By Bus in Dublin

Busaras, just behind the Custom House on the Northside, is Dublin's main station for buses to and from the city. Bus Éireann is the main intercity bus company, with service throughout the country. Aircoach has direct bus connections to Cork and Belfast, and is usually a bit cheaper than Bus Éireann. In town, there's an extensive network of buses, most of which are green double-deckers. Some bus services run on cross-city routes, including the smaller "Imp" buses, but most buses start in the city center. Buses to the north of the city begin in the Lower Abbey Street-Parnell Street area, while those to the west begin in Middle Abbey Street and in the Aston Quay area. Routes to the southern suburbs begin at Eden Quay and in the College Street area. Several buses link the DART stations, and another regular bus route connects the two main provincial railway stations, Connolly and Heuston. If the destination board indicates an lár, that means that the bus is going to the city center. Museumlink is a shuttle service that links up the National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Archaeology and History, and the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History. You can catch it outside any of the three museums.

Fares & Schedules

Intercity fares vary with the distance traveled. The Irish Rover Tourist pass, valid for all Bus Éireann services in the republic and for Ulsterbus services in Northern Ireland, costs EUR 76 for 3 days' travel over 8 consecutive days, and EUR 172 for 8 days' travel over 15 consecutive days. Timetables (EUR 3.20) are available from Dublin Bus, staffed weekdays 9-5:30, Saturday 9-1. In the city, fares begin at EUR 1.05 and are paid to the driver, who will accept inexact fares, but you'll have to go to the central office in Dublin to pick up your change as marked on your ticket. Change transactions and the city's heavy traffic can slow service considerably. Most bus lines run until 11:30 at night, but some late-night buses run Monday to Thursday until 2 AM and Friday to Saturday until 4:30 AM on all major routes; the fare is EUR 4-EUR 6.

Information

Aircoach (01/844-7118. www.aircoach.ie). Busaras (01/830-2222). Bus Éireann (01/873-4222. www.buseireann.ie). Dublin Bus (59 Upper O'Connell St., Northside. 01/873-4222. www.dublinbus.ie).