mini break 2010 - ground transportation: Dublin

Again, I stress the power and usefulness of google! A simple search for "transportation to and from Dublin Airport," gave me this useful little link to the Dublin Airport website. Here they list the different ways to and from the airport including car, taxi, bus, and rail.

Another little tidbit, look on the website of the hotel you plan on using. We're staying at the Anchor Guest House and on their 'locations' link they give directions on how to get to and from the airport. Nice! It even gives the fares, showing that the bus from the airport is €6 for adults and that bus fares within the city are €2.20.

I've been to Dublin before and it's a relatively small city. It's definitely possible to visit most of the bigger tourist attractions by walking (though, I suppose the biggest factor in that would be the location of the hotel). If you need it, there's a public bus system, but because of city traffic, it can be unreliable. There's also a rail system; it's not really for travelling around Dublin but for travelling outside the city to neighboring suburbs and countryside.

And, the growing trend of city biking hasn't escaped Dublin either. Dublin Bikes allows you to rent a bike for a few euro per hour (check the site for rates). The first half hour is free!

Our flight out of Dublin (heading to Paris) is going to be early in the morning, before buses are running, so it won't be possible for us to take public transportation back to the airport. We will probably ask our hotel to book a car for us. I found this website, called world taxi meter, where you can choose a city, fill in starting and ending addresses, and it tells you the approximate fare for the ride. The site estimates that it will about €21. It even incorporates fees and traffic time and probably overestimates the fare a bit; I like that it's conservative.

Breakdown of travel:
  • Arrive in Dublin on Friday (05Nov) morning, take public transportation from the airport into the city.
  • Take a taxi from the city to the airport on Saturday (06Nov) to catch our flight to Paris.
  • Arrive back in Dublin on Friday (12Nov), coming in from Holland, take public transportation from the airport into the city.
  • Take public transportation back to the airport on Sunday (14Nov) to catch our flight back to the U.S.
I estimate that we will spend approximately €70.20 (for both of us) on transportation in Dublin. That translates to about $90.40, or $45.20 per person.

Comments