Aircoach vs Dublin Express: Which to Take

The two airport coaches both run from outside the terminals into the city, and the choice mostly comes down to where you are sleeping. This comparison looks at routes, price, time, luggage and taxis, using the operators' own pages.

Routes and stops: Aircoach vs Dublin Express

Aircoach has three routes from Dublin Airport into the city and the south coast, and Dublin Express has two that matter for a visitor. The airport says the first leaves from Zone 2 and Zone 20, and the second from Zone 1 and Zone 21. If you want the wider picture of buses, trams and trains once you arrive, see getting around Dublin.

Route 700 stops at Drumcondra rail station, O'Connell Street, O'Connell Bridge, Kildare Street and Leeson Street Lower, then goes on to Leopardstown. Route 700X is the faster city service and stops at Drumcondra, O'Connell Street and O'Connell Bridge. Route 702 goes to the 3Arena, Ballsbridge, Booterstown, Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey, as the company's own page lists.

Dublin Express route 782 stops at Tara Street station, O'Connell Bridge and Temple Bar, Christ Church, and Heuston Station. Route 784 stops at Trinity College, Custom House Quay near Connolly Station, and the docklands. Dublin Express says its coaches serve more than 15 city stops.

Pro Tip Look up the stop nearest your hotel before you pick a coach, because Heuston Station is on Dublin Express route 782 only and Leeson Street Lower is on route 700 only.

Price and tickets: Aircoach vs Dublin Express

The cheaper coach on paper is Aircoach, with tickets from €6 one way or €8 return when you book online, while Dublin Express starts from €9 one way online. A Dublin Express coach from Dublin Airport into the city cost from €9 per person one way when booked online in 2026, the airport fare used in the 2026 Dublin Travel Cost Study. Prices change by date and ticket type, so check the fare for your day when you book.

Both companies sell tickets online, and booking ahead gets the best fare. Its airport routes accept contactless cards, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. Dublin Express sells tickets at the airport and onboard, by card only and subject to availability.

The company lists several discounts. Students and young adults with a Leap card get up to 50% off, a family of two adults and two children gets an automatic 10% off online, and children under 3 travel free. Free Travel Pass holders also travel free.

If you want a seat held before you land, the one-way airport bus transfer on GetYourGuide costs from €10.74 per person, rated 4.6 from 4,115 reviews, with free cancellation. The listing names Distribusion Technologies GmbH (UK&IE) as provider, says the trip takes 45 minutes and says the meeting point may vary. It lists one included item, the one-way transfer, and no exclusions. It gives no group size. It does not say which coach company runs the seat, so read the booking page before you rely on a stop. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

In Things to Do in Dublin's count of GetYourGuide listings on 25 October 2026, five listings have "airport" in the title: four transfers, from €10.74 per person, and one lounge pass.

Key Takeaway Fares start from €6 one way on Aircoach and €9 on Dublin Express, so the better coach is the one whose stop is closest to your bed.

Time and frequency: Aircoach vs Dublin Express

The trip into the city centre takes 20 to 40 minutes on Aircoach, depending on the time of day and traffic. Dublin Express says its fastest journey is 14 minutes, which is the best case, not the usual one.

Routes 700 and 700X run 24 hours a day, with coaches as often as every 15 minutes. Route 702 runs hourly at peak times. Dublin Express publishes a timetable download and a live coach tracker, so check the times for your day before you fly. In short, Aircoach is cheaper and runs all night, and Dublin Express can be quicker but states no frequency on its page.

A transfer that fits your arrival time is worth more than a few euros saved.

Luggage and flexibility: coach vs city bus

A coach is easier with bags, and a city bus is cheaper if you travel light. Dublin Express includes two bags of up to 20 kg each plus one piece of soft hand luggage at no extra charge.

Both coaches let you travel 12 hours either side of the booked time, on a standby basis, and each says so on its own page. That helps if your flight is late, but a seat is not guaranteed on the earlier or later coach.

Transport for Ireland routes 16, 19, 24, 33a, 41, 101, 102 and 109A serve the airport, and a Leap card gives the cheapest fares on them, Dublin Airport says. We could not read the exact fares for the airport routes, so we cannot give a city bus price here. Check them on the Transport for Ireland website. Aircoach's pages list no bag allowance, so ask the company if you carry more than usual. You cannot tap a bank card on Dublin Bus today, so use a Leap card or cash. The Leap card guide shows how it works.

The Leap Visitor Card is valid on Dublin City bus services, Luas, DART and commuter rail. Neither coach is on that list, so do not count on it for either one.

If you plan to ride buses a lot, the DoDublin Freedom Card gives 72 hours of public transport plus a 48 hour hop-on hop-off pass. It costs from €55 per person and has free cancellation. Its page says it excludes express airport buses, so it does not cover either coach. Its highlights name the 24/7 Dublin Bus route 41 for the airport transfer. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

Late arrivals and groups: coach vs taxi

A taxi is the best choice if you land late with a group, small children or a lot of bags. Taxis wait outside both terminals at all hours, and Dublin Airport estimates €30 to €45 to Dublin city, €25 to €40 to Busáras and €40 to €50 to Heuston Station.

Fares are metered, at about €1.32 to €2.20 per kilometre depending on the time and day, so evenings and weekends cost more. For four people the taxi can cost about the same as four coach tickets, and it takes you to your door.

The coaches are better for one or two people, because you pay per person and the stops are central. We found no official fare for a taxi from a suburb such as Tallaght to the airport, so ask for a price estimate or check the meter rules before you travel.

A coach is the wrong choice if your room is far from its stops or you carry heavy bags up many stairs. A taxi to the door saves the last walk.

Your first day after landing: a bus tour or the coach home

A hop-on hop-off bus is the easiest first-day plan if you land in the morning and your room is not ready. Many coach stops are near the places these buses visit, such as O'Connell Street and Trinity College, and the Aircoach page names Temple Bar, the Guinness Storehouse and Trinity College as short walks from its stops.

Doing it yourself is enough if your room is ready and you only need the ride to it. A bus ticket helps if you land early with hours to fill, because it gives you a route and a place to sit. For a first look at the city, compare the tickets on the hop-on hop off Dublin page. The airport transfer with a hop-on hop-off ticket is a Dublin Express transfer plus a 24 or 48 hour ticket for the original hop-on hop-off bus. It costs from €39 per person, rated 4.4 from 321 reviews, with free cancellation. It is run by DoDublin and starts at Terminal 1 (listed as Dublin Airport T1). It includes the coach, the bus ticket, a meal deal at Murray's Bar & Grill and free entry to The Little Museum of Dublin, and it excludes admission to attractions on the route. It gives no group size.

The Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour starts at 13 O'Connell Street Upper, run by Big Bus Tours Dublin. It costs from €31.50 per person, rated 4.4 from 1,081 reviews, with free cancellation. It does not include hotel pickup. It lists a 24, 48 or 72 hour ticket, live guides and a free child ticket (age 15 and under) with each adult ticket, and it gives no group size. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.