In short
- With a TFI Leap Card one €2.00 TFI 90 fare covers bus, Luas, DART and commuter rail in Zone 1 for 90 minutes.
- Leap spending is capped at €6.00 a day and €24.00 a week for adults in Zone 1.
- Cash on Dublin buses is coins only, costs up to €2.60, and drivers give no change.
- Luas tickets are sold only at the stop machines, never on the tram.
The easiest way to get around Dublin is with a TFI Leap Card: one TFI 90 fare of €2.00 lets you combine buses, the Luas tram and DART trains in the city zone for 90 minutes. Buses cover almost every part of the city, the Luas runs on two lines, and the DART follows the coast.
How does public transport in Dublin work?
Dublin has one integrated network under the Transport for Ireland (TFI) brand. It is made up of:
- City buses run by Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland. buses.app lists more than 200 bus lines in Dublin, plus Xpresso express buses.
- Luas, the tram, with the Red and Green lines.
- DART and commuter rail: 8 rail lines in our data, including the DART along Dublin Bay.
- Night buses: 16 night routes, including Nitelink.
You can browse every line on the Dublin routes and timetables page, or look at the whole network on the Dublin map.
How much is a bus ticket in Dublin?
At the time of writing (September 2026) the main fares are:
- TFI 90 fare with Leap: €2.00 for adults, €1.00 for young adults and students, €0.65 for children.
- Short fare with Leap: €1.50, charged automatically for short hops on bus, Luas and DART (young adult / student €0.75, child €0.65).
- Cash on Dublin Bus: €2.00 for a short stage and €2.60 for a longer one; child €0.90. Pay with coins at the ticket machine next to the driver. Notes are not accepted and no change is given.
- Xpresso and Nitelink: €2.40 with Leap or €3.10 in cash.
Paying with Leap is up to 30% cheaper than cash. The National Transport Authority has announced that the adult TFI 90 fare will rise to €2.30 from January 2027. See the full list on the Dublin tickets page.
What is the TFI 90 minute fare?
TFI 90 is a single fare for any combination of Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland city buses, Luas, DART and commuter rail within Zone 1. Tap your Leap Card on the first service, and as long as you tap on the last one within 90 minutes of the first, you pay only once. You can change as many times as you need.
It does not apply to Xpresso, Nitelink or commuter buses, which are charged separately.
Is there a daily or weekly cap?
Yes. Once your Leap spending in Zone 1 reaches the cap, the rest of the period is free, but you still need to tap on and off:
- Daily cap: €6.00 adult, €3.00 young adult / student, €1.95 child. The travel day runs from 04:30 to 04:29 the next morning.
- Weekly cap: €24.00 adult, €12.00 young adult / student, €7.80 child. The week always runs Monday to Sunday.
Xpresso fares count towards the cap, Nitelink fares do not. If you commute every day, a monthly Zone 1 ticket costs €96.00 on Leap. The caps are set to rise to €6.90 a day and €27.60 a week from January 2027.
How do Luas and DART tickets work?
On the Luas you cannot buy a ticket on board. Paper tickets come only from the machines at every stop: €2.00 for one zone or €2.60 for two to eight zones, valid 90 minutes from issue. With a Leap Card you tap on the validator at the stop before you board and tap off when you get off. Travelling without a valid ticket or tap can lead to a €100 Standard Fare Notice.
On the DART and commuter trains the same TFI 90 fare (€2.00) and short fare (€1.50) apply within Zone 1. Tap on and off at the station gates or validators. Journeys from Zones 2 to 4 are charged by zone.
Are there night buses in Dublin?
Yes. buses.app lists 16 night routes in Dublin. Nitelink costs €2.40 with Leap and is not covered by the TFI 90 fare or the daily cap, so plan for a separate fare after a night out. Routes and times are on the Dublin night buses page.
Where do I get a Leap Card?
Leap Cards are sold at more than 2,000 agents, including PostPoint shops and post offices, and online. You can top up in the Leap Top-Up app, at agents, or at Luas and DART ticket machines. Children aged 0 to 4 travel free, and children aged 5 to 8 travel free with a Child (5–8) Leap Card.
How to use buses.app in Dublin
- Find your stop on the Dublin stops page to see which lines call there.
- Use the journey planner to combine bus, Luas and DART from A to B.
- Check service updates for diversions and timetable changes before you travel.
