The Irish public transport network is overseen by CIE who run Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann (the national bus service) and Iarnrod Eireann (controlling the Irish national rail network as well as the Dublin DART train service).
The Railway Procurement Agency is responsible for the LUAS light-rail system.
All of these services have online timetables and maps to view and you can even buy your tickets online in advance of your journey.
RUSH-HOUR: Dublin is like most major capital cities and suffers badly in terms of traffic from 8am to 10am in the morning and from 4:30 to 7pm in the evening. Being trapped in a bus or DART during these times can be a frustrating experience and is one to be avoided if at all possible. Plan your route in advance! Other cities such as Galway, Cork and Limerick also suffer during these times.
DRIVING IN DUBLIN: If you are a first-time visitor to Ireland and are thinking of hiring a car to get around the major cities then we have only 4 words for you: do not do it! By all means hire a car if you want to meander around the countryside from town to town and set your own agenda. Choosing to drive in Dublin city traffic on your vacation however if a really bad idea. The city is a mire of one-way systems and blockages, road-works and endless traffic-jams. Unless you know exactly where you are going and the route to take then you are best advised to give the whole 'driving in Dublin' experience a miss.
GETTING AWAY FROM DUBLIN AIRPORT: There is no train service from Dublin Airport into the city centre although one is being built at the moment. There are several bus operators who operate services as well as Dublin Bus. Some bus services will connect with the local DART station while most head straight for the city centre. See
www.dublinairport.com/to-and-from/by-bus/ for more.
Taxis are in good supply at the airport and are probably the easiest way of getting to your hotel.
When planning your arrival into Dublin Airport try to arrive outside of the main traffic rush-hours so that when you do get a bus or taxi, or hire a car, then you wont be caught up too badly. If you are driving then a quick way to bypass the city centre is to use the M50 motorway which runs adjacent to the Airport. This is a ring-road around the city which allows you to make exits for Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Kerry and Cork. Travelling the entire length of the M50 would bring you to the south coast of the city with exits to Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire, Bray and then onwards to the south-east of the country towards Wexford and Waterford. See http://www.m50.ie/ for more. It should be noted that the M50 suffers very badly during rush-hour times.
If you are driving from the airport into the city centre then you should consider using the Port Tunnel. This is a tolled link that can be a bit expensive depending on the time it is used. It is a very good way however, of getting you straight into the city centre by bypassing the worst of northside traffic. See http://www.dublinporttunnel.ie/ for more.
There are a number of domestic flights available from Dublin Airport. http://www.aerarann.com/ can fly you to Cork, Galway and Kerry, Donegal and Sligo.
DUBLIN BUS: The Dublin bus service is an extensive service that covers most parts of the city and beyond. It even serves several locations that are not even based in County Dublin, running as far as Maynooth in County Kildare, Clonee in County Meath, and Blessington and Bray in County Wicklow. While the Dublin Bus fleet has the run of 'bus lanes', travelling during the main rush-hours can be a painful experience. See http://www.dublinbus.ie/ for more.
BUS EIREAN: Bus Eireann is the long-haul bus service and is a good alternative to the train service depending on your travel requirements.
Most major locations are served. The main Dublin terminus is located at Busaras which is in the heart of the city and only yards from the terminus of the Luas Red Line at Connolly Station where the DART also stops. The bus service is generally
a cheaper option than the train service.
See http://www.buseireann.ie/ for more.
IARNROD EIREANN: The Irish Rail network serves all major destinations in Ireland and runs from two main Dublin stations. Connolly station is located in the heart of the city while Heuston station is a few miles away to the west. The Luas Red Line runs from Connolly and has a stop at Heuston. The Rail network suffers badly during rush-hour times with over-crowding common. For short day-trips out of Dublin to the likes of Kilkenny, or down the coast to Wexford, or even as far as Galway for a overnight stay, then the rail service can be pretty good, once you plan your departure time!
DART: The Dublin Area Rapid Transport is a rail system that runs along the coast of County Dublin. Serving Bray and Greystones in County Wicklow and running via the city centre as far as Howth and Malahide on the northside, the DART is a pretty reliable way of seeing Dublin beyond the main tourist sites. Each of the four towns just mentioned have nice pier-side walkways and are frequent destinations for Dubliners who want to go for a jaunt along the sea-front on a Sunday afternoon.
The DART, like the LUAS, is useful for visitors who want to stay in suburban locations where the hotel bills are cheaper while having an easy way to get in and out of the city. If your accommodation is located near a DART or a LUAS station then you can make big savings on that hotel bill by using the public transport system to get around. See http://www.irishrail.ie/ for more.
LUAS: The Luas is a light-rail system that runs on the streets of Dublin alongside regular traffic. The Red Line runs 14Km via 23 stops from Connolly station in the heart of Dublin City to the western suburb of Tallaght. The Green Line runs 9Km via 9 stops from St. Stephens Green to the southern suburb of Sandyford. Roughly speaking the Red Line runs westwards from the city centre while the Green Line runs southwards from the city centre. Ticket vending machines are available at major stops.
The Luas is regarded as a very reliable and frequent service. It also facilitates tourists who want to stay in hotels further out from the city centre and still be able to easily make it into the main Dublin attractions. See http://www.luas.ie/ for more.
You can get more Ireland Travel Information here:
http://www.ireland-information.com/irishtouristinformation.htm