Dublin

Public transportation has improved massively over the last few years, but it is still worse than in other European cities. This is more of a problem for the commuter than the visitor to Dublin, however, as the city centre is easy to get around on foot.

By car

Driving in Dublin is not to be recommended for much of the day, particularly in the city centre. Traffic can be heavy and there is an extensive one-way system, which some say is explicitly designed to make it very difficult for cars to enter the city centre. There are a large number of bus lanes buses, taxis and pedal cycles are permitted to use them, the use of which by cars is liable to strict fines. It is usually possible to drive in bus lanes at certain off-peak times, with signs displaying these periods. If you explicidly must travel into the city by car (like on business or you have a disability, it is advisable to do research on your required route using GPS or even Google Maps and to seek suitable parking in advance.

It can be difficult to find parking other than in multi-storey car parks. On-street parking for short periods is allowed at parking meters, but beware of over-staying your time or you will be "clamped" by the clamping companies who patrol frequently - clamp release fees vary from €70-150 per 24 hours.

A system of two ring roads around the city has been introduced in recent years, with color coded signage in purple and blue see the orbital route map (http://www.dublincity.ie/Images/Directional%20Signage%20Scheme_tcm35-11109.pdf. The M50 is Dublin's motorway, it connects to the M1 to the north of Ireland and Belfast near Dublin airport and to the M11 servicing Wicklow, Wexford and the South south of the city and to other motorways and national roads along its "C-shaped" route. It has recently been upgraded so is less congested, and is well signposted.

However, crossing the river using the M50 entails crossing the Westlink bridge. This is a toll bridge with the amount of the toll varying depending on the type of vehicle and how it is paid. It is important to note that the toll cannot be paid at booths while crossing the bridge but must be paid by internet or phone or using electronic passes in the vehicle, or in certain shops. The vehicle passes through the toll gate without being stopped but the registration plate is photographed automatically. The toll must be paid by 8 p.m. the following day (http://www.eflow.ie)

After this deadline, the longer the toll remains unpaid the higher the fees involved. For foreign registered vehicles, this currently presents no problem as the Irish vehicle registration base does not have access to foreign ownership details, but for Irish registered vehicles, including rental cars, any fees due, including penalties for late payment, may well be reclaimed through the rental company and subsequently from the credit card of the person hiring the car.

Outside of the city centre, parking is generally not an issue, and ample free parking can be found outside of the M50 and in certain areas within the M50 ring road.

By bus

An extensive bus service operated by the state-controlled Dublin Bus serves the city and its suburbs, right out to the very outer suburbs. There are around 200 bus routes in Dublin. However, the route numbering system is highly confusing, with numbers having been issued non-sequentially, with suffix letters and alternate destinations. The bus will display its final destination on the front of the bus, but there are no announcements for intermediate stops; therefore, obtaining a route map from Dublin Bus is essential. Here are some pointers about using the bus services:

Dublin Bus accepts coin fares only no notes for the vast majority of its routes the exceptions being the Airlink 747 and Dublin Port ferry connection. Many newsagents and the Dublin Bus Office 59 O'Connell Street, to the right of General Post Office sell 10-trip and one-day, three-day and five-day bus passes that offer a good value and much convenience so there will be no need to make sure you have the right amount of change.

Bus fares can be paid directly to the driver, just tell him your destination. If you do not have exact change, you will get an extra change receipt along with your ticket, which you can exchange back at the main bus office at 59 Upper O'Connell Street.

Most city buses leave from or run through the O'Connell Street area including Mountjoy and Parnell Squares, Eden Quay and Fleet Street and the Trinity College area including Pearse Street, Nassau Street, Dame Street and College Green.

Daytime buses run from around 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., on weekends there are also 18 late-night routes known as the Nitelink service, suffixed by an N, that run from midnight until around 4 a.m. The Nitelink fare is a flat rate of €5. (http://www.dublinbus.ie/e...).

The Xpresso is a special service designed to allow for faster and more efficient bus travel for daily commuters during both morning and evening rush hour traffic. Xpresso routes are more direct than many other bus routes, offering passengers a quicker service. These routes also have fewer stops and therefore reduce journey times between destinations. There are 13 of these routes in operation. The numbers on the front of a bus are suffixed with an 'X'. A minimum flat fare varies based on distance traveled is charged on these services so they are usually more expensive than a non-Xpresso, bus that may be traveling along the same route.

There is a ferry port link operated by Dublin Bus from Dublin Port to Busaras Central Bus Station. The fare from Dublin Port to Busaras is about €3.50.

It should be noted that, while there is effectively no queuing system at bus stops, those paying with cash generally enter to the left of the doors, and those using card tickets enter to the right. Your position in a perceived queue for a bus may be effectively irrelevant once it arrives. If you have a prepaid ticket, avoid queuing: just get onto the bus on the right hand side of the front door.

If you see An Lár written as the destination on a bus, it means that it is going to the city centre.

Times displayed on timetables either at stops or elsewhere do not indicate the time the bus is expected to pass that stop; they are the times the bus departs from its terminus either in the city centre or at the other end. This is mainly due to the fact that Dublin's roads are exceptionally overcrowded, making it very difficult to predict the actual time. Real time information on bus arrivals is available on the Dublin Bus website (http://www.dublinbus.ie/RTPI/) and as an App, many bus stops also have electronic count down screens illustrating when the next buses will arrive, although this information is not always fully accurate.

By Train/Tram

The Luas (http://www.luas.ie/) a tram/light-rail system runs frequently and reliably, and is handy for getting around the city centre. There are two lines - red running from Connolly railway station and the Point Theatre to the suburb of Tallaght and green running from St. Stephen's Green to Bride's Glen in Cherrywood. The lines do not connect. The distance between Abbey Street on the red line and St Stephen's Green, the start of the green line, is about a 15 min walk. Tickets can be bought on the platforms at the machines and do not need to be validated. The fare structure is based on zones, with rides within the central zone costing €1.50. A large amount of further expansion of this network is expected within the next decade.

The DART (http://www.dublin.ie/tran...) suburban rail service runs along the coast between Greystones in the south and Howth and Malahide in the north. Tickets can be bought in the stations, from a window or a machine. There are four other suburban rail lines servicing areas around Dublin: (http://www.irishrail.ie/h...), three of these lines operate from Connolly Station, the other from Heuston Station.

For Luas and DART network and station maps visit Dublin transportation Office site (http://www.dto.ie/web2006...).