Travel to Ireland
For information on entry requirements in to Ireland see the Visas and Passports page.
- Getting to Dublin by train/ferry
If you are based in Europe or the UK, there are a number of sail and rail options to reduce your conference carbon footprint. The following websites provide a combined ticket from anywhere in the UK to Dublin Ferryport for £55: thetrainline, transportforwales and nationalrail. There is also an overnight ferry available from Cherbourg in Northern France to Dublin at stenaline. A local bus from the Ferryport to Dublin city center is available, though it is recommended to book a taxi or use the Free Now taxi app, the main operator in Ireland.
- Getting to Dublin by plane
Aer Lingus fly direct to Dublin Airport from many European and US cities. There are also several other airlines that provide either direct flights or indirect flights via London. These may be cheaper, but will likely be longer due to the connection in London.
If you are flying from Europe, Ryanair provide low cost flights from many locations direct to Dublin Airport. Beware that in other countries Ryanair often fly from smaller airports that are sometimes more difficult to get to.
- From the airport to Dublin city center
Aircoach provides a frequent service connecting Dublin Airport to the most popular Dublin hotels and also to UCD. Prices are approximately €10 one way and €15 return. The service runs 24 hours, although buses are less frequent during the night. Attendees staying at the recommended hotels or coming straight to UCD should take the Route 700 Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre & Leopardstown.
Another option is to take a taxi, which will cost €30-35. Taxis from the airport are readily available outside the Arrivals Hall.
Travel to UCD
- Public Transport
Public transport in Dublin is available in the form of bus, rail and tram. Public transport typically runs from 7AM until 11.30PM. Typical fares are €2 per journey; you can either pay on the bus (exact change required) or you can use a LEAP card. We strongly recommend you the latter as if you use the a LEAP card you can take as many buses/tram/DART rides as you need within a 90 limit limit for €2 (just tag on to each journey with the same LEAP card). LEAP cards can be purchased at the airport, online, or in many newsagents.
UCD and the recommended hotels are all connected to the city center by several frequent bus services including the 46a, 145 and 39a. We recommend the Transit App for reliable real time information for buses, the Luas (tram), and the DART (light rail) in the city.
- Bicycle
There are two station-less bike share schemes in Dublin: Bleeper and Moby Move. You can download their apps from the Google Play or Apple App Store. The bicycles can be parked at any sheffield/staple bike rack within a large area that covers the city centre and UCD campus.
- Taxi
There are a large number of taxi services available in Dublin across the city with many taxi ranks available in the city centre. Ensure you travel in a registered taxi – their taxi license will be displayed on the roof of the car and on the dashboard. You can also order taxis through the Free Now app for a small additional fee. You can also book Moby bikes through the Free Now app.
- Private car
There is free parking next to the main venue. Direction to this “N2 car park” (beside O’Reilly Hall where the plenaries will take place) if you input the following into Google Maps: “Permit parking UCD N2”. Note the city can be quite congested during the morning rush hours and so we recommend traveling by public transport which can often move more quickly due to dedicated bus lanes.