Dublin Airport

About Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport (DUB) is Ireland’s main international gateway, handling around 33 million passengers a year and providing the most extensive transatlantic schedule in the country. It sits 10 km north of the city centre at Collinstown, on the M1 motorway, with two passenger terminals. Terminal 1 is the older, larger building and handles Ryanair, easyJet, Aer Lingus Regional and most non-Aer Lingus mainline carriers. Terminal 2 opened in 2010 and handles Aer Lingus long-haul, transatlantic services and Star Alliance partners.

The airport is unusual for an EU capital in offering US Customs and Border Protection preclearance, meaning passengers on flights to the United States complete US immigration in Dublin and arrive in the US as domestic passengers. Annual transatlantic traffic is a significant part of total volume, with Aer Lingus, United, Delta and American operating year-round.

Getting from Dublin Airport to Dublin

A pre-booked private transfer is the smoothest option door to door, taking 20 to 35 minutes via the M1 and the 4.5 km Port Tunnel that bypasses the Whitehall and Drumcondra surface route. There is no direct rail link to the city, so the alternatives are the Aircoach 700 and Dublin Express 782 coach services to O’Connell Street and the Docklands in 25 to 40 minutes, or the local Dublin Bus 16 with frequent stops at a lower fare but slower journey time.

For arrivals with heavy luggage, families with children or anyone heading to a docklands hotel that the coaches do not directly serve, a private transfer with a name sign meet and greet is usually the most efficient option.

Terminals and pickup points

Terminals 1 and 2 sit a 5 minute walk apart, joined by an internal corridor and an outdoor walkway. For arrivals, exit baggage reclaim into the arrivals hall and walk to the central meeting area near the main exit doors of the relevant terminal. The driver holds a name sign at the agreed meeting point and walks you to the short-stay car park or pickup zone.

For departures, drop-off is at the kerbside on the departures level. The driver confirms which terminal applies based on the airline at booking.

Common transfer routes from Dublin Airport

• Dublin Airport to Dublin city centre: 10 km, 20 to 35 minutes
• Dublin Airport to Dublin Docklands: 11 km, 20 to 30 minutes
• Dublin Airport to Dun Laoghaire: 22 km, 30 to 45 minutes
• Dublin Airport to Bray: 28 km, 35 to 50 minutes
• Dublin Airport to Belfast city centre: 165 km, 110 to 130 minutes
• Dublin Airport to Galway: 210 km, 140 to 160 minutes

Booking your Dublin Airport transfer

A pre-booked transfer through Taxi2Airport gives a fixed price for the airport run, a licensed local operator, flight tracking and a meet-and-greet driver in the Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 arrivals hall. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup keeps the booking flexible. Payment runs through Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, iDEAL, Wero or PayPal, so the fare is settled online before travel and there is no need to find cash on arrival.