As 2020 is off to a start, many are now planning for their internships in Ireland and one important thing many people are considering is the cost of living in Dublin, transport costs and wondering how do you get around Dublin!
First, let’s look at the different types of transport in and around Dublin city and how to plan for your internships in Ireland!
Dublin Bus
This is an expansive network of 136 routes which span the city, most of which run from the city centre to and from urban districts. The timetable starts at around 5am and runs until midnight, but we would recommend checking the timetable for your required route as in most cases the last bus leaves at 11.15pm and if you get left behind in one of the urban areas not only is it difficult to find a taxi, but if you do it may cost a lot of money!
Due to Dublin’s radial infrastructure, chronic traffic problem, it’s city-centre medieval layout, narrow lanes and with all buses coming to and from the city centre, peak hour buses can be frustratingly slow, so bring a book and be prepared for a long journey! If you need to be at work for 9am and depending where you live, we would generally advise catching a bus before 8am to be safe.
Dublin Bus also operate minimal late-night weekend services called ‘Nightlink’ which runs from midnight until 4.00am on Friday and Saturday nights. All buses originate from the city centre and you can only start your journey from the city-centre, so it is not possible to hail a bus once it has left the city centre – you can only alight on one of the many bus stops after it has left.
On some of the most popular routes, a morning and evening rush-hour ‘Xpresso’ service is also available which offers commuters a fast route into and out of town. This service covers the exact same route as the regular service (So the regular 151 route would be called the 151X) but in order to get commuters in and out of town more efficiently, it passes most bus stops and only collects commuters at fewer stops so be careful!
This bus is the quickest way to get to your city centre internships in Ireland in the morning!
Cost
Standard Fare: From €2.15 to €3.30 / €1.55 to €2.50 with LEAP card
Nightlink: €6.60 / €4.50 with LEAP card
Xpresso: €3.00 / €3.80 with LEAP card
* Please note that exact change is needed on all Dublin buses – drivers don’t give change in cash. So, if you have a €20 note and your fare is €3.30, the driver will not give you cash back, but instead a ‘paper refund’ of €16.70 which you can only refund in the Dublin Bus main office on O’Connell Street. This can be a major inconvenience if for example you are catching a flight home!
DART
This is a minimal, but traffic-free service that runs mostly along the coast of Dublin starting from the south (Greystones) and end in the north (Malahide).
If you are living along the DART route it can be better then the bus as peak hour traffic does not affect the timetable.
The DART is also excellent if you want to do some sightseeing! You can take the DART at one of the city-centre stations (such as Pearse Street or Connolly Station) and visit Bray or Howth for the day. The journey is truly spectacular, weaving along the coastline with panoramic views of Dublin Bay and the Irish sea. A popular day out is to Howth, a small fishing village 30 minutes from Dublin.
Here you can try some authentic fish and chips, a pint of Guinness and if you have any energy left, do the ‘Howth Peninsula’ walk which takes 1 – 2 hours and offers breathtaking views of the Irish Sea.
Cost
Standard Fare (using longest route of Greystones to Dublin as an example): €6.20 / €4.90 with LEAP card
LUAS
The LUAS (Gaelic for ’speed’) is Dublin’s only tram network. It mainly consists of two lines; a green line and a red line. Both lines have recently been extended into suburbs surrounding the main original lines. The Luas serves one main purpose, which is to offer transport to commuters in such suburban areas as Tallaght or Drimnagh into the city-centre.
As Dublin is quite a small city, it is possible to use the LUAS if you need to get from the north to the south side, but due to regular stops and traffic lights you may be quicker walking!
It also gets extremely crowded during rush hour so mind your belongings!
Cost
The network is divided into zones, with the cost of your journey dependent on how far you travel.
Standard Fare : from €1.54 / €2.40 with LEAP card
Cycling
This is a relatively new and popular introduction to Dublin. Known simply as ‘Dublin Bikes’, this is a network of bike stations distributed all across town where you can pick up or leave a bike.
Similar to other countries such as Barcelona or Paris, this is a cheap and efficient way to get around Dublin city with pay plans for long term customers and shorter plans for visitors or residents of Dublin who may not use it very often.
Cost
An Annual Card costs €25 and a three-day ticket costs €5. The first half hour is free on every bike.
If you have a LEAP card, you can also use this service.
How do you get around Dublin cheaply?
This can depend on how long you plan on staying and what type of travel you decide to do. For long term internships in Ireland and if you simply want to get to work and back with occasional trips a little outside the cit on the DART line, we recommend a LEAP card.
This is a smart card which allows you to travel on LUAS, DART, Dublin Bus, Dublin Bikes and use public transport services in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, Athlone, Kilkenny and Wexford.
You can purchase this card at a number of convenience stores (such as Spar) and then just ‘top up’ the account whenever needed.
Once you take any form of public transport, you simply swipe the card on designated points and the fare is deducted from your card.
Cost
There is a weekly pay plan for visitors on short internships in Ireland which costs €40 and offers unlimited travel.
HAPPY AND SAFE TRAVELLING!
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