally at least 185 days a year), you will eventually need an Irish licence:

• EU and EEA licences remain valid and can be exchanged.
• Licences from recognised states (the UK, Australia, certain Canadian provinces, Georgia, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Japan, Jersey, Moldova, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan) can be exchanged without a test; you can drive on them for up to a year as a visitor. Once you live in Ireland, you can no longer drive on a UK licence and must exchange it.
• Licences from other countries, including the United States, cannot be exchanged. You can drive for up to 12 months as a visitor with an international driving permit; to keep driving you go through the full Irish licensing process, starting with the theory test.

Exchanges go through the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS). The standard fee is €65 (2026). Applying online needs a verified MyGovID and Public Services Card.