Dublin bus tickets & fares

Official fares for city buses in Dublin: tickets, passes, discounts and where to buy.

Fares at a glance

A single ticket costs €2.00 (90 minutes, unlimited transfers in Zone 1).

Tickets

TFI 90 Minute Fare — adult (Leap) 90 minutes, unlimited transfers in Zone 1One fare for any combination of Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland city buses, Luas, DART and commuter rail within Zone 1, as long as you tap on the last service within 90 minutes of the first. Not valid on Xpresso, Nitelink or commuter buses. The NTA has announced a rise to €2.30 from January 2027. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€2.00
TFI 90 Minute Fare — young adult / student (Leap) 90 minutes, Zone 1Young Adult (19–25) or Student TFI Leap Card required. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€1.00
TFI 90 Minute Fare — child (Leap) 90 minutes, Zone 1Child TFI Leap Card, ages 5–18 (children 5–8 travel free with the Child 5–8 card). Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€0.65
Short fare — Leap Short journeys (a few stops / up to about 3 km)Charged automatically instead of the TFI 90 fare on short hops on bus, Luas and DART. Young adult / student €0.75, child €0.65. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€1.50
Dublin Bus cash fare — short One journey, short stagePaid at the driver’s ticket machine with coins only — no notes, no change given. Child cash fare €0.90 (any distance). Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€2.00
Dublin Bus cash fare — long One journey, longer stageWith a TFI Leap Card the same journey costs €2.00 (TFI 90) — Leap is up to 30% cheaper than cash. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€2.60
Xpresso & Nitelink — Leap One journey on express or night busesCash €3.10. Young adult / student €1.20, child €1.00 (Leap). Xpresso counts towards the daily / weekly cap; Nitelink does not, and neither is covered by the TFI 90 fare. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€2.40
Luas single ticket — machine 1 zone, 90 minutes from issue (2–8 zones €2.60)Sold only at the ticket machines at every stop, never on the tram. Return €4.00 (1 zone) / €5.20 (2–8 zones); child single €0.90, return €1.80. No student or young adult single tickets — use a Leap Card (TFI 90 €2.00, short €1.50). Tap on and off with Leap or risk a €100 Standard Fare Notice. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€2.00
DART & commuter rail — Leap (Zone 1) Zone 1: TFI Dublin City — bus, Luas, DART and commuter railThe TFI 90 fare (€2.00; young adult / student €1.00; child €0.65) and the short fare (€1.50) also apply on DART and commuter trains within Zone 1; tap on and off at the station. Cash single tickets from machines: short €2.00, long €2.60, child €0.90. Trains from Zones 2–4 are charged by zone. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€2.00

Passes and cards

Leap daily cap — adult 04:30 to 04:29 the next day, Zone 1Once your Travel Credit spend on Dublin city buses, Luas, DART and commuter rail in Zone 1 reaches the cap, the rest of the day is free — keep tapping on and off. Young adult / student €3.00, child €1.95. The NTA has announced €6.90 from January 2027. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€6.00
Leap weekly cap — adult Monday 04:30 to Monday 04:29, Zone 1Same services as the daily cap; the week always runs Monday to Sunday. Young adult / student €12.00, child €7.80. The NTA has announced €27.60 from January 2027. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€24.00
Monthly ticket — Zone 1 (Leap) Calendar month, Zone 1 multimodalLoaded on a TFI Leap Card via the Leap Top-Up app. Young adult / student €48.00, child €31.70. Zones 1–2 €140.00, 1–3 €196.00, 1–4 €235.20 (rail and commuter bus). Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€96.00

Discounts and free travel

Free travel — Children aged 0–4 travel free; children aged 5–8 travel free with a Child (5–8) TFI Leap Card. People aged 66+ resident in Ireland travel free under the Free Travel Scheme with a Public Services Card (Department of Social Protection); the pass is accepted on all TFI services. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.
Young adult & student discount — Young adults aged 19–25 and students (Young Adult / Student TFI Leap Card, personalised, ordered online) pay about 50% of the adult Leap fare. Child fares apply up to and including age 18 with a Child TFI Leap Card. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.

Buying tickets and notes

Where to buy — TFI Leap Cards are sold at 2,000+ agents (PostPoint shops, post offices) and online; top up with the Leap Top-Up app, at agents or at Luas / DART ticket machines. Cash fares are paid to the driver — exact fare, drivers do not give change. Luas tickets: machines at the stop only. Trains: station machines or Leap. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.

Leap Card, discounts and country-wide fares

Cards, free travel, discounts and rural fares that apply across the country.

TFI Leap Card — adult Refundable deposit + €5 minimum top-up (€10 to start)Works nationwide on Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas, DART / commuter rail, Bus Éireann city and town services, TFI Local Link and selected commercial buses; up to 30% cheaper than cash. Child (5–15 and 16–18) cards: €3 deposit + €5 top-up; Young Adult (19–25) and Student cards: €5 + €5, personalised and ordered online only; Child 5–8 card is free and gives free travel. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.€5.00
Where to buy a Leap CardAdult and Child (5–15) cards at 2,000+ TFI Leap agents (PostPoint shops, all post offices), some Irish Rail ticket machines in Dublin, or online. Personalised cards (Child 16–18, Young Adult, Student) online only. Top up with the Leap Top-Up app, at agents, on Luas / DART machines or with Auto Top-Up. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.
Free Travel Scheme & childrenPeople aged 66+ living permanently in Ireland travel free on all TFI services with a Public Services Card marked Free Travel (Department of Social Protection). Children 0–4 travel free; children 5–8 travel free with a Child (5–8) TFI Leap Card. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.Free
Young Adult & Student Leap — 50% offYoung adults aged 19–25 and students (16–18 or 26+ in full-time education) get about 50% off adult Leap fares on TFI services nationwide and on selected commercial bus operators. Child fares (Child Leap Card) apply up to and including age 18. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.
TFI Local Link — rural busesFares depend on distance. Regular rural services: adult single from €1.50 cash (max €17.50) or from €1.10 with Leap (max €12.30); young adult / child single from €1.00 cash or €0.55 Leap; adult 7-day from €8.40 Leap. Door-to-Door services: adult single €1.00–€6.50 cash, child €0.50–€3.00. Free Travel Pass accepted; ask your local Local Link office for the exact fare. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.
Fare changes announced for 2027The NTA Fares Determination 2026 raises adult fares by about 15% on average from January 2027 — the first general increase since 2018: TFI 90 Minute Fare €2.00 → €2.30 (young adult €1.15, child €0.75), Dublin daily cap €6.00 → €6.90, weekly cap €24.00 → €27.60, town Leap single €1.50 → €1.65. Free travel for children under 9 and people aged 66+ stays. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.

Official sources

Prices are taken from the operators' official websites. Check before you travel — operators can change fares.

about.leapcard.ie/tfi-90-minute-fare transportforireland.ie/fares/bus-fares dublinbus.ie/fares-and-tickets/adult about.leapcard.ie/fare-capping about.leapcard.ie/dublin luas.ie/single-and-return-tickets transportforireland.ie/fares/train-fares about.leapcard.ie/about/fares-discounts about.leapcard.ie/about/where-to-buy about.leapcard.ie/about/tfi-leap-card-types buseireann.ie/free-travel-scheme nationaltransport.ie/publications/nta-fares-determination-2026

Frequently asked questions

How much is a bus ticket in Dublin?

TFI 90 Minute Fare — adult (Leap): €2.00 (90 minutes, unlimited transfers in Zone 1).

Is there a day pass in Dublin?

Yes — Leap daily cap — adult: €6.00.

Who travels free or at a discount in Dublin?

Free travel: Children aged 0–4 travel free; children aged 5–8 travel free with a Child (5–8) TFI Leap Card. People aged 66+ resident in Ireland travel free under the Free Travel Scheme with a Public Services Card (Department of Social Protection); the pass is accepted on all TFI services. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26. Young adult & student discount: Young adults aged 19–25 and students (Young Adult / Student TFI Leap Card, personalised, ordered online) pay about 50% of the adult Leap fare. Child fares apply up to and including age 18 with a Child TFI Leap Card. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.

Where can I buy bus tickets in Dublin?

Where to buy: TFI Leap Cards are sold at 2,000+ agents (PostPoint shops, post offices) and online; top up with the Leap Top-Up app, at agents or at Luas / DART ticket machines. Cash fares are paid to the driver — exact fare, drivers do not give change. Luas tickets: machines at the stop only. Trains: station machines or Leap. Fares valid as of September 2026, checked 2026-09-26.