Cork Bus Guide: City Routes, TFI 90 Fare and Leap

Getting around Cork by bus is simplest with a TFI Leap Card. Since 20 July 2026 every city bus journey costs one flat TFI 90 fare of €1.70, and you can change buses as often as you need for 90 minutes. buses.app lists 23 city bus lines in Cork with timetables, stops and maps.

How do buses in Cork work?

Cork city buses run under the TFI Cork brand and are operated by Bus Éireann. The network links the city centre with the suburbs. Grand Parade and Dennehy's Cross are among the busiest bus stops in Ireland in our data, which gives you an idea of how central they are to the network.

You can see every line, with its stops and timetable, on the Cork routes and timetables page, and the whole network on the Cork bus map.

How much is a bus ticket in Cork?

At the time of writing (September 2026), fares on Cork city buses are:

• TFI 90 fare with Leap: €1.70 adult, €0.85 young adult / student, €0.55 child.
• Cash single: €2.40 adult, €0.80 child. A cash ticket is for one journey only, with no transfers.

The TFI 90 fare replaced the old stage-based fares, which ranged from €1.35 to €1.55. The full list, including the date it was checked, is on the Cork tickets page.

How does the TFI 90 fare work in Cork?

Tap your Leap Card on the validator when you board the first bus. For the next 90 minutes you can change to any other TFI Cork city bus as often as you need, tapping on each time, and you pay only once. With cash you pay again on every bus, so if your trip needs a change, Leap saves even more than the 30% difference on a single fare.

Is there a daily or weekly cap in Cork?

Yes. Once your Leap spending on eligible Cork city services reaches the cap, the rest of the period is free:

• Daily cap: €5.10 adult, €2.55 young adult / student, €1.65 child.
• Weekly cap (Monday to Sunday): €20.40 adult, €10.20 young adult / student, €6.60 child.

Keep tapping on every bus after you reach the cap; the card simply stops charging.

Where do I get a Leap Card in Cork?

TFI Leap Cards are sold at more than 2,000 agents across Ireland, including PostPoint shops and post offices, and online. An adult card costs €10 to start: a €5 refundable deposit plus €5 of credit. You can top up in the Leap Top-Up app, at Leap agents in the city or at the Cork commuter rail ticket machines. If you do pay cash on the bus, have the exact fare ready, because drivers do not give change.

Who travels free or at a discount?

• Children under 5 travel free, and children aged 5 to 8 travel free with a Child (5–8) Leap Card.
• Children and teenagers up to and including 18 pay the child fare with a Child Leap Card.
• Young adults aged 19 to 25 and students pay about half the adult fare with a personalised Young Adult or Student Leap Card, ordered online.
• People aged 66 and over who live in Ireland travel free with a Free Travel pass on their Public Services Card.

What about the train to Cobh and Midleton?

Cork also has a commuter rail line to Cobh and Midleton. It is not part of the TFI 90 bus fare and is charged by zone: with Leap an adult pays €1.40 in Zone A, €1.95 in Zone B and €3.00 in Zone C. Tap on and off at the station. You can top up your Leap Card at the Cork commuter rail ticket machines and at Leap agents in the city.

How do I get from Cork to other cities?

Intercity buses from Cork leave from the Cork bus station, while trains to Dublin leave from Kent station. The fastest scheduled connections in our timetable data, by bus or train, are:

• Cork to Dublin: 2 h 14 min.
• Cork to Limerick: 1 h 37 min.
• Cork to Killarney: 1 h 18 min; Cork to Waterford: 1 h 50 min; Cork to Tralee: 1 h 55 min.
• Cork to Galway: 3 h 20 min.

How to use buses.app in Cork

• Search for your stop on the Cork stops page to see every line that calls there.
• Use the journey planner to find the right bus, or the right change, from A to B.
• Check service updates for diversions and timetable changes before you set off.