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Ireland

Dublin

Ireland's capital of literature and pubs. The Luas tram and the coastal DART do the everyday work.

DART & Commuter Rail (Iarnród Éireann)

The only thing the gates accept is a Leap card - no bank-card tap yet. You tap on before and off after, the reverse of the bus, and a missed tap-off locks in the higher default fare.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Get a TFI Leap card
    Any Leap agent or post office sells them; only some station machines do. For a short stay there is also the Leap Visitor Card.
  2. 2
    Top up before you travel
    An adult Leap card needs a minimum balance before the rail gates will let you through. Top up at a machine or in the app.
  3. 3
    Tap on before the platform
    Touch the card to the gate, or to the validator at the platform entrance. A tone means it registered.
  4. 4
    Always tap off when you leave
    Touch it again at the exit gate or validator. Skip this and the default fare is never refunded - it just stands.
  5. 5
    Keep your ticket to hand
    Inspectors work the trains. Have the right ticket before you board - riding beyond it is not something you can settle onboard.

Fares

Single fares2

TFI 90-minute fare (Zone 1, Leap)
Ninety minutes of free transfers across rail, bus and Luas inside Zone 1 - which reaches Howth and Bray
2 EUR ≈ $2
Zone 2-4 to the city centre (Leap single)
Zone 2 is €3.90, Zone 3 €6.00, Zone 4 €7.50. Greystones counts as Zone 2
3.9〜7.5 EUR ≈ $4–8

Passes & multi-ride2

Leap Visitor Card (1, 3 or 7 days)
€8.00, €18.00 and €24.00; the clock starts at your first tap. Non-refundable and not replaceable
8〜24 EUR ≈ $9–27
Multi-zone day ticket (Leap app)
€10.00 for Zones 1-2, €14.00 for 1-3, €16.80 for 1-4. Sold only through the Leap Top-Up app
10〜16.8 EUR ≈ $11–19

Fare caps2

Daily cap (Zone 1, Leap)
Counts rail, bus and Luas together. Travel is free once you hit it, but keep tapping. Day resets at 4.30am
6 EUR ≈ $7
Weekly cap (Zone 1, Leap, Mon-Sun)
A fixed window from 4.30am Monday to 4.29am the next Monday - starting mid-week does not shift it
24 EUR ≈ $27

Card itself1

TFI Leap card itself (deposit plus first top-up)
A €5 deposit plus a €5 minimum load, and that €5 is spendable. Refunds need registration and a SEPA account
10 EUR ≈ $11

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 3, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
No open-loop tapping on the gates yet; it is due to start in 2028
IC card
The TFI Leap card; an adult card needs €2.50 on it to travel by rail
App tickets
Top-ups and day, week, month tickets; leapcard.ie too, once collected
QR ticketing
QR tickets bought online arrive as a PDF and can go into Apple Wallet
Paper tickets
From machines and counters; online orders can be collected at a machine
Cash
For buying tickets at counters and machines only - never at a gate or validator

Quick facts

Hours
05:50-24:00 approx.
Frequency
Every 10 min weekdays, 20 min Sundays
Fares from
2 EUR+

Heads-up

  • A real inspector never takes cash on the train

    An inspector asking for cash on the train is not a real one. Genuine officers carry ID and issue a written notice for an unpaid fare - they never take cash. You are entitled to ask to see the ID.

Timetable

Operating hours 05:50-24:00 approx.
Typical duration Twenty to forty minutes from the centre out to the coast - Howth and Bray are the classic day trips
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka