Dublin Airport is 10km from the city center. Ireland uses the Euro. Here's what every option actually costs, taken from the operators' own published fares.
Budget option: Dublin Bus — 2.00 EUR
Dublin Bus lists three of its routes through the airport: 16, 19 and 24. A single journey costs 2.00 EUR for an adult with a TFI Leap Card — that is the TFI 90-Minute fare for Zone 1, and it also covers any further Dublin Bus, Luas or DART leg you tap onto within 90 minutes (Transport for Ireland / TFI Leap Card). Young adults and students pay 1.00 EUR; children pay 0.65 EUR. Route 16 runs to Ballinteer via Drumcondra and the city centre every 10-15 minutes; routes 19 and 24 run to Merrion Square.
The downside: regular city buses are slow, can be crowded, and have limited luggage space. Not ideal with suitcases.
Best value: Aircoach — from 6 EUR
The Aircoach (routes 700/700X to the city centre and Leopardstown, plus the 702) is the sweet spot between cheap and comfortable. Aircoach's published fares:
- One-way, booked online: from 6 EUR
- Return, booked online: from 8 EUR
- Onboard: contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay accepted; Aircoach recommends booking online in advance to guarantee a seat and get the best fare
Comfortable coaches with luggage storage, departing as often as every 15 minutes, 24/7. Takes 20-40 minutes to the city centre depending on traffic.
Book 2 adults and 2 children online together and Aircoach applies an automatic 10% discount; children under 3 travel free. Fares change, so check aircoach.ie before you travel.
Door-to-door: Taxi
Dublin taxis are metered, and the meter is capped by the National Maximum Taxi Fare set by the National Transport Authority — a regulated initial charge plus a distance-and-time rate that steps up on evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays. The NTA publishes the tariff and an official fare estimator at transportforireland.ie; check it for your exact route, because the fare depends on the tariff band you travel in and on how long you sit in traffic. The fare is reviewed periodically.
That means there is no honest fixed number to quote you for a Dublin taxi: the same trip to Stephen's Green costs one thing at 11 AM on a Tuesday and another at 5 PM on a Friday, because the meter keeps running while you sit in traffic and the rate itself is higher in the evening tariff band. Use the NTA's official estimator at transportforireland.ie for your route and time, or book a fixed-price transfer if you want to know the number before you land.
Premium: Private transfer
| Vehicle | Capacity | Price to city center |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan | 1-3 passengers | 35-50 EUR |
| Executive sedan | 1-3 passengers | 50-70 EUR |
| Minivan | 4-6 passengers | 55-75 EUR |
| People carrier | 5-8 passengers | 65-85 EUR |
Fixed-price private transfer
DUB Dublin City Center
From€58for 2 passengers
Other destinations
The fixed price is the key advantage. Dublin traffic is unpredictable, and a transfer price doesn't change whether the ride takes 20 minutes or 50 minutes.
Cost comparison by group size
| Group size | Dublin Bus (Leap) | Aircoach (online) | Taxi | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 2.00 EUR | from 6 EUR | Metered | Fixed, quoted at booking |
| 2 people | 4.00 EUR | from 12 EUR | Metered | Fixed, quoted at booking |
| 3 people | 6.00 EUR | from 18 EUR | Metered | Fixed, quoted at booking |
| 4 people | 8.00 EUR | from 24 EUR* | Metered** | Fixed, quoted at booking (minivan) |
*Aircoach applies an automatic 10% discount to 2 adults + 2 children booked online, and under-3s travel free.
**Four in a taxi with luggage is very tight. A taxi fare is metered under the NTA maximum fare and does not divide neatly by head — the meter charges the car, not the person, so it gets relatively better with more people.
The Aircoach offers the best value for 1-3 people. For 4+ people, a taxi or minivan transfer becomes competitive per person.
Hidden costs
- Rush hour traffic adds significantly to a metered taxi fare, because the meter runs while you are stopped
- Evening, night, weekend and bank-holiday travel moves the taxi meter into a higher regulated tariff band — the NTA fare estimator at transportforireland.ie will show the difference for your trip
- A TFI Leap Card costs extra to buy on top of the fare you load onto it — check the current price at leapcard.ie — but it is what unlocks the 2.00 EUR bus fare
- No tolls between the airport and city center on the direct route
Bottom line
The Aircoach from 6 EUR is Dublin's best airport transport deal — 24/7 service, comfortable, reliable. The Dublin Bus at 2.00 EUR with a Leap Card is cheaper still if you are travelling light. Taxis are convenient but the regulated meter makes the final price unpredictable in Dublin traffic. If you want certainty, a fixed-price transfer eliminates the traffic risk.