OK call me a dummy but I grew up and live in a very small town so I've never had to use public buses. We went to London & Paris in 2014 and we tried to figure out the bus system in London but we just couldn't do it. We didn't even try in Paris since their Metro is so easy. The next year we went to Rome and again, could not figure out how to get from Point A to Point B using the buses. We walked a few places and used the Metro there and even used a taxi. I so want to figure out the buses in Dublin. Can anyone please give this country girl a hint on how to figure out the city bus system? Thanks!
If you're not used to buses, it can be confusing, especially in large cities.
Study the information in the link provided in the previous post before you go.
When you arrive, talk with the hosts of your guest house, B&B, or the hotel desk clerk about which buses to take both to and from the sites you plan to visit. You may want to write down the bus number and stop. When you reach the bus stop, ask people who are in line just to make sure you're in the right place. I found everyone I spoke with very helpful. Also, before you board, ask the driver if you're on the right bus and ask about which stop you should get off. Again, the drivers were helpful.
Yes I knew about that site & tried out a few routes on it. Looks like they have an app, which I'm going to download it to my phone. Thank you.
Don't bother with the buses. They are poorly connected, the timetable is fictional and they are really expensive. Use the the Dublin Bikes instead. There are hundreds of bicycles located all over the city centre. You can pick one up, cycle it for a bit, and then drop it a station and pick up another one later. There are bike stations at all the important sites - Trinity College, Kilmainham Gaol, National Museum, Guinness, Smithfield, City Hall... It's the best way of getting around the city centre. It's how the locals do it.
You'll need a credit card to hire a bike. (I tried to hire one last weekend using a debit card, but I had no joy. It needs a credit card.) A three day pass costs 5 euro and can be purchased at selected hire machines with credit card terminals. You'll find more details in the link above.
Happy cycling - just watch out for the buses!
P.S. Drivers in Dublin have become accustomed to sharing the city streets with cyclists, so whereas it might seem a bit daunting at first, cycling in the city centre is rather pleasant, once you get the hang of it.
Interesting info Marcus. I was not aware of this. We might just have to try this. Thank you.
See also www.dublinsightseeing.ie
It also has some info on trips out of Dublin etc.
I used the public bus system to get from Trinity College to and from Kilmainham Jail and Glasnevin Cemetery. Pretty easy to figure out with a little advance research. I bought a three day pass that included transportation to/from the airport, the Green HOHO bus and the public bus system. Good value.
I have downloaded the Dublin bus app & played around with it a little. I think it will be fairly easy to figure out using the app. Thanks.
The drivers were always really nice and helpful when I was making sure I was on the correct bus and verifying the charge. If you are paying with cash, have lots of change available so you can give the correct fare.