DESTINATIONS ireland dublin train-and-tram-travel

TRAVEL TIPS

Train and Tram Travel

As a delightfully compact city, Dublin does not have—or need—a subway system. But its LUAS trams and DART electric railway are great ways to get around the city center and beyond. The DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) connects Dublin with the fishing village of Howth to the north and the seaside resort of Bray to the south on a fast, efficient, superscenic train line that hugs the coastline, providing one spectacular view after another. But this line also runs through the center city with three convenient stations and then continues to such seaside destinations as Dun Laoghaire, Dalkey, and Bray.

As for the LUAS tram service, it runs two lines right into the heart of the city, facilitating easy access to sights like the Guinness Storehouse (James Street stop), O'Connell Street (the Northside Abbey Street stop), and St. Stephen's Green.

Tickets can be bought at stations, but it's also possible to buy weekly rail tickets, as well as weekly or monthly rail-and-bus tickets, from the Irish Rail Travel Centre. Leap Cards work on the buses, DART, and LUAS.

Contacts

Connolly Station. Amiens St., Dublin North, Dublin, Co. Dublin, 1.

DART. 01/836–6222; www.irishrail.ie/dart.

Heuston Station. End of Victoria Quay, Dublin West, Dublin, Co. Dublin, 8.

Irish Rail–Iarnod Éireann. 01/836–6222; www.irishrail.ie.

LUAS. 1800/300–604; www.luas.ie.

Pearse Station. Westland Row, Dublin South, Dublin, Co. Dublin, 2.

Train and Tram Fares and Schedules

DART service starts at 6:10 am and runs until 11:30 pm; at peak periods—8 to 9:30 am and 5 to 7 pm—trains arrive every five minutes. At other times of the day, the intervals between trains are 15 to 25 minutes. Individual fares begin at €2.20 and range up to €5.90 one-way. You'll pay a heavy penalty for traveling the DART without a ticket. LUAS trams run from 5:30 am until 12:30 am Monday to Saturday and 7 am until 11:30 pm on Sunday. They come every 7 to 10 minutes at peak times and every 15 to 20 minutes after that. Fares range from €1.90 to €3.10 according to the number of zones traveled.

Trains to and from Dublin

Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) runs intercity trains connecting Dublin with the rest of Ireland. Connolly Station provides train service to and from the east coast, Belfast, the north (with stops in Malahide, Skerries, and Drogheda), the northwest, and some destinations to the south, such as Wicklow. Heuston Station is the place for trains to and from the south and west including Galway, Limerick, and Cork. Trains also run from here to Kildare Town, Newbridge, and other west-of-Dublin stops.

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