Arriving at Dublin Airport with your group

Where you'll meet your driver

Hired minibuses and coaches don't collect at the kerb outside arrivals. At Dublin Airport, private-hire vehicles pick passengers up only in the Zone 16 coach park, so once you've cleared baggage reclaim there's a short walk with your luggage to reach the vehicle.

The stops you'll see right outside the terminals are kept for scheduled buses and coaches. If anyone finds walking difficult, mention it when you book.

If your flight is running late

Flights run late, and that's fine. Rather than circling the airport, a coach can use the Express Red Coach Layover facility, where it may wait up to three hours. Share your flight numbers when you book, not just a landing time, so the operator can follow the flight and send the driver across once you're actually down.

On different flights? Decide early between one pick-up after the last arrival or separate runs.

Terminals

• Terminal 2
• Terminal 1

Worth knowing at Dublin Airport

• Coaches may not park in set-down areas, and engines must be switched off when parked.
• The bus stops in Zones 1, 2, 10-15, 20 and 21 are reserved for scheduled services that won them by tender.
• All coach operators may set down passengers on the T2 Departures Road Inner, directly outside Terminal 2 check-in.

Heading home again

The trip back is simpler. Any coach operator can let you off on the inner departures road right outside Terminal 2 check-in, and Terminal 1 is a short walk from there. The vehicle can't linger, so have bags ready to lift out.

Into Dublin, or straight out to the countryside

The city centre is roughly 10–12 km away, anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Bus gates on the central quays and at College Green shape the last few streets, so give the operator your hotel's full address rather than just 'the city centre'.

Plenty of visitors skip the city on day one. From Dublin, Powerscourt Estate is about 35–45 minutes, Brú na Bóinne 45 to 60 minutes and Glendalough about an hour, while Kilkenny is around an hour and a half.

Picking the right size of vehicle

Up to eight passengers travel in an NTA-licensed hackney or limousine, such as an executive car or van, booked ahead at a fare agreed in advance. Groups of roughly nine to nineteen fit a minibus, and larger parties move up to a midi coach or a full-size coach.

Count suitcases as well as people. A minibus has one rear luggage compartment, while coaches carry bags in bays underneath.

Questions

Will the driver be waiting outside arrivals?

Not at the door. Hired minibuses and coaches collect only from the Zone 16 coach park, a short walk from the terminals. Your booking confirms exactly where to meet.

What if we're delayed by several hours?

Send your flight numbers so the operator can track them. Coaches are allowed up to three hours at the Express Red layover area; for anything longer, talk to the operator about moving the pick-up.

How long is the drive to Dublin city centre?

Usually 20 to 45 minutes for the 10–12 km, depending on the time of day.

There are only six of us. Can we still book?

Yes. Groups of eight or fewer ride in a licensed hackney or limousine, booked ahead with the fare settled up front.

Cities

• Dublin

Vehicles

• Full-size coach — 49-57 seats
• Midi coach — 29-35 seats
• Minibus — 16-19 seats
• Executive van (Mercedes V-Class / Sprinter class) — 7-8 seats
• Executive car (E-Class saloon class) — 1-3 seats
• Wheelchair-accessible minibus — 10-16 plus wheelchair spaces seats

Flying into Dublin soon?

Tell us your flight numbers, how many are travelling, the luggage and where you're staying. We pass it to a licensed, insured operator, who sends back a price for you to consider.

Request a quote or call 35312659159