Getting around

BY F. BENDER

One of the first problems new students face when they arrive at Dublin Airport is how to get to where they want to go. It is not easy to find your way around an unfamiliar town but with a little preparation you will quickly get the hang of it.

There are three public transport systems in Dublin: 

• The Luas
• The DART
• Dublin Bus

The Luas by B. Vysoky

The Luas is a tram that runs on two lines: the Red and the Green line. It is an easy and straightforward way to get from the city centre to various suburbs of Dublin. But, because it only runs on two lines, the connection is limited. If you live in Tallaght, the Luas would be an easy option for you to get into town. Also, if you live in one of the Southern suburbs like Sandyford, the Luas is definitely the way to go. Once you have reached the city centre though (St.Stephen’s Green or Abbey Street), you will have to either walk or take a bus to go any further.  

Tickets: There are several different student tickets available (weekly or monthly). It is best to check out their web page for further information.

 

The DART by B. Vysoky

The DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) is the Irish Rail’s  transport system that connects the coastal suburbs with the city centre. This option is faster than the Luas or the Bus but also limited. It is suitable for people who live outside Dublin and where a bus would take too long. Also, the DART does not get you to DCU, which means you would have to continue your journey by bus. Therefore, you would not only need a ticket for the DART but also for whichever additional transport system you choose then.

Tickets: The Irish Rail have various weekly or monthly ticket offers for students.

It all leads to the inevitable: Dublin Bus. This is probably the easiest way to get around. You will see the yellow buses all over town and once you figured this system out, it is the quickest and simplest option as it connects almost every corner of the city. Due to the fact that you might have to use several buses to get to your destination, it is probably worth considering getting one of the many student tickets as listed below. This way, you won’t have to pay for each and every single fare. Instead, you pay a fixed price and once you have scanned the ticket on your first fare, every following one this day is included. This is especially handy for those of you who live a bit further away and who need to change buses in order to get to college.

Tickets: You can buy a ticket from the driver as soon as you have entered the bus or you can go for one of the various student options:

The Dublin Bus by B. Vysoky

• 5 Day Rambler €17.20
• 30 Day Rambler €86.00
• Student 7 Day Bus and Luas €26.30
• Student 30 Day Bus and Luas €92.50
• Student Monthly Short Hop €102.00 (One calendar month on Dublin bus and DART system)

Make sure to keep checking the current fare prices as they are subject to change and get increased on a regular basis.

Please note that you will always need a valid Student Travelcard in order to buy a student ticket for either the Luas, the DART or Bus.  You can get the card in the student unions office on campus. All you need is a photo and € 15,-. If you can’t present your Travelcard when the ticket inspectors asks for it, you might get charged a fine of € 50,-. With the Travelcard you can also get some discounts. For example in Boots, McDonalds, AIB, Costa, meteor, Xtra-vision, TOPSHOP, Champion, GAA 

A new ticket option is the Leap Card. This is a card that you can top-up and which can be used on the bus, the DART and the Luas. The best thing about this card is the fact that it covers all of the three systems. You can get the card in the Dublin Bus Headquarter on at O’Connell street. All you need to do is top it up with €5,- and pay a refundable €5,- for the card, then you are ready to go. Once your money has run out, you can top it up in various places all over town. Watch out for the Leap Card sign in your local newsagent.

Tips for smooth sailing

• If you don’t hold out your hand when waiting at the bus stop the driver will keep going
• If you don’t have a ticket and have to buy one from the driver: queue on the left -  If you have one of the prepaid student tickets: queue and enter the bus on the right
• When you leave the bus, say ‘thank you’ or other thankful expressions to the driver
• Dublin Bus has an App that is very handy. Each bus stop has a number that you can type into your phone to see when the next bus is coming (Dublin Bus App)
• Don’t rely on the timetables. Sometimes, there is no bus for ages and then you will have three in a row. Just take the unpredictable departure times into consideration whenever you are planning a trip.
• Don’t forget to scan your ticket when entering the bus. When it was successful you will hear a long beeping sound as one day is being deducted off your card.
• Make sure you know where you need to get off as there is no stop announcement on the bus.
• Press the ‘stop’ button to let the driver know that you want to get off the bus. If you don’t do that the driver will continue driving.

If you want to travel outside Dublin, you can either take the train or BusEireann. Bus Eireann has its own main bus station called Busáras. It is located close to the Liffey on the North side of Dublin. The next train station is Connolly but you can also get there by bus or the Red Luas line. The buses also depart from Heuston station, which is the other big train and bus station in Dublin. It is located in the West of the city. From there, you can take buses to anywhere in the country. They also offer tickets at student rates so make sure you have a valid student ID when travelling.

Last but not least, as an international student you will find yourself traveling to the airport quite a bit so knowing about the transport opportunities is vital. Apart from Dublin Bus you can get there with one of the shuttle buses:

Aircoach is a bus service that operates every day for 24 hours, which is handy if you have an early or late flight.

Airlink connects train and bus stations as well as other parts of the city centre with the airport.

Urbus links the northern suburbs with the airport.