Dublin: airport bus, Leap Card, neighbourhoods, Book of Kells, Kilmainham and what is closed in 2026

Dublin suits you if you want to combine pubs with live music, museums with free admission and day trips to cliffs, monastic sites and passage tombs. According to Visit Dublin, it is 25 minutes by train to Howth on the coast.

Quite a lot is different in 2026: Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty are closed until the end of the year because of the Irish EU Council presidency. Since 1 July 2026 a VAT rate of 9% instead of 13.5% has also applied to food and catering.

Dublin suits you less if you are looking for sun and warmth. At the airport, at least 1 mm of precipitation falls on average on 137 days a year, and in July the average maximum is 19.5 °C (Met Éireann, 1991–2020).

Getting there and from the airport into the city

In 2025 Dublin ranked 18th among all foreign destinations from the main German airports: 1,010,283 passengers boarded there with Dublin as their destination, 95.4% of all passengers from Germany to Ireland. Most departed from Frankfurt, Berlin-Brandenburg and Munich; August was the busiest month, January the quietest (German Federal Statistical Office, year 2025; share, departure airports and months: our own evaluation). The Irish statistics office counted around 433,200 overnight visitors from Germany in Ireland in 2025.

Dublin Airport (DUB): Terminal 1 for Lufthansa, Eurowings and Ryanair

According to the operator daa, the airport is 10 km north of the city. According to the airline list, Lufthansa, Eurowings and Ryanair fly from Terminal 1, Aer Lingus from Terminal 2 (as of September 2026). There is no train or tram into the city; you go by bus, taxi or hire car.

Ireland is not part of the Schengen area. On arrival in Dublin every passenger must go through customs and immigration control.

Dublin Express: every 7.5 minutes, according to the operator

Dublin Express runs from Zone 1 at Terminal 1 and Zone 21 at Terminal 2 to more than 15 stops in the city centre, according to the operator every 7.5 minutes. The 782 stops at Aston Quay (Temple Bar), Usher’s Quay (Guinness Storehouse) and Heuston, among others, the 784 at Trinity College, the 783 in Portobello and Ranelagh. The fastest journey takes 14 minutes. The first bus leaves Terminal 1 at 03:05, the last at 00:35 (as of September 2026).

Online, a single costs from €9, and €3.50 for children aged 3 to 15 on the 782 and 784 (as of September 2026). You cannot pay in cash, only by card, Google Pay or Apple Pay; the Leap Card is not valid here. With your ticket you may travel up to 12 hours earlier or later, if seats are available.

Aircoach: 700 and 700X around the clock

Aircoach stops at Terminal 1 in Zone 2 and at Terminal 2 in Zone 20, and you can pay contactless. The 700 runs via O’Connell Street and Kildare Street, among others, the 700X as an express to the centre. Buses run around the clock on the 700/700X route, according to Aircoach up to every 15 minutes. For the journey to the centre Aircoach gives 20 to 40 minutes, depending on time of day and traffic (as of September 2026). Fares are not given here because the Aircoach pages quote different starting prices.

City buses and Leap Card

TFI routes 16, 19, 24, 33a, 41, 101, 102 and 109A also run from the airport. According to the airport, the TFI network connects the airport and the city centre frequently and around the clock. On the TFI zone map the airport is in Zone 1 (our own evaluation of the map). With a Leap Card you pay the 90-minute fare of €2.00 there on Dublin Bus routes, except on Express and Nitelink buses (as of September 2026).

At the airport, SPAR in Terminal 2, for example, sells the Leap Visitor Card. It costs €8.00 for 24 hours, €18.00 for 72 and €24.00 for 168 hours, counted from the first journey (as of September 2026). It is valid on Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland (city routes), Luas, DART and Commuter Rail in Zone 1, not on Bus Éireann. According to the German version of the Leap page, the journey from and to the airport is included at no extra charge. That applies to the city buses, not to Dublin Express.

Taxi: €30 to €45 to the centre, according to the airport

Taxis wait in front of both terminals around the clock. According to the airport, the journey to the centre costs €30 to €45, to Heuston €40 to €50 (as of September 2026). The national maximum fare applies, in force since 1 December 2024:

• Standard rate (Mon–Sat 08:00–20:00, except public holidays): €4.40 starting charge, then €1.32 per km or €0.47 per minute up to €23.60, above that €1.72 per km
• Premium rate (20:00–08:00, Sundays and public holidays): €5.40 starting charge, then €1.81 per km or €0.64 per minute up to €31.80, above that €2.20 per km
• Special rate (Sat and Sun 00:00–04:00, Christmas, New Year's Eve): €5.40 starting charge, then €2.20 per km
• Pre-booking: €3 surcharge

Return flight: security at Dublin

Since September 2025 C3 scanners have been in use at the checkpoints of both terminals. According to the operator, 97% of passengers got through security in less than 20 minutes in 2025.

Where to stay: the neighbourhoods compared

The table compares seven neighbourhoods with their connections (network map as of June 2026).

Where “—” appears, the sources evaluated name no drawback.

Sights: times, prices and rules in 2026

Book of Kells and Old Library: from €26, entry by time slot

The manuscript, around 1,200 years old, lies in a treasury at Trinity College; it is currently open at the Gospel of Matthew. Besides the Old Library, the Book of Kells Experience includes a digital show in the Red Pavilion, takes around 90 minutes and costs from €26 (as of September 2026). Without the Red Pavilion the visit costs from €19 and takes 45 minutes. Entry is by time slot, Trinity strongly advises booking online; tickets once bought are not refunded.

It is open Monday to Thursday from 08:30 to 18:30, Fridays and Saturdays until 19:00, and Sundays from 09:00 to 18:30 (as of September 2026). In the Long Room, books currently remain only in the first four shelf bays at the entrance; the rest have been cleared out for the redevelopment of the Old Library. Trinity warns about the fake ticket site “T Codex Shop”.

Guinness Storehouse: entry in a 15-minute window

According to the Storehouse, the price depends on day, time and age: the visit page says from €24, and according to the FAQ adults usually pay from €26 (as of September 2026). Online the ticket is €2 cheaper than at the ticket desk, where you can pay by card only. Entry is in 15-minute windows; if you miss yours, you move to the next free one. You can rebook free of charge up to 24 hours beforehand; for a more expensive time slot you pay the difference.

A drink is included in the price, and at the top is the Gravity Bar with a panoramic view. It is open Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 09:30 to 17:00, Fridays and Saturdays until 18:00; the building stays open two hours longer in each case (as of September 2026).

Kilmainham Gaol: guided tour only, tickets 28 days in advance

From 1796 to 1924 Kilmainham was Dublin's county gaol. Leaders of several uprisings were held here, from the rebellion of 1798 to the Easter Rising of 1916. You can only get in with a guided tour and a pre-booked ticket; adults pay €8 (as of September 2026). Only tickets from kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie and heritageireland.ie are valid. Allow 90 minutes; part of it is outdoors, and in winter it is very cold inside.

The museum opens at 10:30 and, from October to March, closes at 17:15 according to both operator sites. For April to September, Heritage Ireland gives 17:45, the museum page 17:15 all year (as of September 2026). To get there, take bus 60 from Wellington Quay or Heuston, or the Luas Red Line to Suir Road.

St Patrick’s Cathedral: €11.50 admission

Jonathan Swift, who wrote “Gulliver’s Travels”, is buried in the cathedral, and the choir sings daily. Adults pay €11.50, children aged 6 to 12 €5.50, and the combined ticket with Marsh’s Library costs €17 (as of September 2026). Last admission is at 17:00 Monday to Friday and at 18:00 on Saturdays.

Free of charge: National Museum, National Gallery, Phoenix Park

The National Museum of Ireland charges no admission at any of its four sites. The archaeology site in Kildare Street opens at 10:00 Tuesday to Saturday and at 13:00 on Sundays and Mondays, in each case until 17:00 (as of September 2026). The permanent exhibition of the National Gallery is also free; the gallery is open until 20:30 on Thursdays.

Phoenix Park has been open to the public since 1747 and, according to the Office of Public Works, is among the largest enclosed parks in European capital cities. In the park are Dublin Zoo and the official residence of the President. It is open around the clock (as of September 2026).

Howth: cliff path from the DART station

According to Visit Dublin, Howth is 25 minutes by train from the centre, the DART stops there, and according to the TFI zone map the town is in Zone 1 (our own evaluation). The Cliff Path Loop circular walk starts and ends at the DART station. The route description on visitdublin.com gives 7.8 km and around 2 hours, the Howth guide on the same site 6 km (as of September 2026). On the way you see Lambay Island, Ireland’s Eye and the Baily lighthouse.

Glendalough in County Wicklow

In Glendalough, St Kevin founded a monastery in the 6th century; a round tower, medieval stone churches and decorated crosses survive. The visitor centre charges €5 admission and is open daily from 09:30 to 18:00 until 14 October, then until 17:00 (as of September 2026). From Dublin the private St Kevin’s Bus, route 181, runs to Glendalough.

Brú na Bóinne: Newgrange and Knowth by guided tour only

The passage tombs of Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth in County Meath date from around 3200 BC; Brú na Bóinne has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. You can visit Newgrange and Knowth only on a guided tour, by shuttle bus from the visitor centre. Tickets are very scarce, so book in advance; even toddlers need one. From May to September the visitor centre closes at 17:45, from October to February at 16:15 (as of September 2026).

Cliffs of Moher: around 4 hours by car

The cliffs in County Clare reach 214 m and belong to the UNESCO Global Geopark “Burren and Cliffs of Moher”. By car you need, according to the operator, around 4 hours from Dublin via Limerick, and up to 2 hours for the visit. Without online booking, adults pay €15 at the ticket desk, while up to four accompanied children under 12 go free (as of September 2026). From May to August it is open until 21:00, from November to February only from 09:00 to 17:00.

Best time to visit: Dublin's climate month by month

The figures come from the Irish weather service Met Éireann, Dublin Airport station, averages for the years 1991 to 2020.

May and June are the sunniest months, with 6.4 and 6.0 hours of sunshine a day, and June has the fewest rain days at 9.8. July is the warmest; the absolute maximum for the years 1991 to 2020 was 27.2 °C. November is the wettest month at 82.7 mm; December has the most rain days and the least sun.

Costs

The table gives only prices from operators and authorities, no flight or hotel prices. For Aircoach see “Getting there”.

VAT: 9% on food since 1 July 2026

Since 1 July 2026 Ireland has applied the reduced VAT rate of 9% instead of 13.5% to food and catering, including in hotels. Hotel accommodation is excluded. According to the Department of Finance, the rate is permanent, with no end date.

Practical information

Public transport: Leap Card, Luas and DART

According to the National Transport Authority, the Leap Card is up to 30% cheaper than a single ticket paid for in cash. The 90-minute fare of €2.00 allows any number of changes between Dublin Bus, the city routes of Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas, DART and Commuter Rail in Zone 1 (as of September 2026). On the bus you hold the card against the reader only when boarding, on the Luas and DART when entering and leaving. If you do not tap on in the Luas, you risk a penalty fare of €100.

The Luas has two lines, the Red Line and the Green Line. From The Point the first tram runs at 05:30 Monday to Friday, the last at 00:30 Monday to Saturday (as of September 2026). Tickets are not sold on board; you buy single tickets from the machine. The DART runs along the coast from Malahide and Howth through the city centre to Greystones. In the city it stops at Connolly, Tara Street, Pearse and Grand Canal Dock.

Money, time, emergencies, electricity

You pay in euros. In Dublin it is one hour earlier than in Germany all year round.

You can reach the emergency services for police (Garda), ambulance and fire brigade on 999 or 112, and the Irish Tourist Assistance Service on +353 1 666 9354. The sockets are three-pin, at 230 volts and 50 hertz (Fáilte Ireland). The Irish standard I.S. 411 for 13-amp sockets is mandatory.

The current rules on entry, safety and health can be found at the German Foreign Office.

Who this is not for

• If you are looking for sun and warmth: On 137 days a year at least 1 mm of precipitation falls, and in December the sun shines for only 1.7 hours a day on average.
• If you want to see Dublin Castle or the Chester Beatty in 2026: Both remain closed until the end of 2026 because of the EU Council presidency.
• If you want to go to the big attractions spontaneously: Kilmainham Gaol only with a booked tour, Book of Kells and Guinness Storehouse with time slots, Newgrange and Knowth with very scarce tickets.
• If you want to take the train from the airport: There is neither a train nor a tram; into the city it is by bus, taxi or hire car.
• If you expect full shelves in the Long Room: Apart from the first four shelf bays at the entrance, the books have been cleared out.