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returning rental car before seeing Dublin

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Dublin is last on our itinerary in Ireland, and I plan to follow Rick Steves' suggestion to return our rental car before heading into the city. We won't need it there, so I prefer to ditch it first. We will be picking up and returning the car from the Dublin airport. Can anyone else who has done this walk me through the steps and share any other advice? It looks like the best way to get from the airport to city center is by bus, and I want to make sure we know how to get from rental car return to the bus pick-up area, and I also want to make sure I'm not being unrealistic about how long the process takes (for example, one website said the shuttle ride from the car return to one of the terminals alone is 20 minutes).

Thank you!
Lee

Posted by
6565 posts

It’s been years, but we took the bus into Dublin from the airport. It dropped us off at St. Stephen’s Green, about a block from our hotel. The rental car facility can tell you where exactly to get the bus. Dublin airport isn’t that large.

Posted by
2829 posts

The rental car return facility is located outside the airport along Swords Road. One you've returned your car there will be shuttles to take you to the terminal, and from there it's a pretty simple matter to find one of the airport shuttle stops to get into the city. There's more than one, but Airlink seems to be the most popular. Suggest doing a google search for the various shuttle options and study their routes to find the stop nearest to your accommodation.
Alternatively, you could also take a taxi for door to door service, which might be the preferred way to go if you're horsing around a lot of luggage. A shuttle will be about 6.50 Euro apiece while a taxi will be around 25 Euro depending upon exactly where you'll be staying.

Posted by
509 posts

I wish we'd read Richard's post before our trip last May. We missed the exit for the rental car return as we approached the airport and had to do a lap thru the airport and back out to the highway to get it right. If you are approaching from the M-1, look for the sign right away; I believe the icon on the sign is a key. It's a left hand exit ramp.

You might wait 20 minutes for the terminal shuttle bus to come, but I don't recall the actual ride being that long.

We used the Airlink bus; reasonable price, efficient, several stops in the city (from the Airport website, airlink stops include: Dublin City Centre, Gardiner Street, College Green & Temple Bar, Heuston & Connolly rail stations, St. Stephen’s Green, and Merrion Square.)

Posted by
12172 posts

Check the site for your lodging. I have to go back and forth into Dublin several times during my trip next month. First on arrival, then out to pick up my girlfriend at the airport. Then another back and forth before catching a Ryanair flight to visit friends for a weekend in Leeds. Each place I'm staying suggested, on their site, the best bus to take from the airport. For one, Airlink 747 takes me right there (I believe 6 euros each ride). Aircoach 700 is the best choice for another.

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