By Train & Tram in Dublin

Connolly Station provides train service to and from the east coast, Belfast, the north (with stops in Malahide, Skerries, and Drogheda), the northwest, and some destinations to the south, such as Wicklow and Arklow. Heuston Station is the place for trains to and from the south and west; trains run from here to Kildare Town, west of Dublin, via Celbridge, Sallins, and Newbridge. Pearse Station is for Bray and connections via Dun Laoghaire to the Liverpool-Holyhead ferries. Contact the Irish Rail Travel Centre for information.

An electric railway system, the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART), connects Dublin with Howth to the north and Bray to the south on a fast, efficient line. There are 25 stations on the route, which is the best means of getting to seaside destinations, such as Howth, Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire, Dalkey, Killiney, and Bray.

The LUAS tram service runs two lines right into the heart of the city. One line carries the super-sleek silver trams from Tallaght in the southwest to the Abbey Street station, located north of the Liffey, and on down to the city center's Connolly Station. This line also takes you from Royal Hospital Killmainham and carries you across the Liffey, through Smithfield, and down to the Abbey Street hub. The other line runs from the Sandyford residential suburb in the south sector of the city north to St. Stephen's Green—this line is useful for ferrying tourists between the city district of Ballsbridge to St. Stephen's Green in the city center. Together, these lines cross the city center north and south, and so the LUAS is ideal for short hops across those areas.

Fares & Schedules

DART service starts at 6:30 AM and runs until 11:30 PM; at peak periods, 8-9:30 AM and 5-7 PM, trains arrive every five minutes. At other times of the day, the intervals between trains are 15 to 25 minutes. Call ahead to check precise departure times (they do vary, especially on bank holidays). Tickets can be bought at stations, but it's also possible to buy weekly rail tickets, as well as weekly or monthly "rail-and-bus" tickets, from the Irish Rail Travel Centre. Individual fares begin at EUR 1.50 and range up to EUR 3.90. You'll pay a heavy penalty for traveling the DART without a ticket. LUAS trams run from 5:30 AM until 12:30 AM Monday to Saturday and 7 AM until 11:30 PM on Sunday. They come every 7 to 10 minutes at peak times and every 15 to 20 minutes after that. Fares begin at EUR 1.50 and increase up to EUR 2.20 according to the number of zones traveled.

Train Information

Irish Rail-Iarnod Éireann (www.irishrail.ie). Connolly Station (Amiens St., Northside). DART (01/836-6222. www.irishrail.ie/dart). Heuston Station (End of Victoria Quay, Dublin West). Irish Rail Travel Centre (35 Lower Abbey St., Northside. 01/836-6222. www.irishrail.ie). LUAS (800/300-604. www.luas.ie). Pearse Station (Westland Row, Southside).