DART is a public transport service owned by Iarnród Éireann (the Irish railroad company), serving Dublin and the surrounding area. Fast and inexpensive, it’s similar to the Paris RER, and allows you to travel through Dublin, its towns and other chic tourist suburbs, in less than an hour, in a rather comfortable train, which runs along the Dublin coast from south to north.
The DART from the inside – Jesús Corrius – cc
It takes no less than an hour to travel from one end of the 30 stations served by the DART to the other. Faster and more reliable than the bus, it departs from Greystone, south of Dublin, and ends at either Howth or Malahide, on the north coast of Dublin’s capital.
It’s possible to take the DART in Dublin city center itself, thanks to Connolly Station, Pearse Station and Tara Street Station, 3 platforms that allow you to visit Dublin’s surroundings without having to take a bus or other more expensive and less reliable means of transport.
The route it takes from Greystone is simply exceptional. Here, you can admire the splendors of Dublin’s south coast, with the town of Bray, and then gradually move deeper into the city, only to emerge again, passing through austere industrial centers for a few kilometers before reaching the very pretty towns to the north, such as Malahide, a small middle-class port town where Dubliners like to stroll at weekends.
The DART – kismihok – cc
DART operation is similar to that of a normal train. At every station entrance, you’ll also find a ticket machine, or a reception desk with an agent to help you pick up your ticket. Finding the destination of your choice is fairly easy overall, thanks to the reduced number of stations served compared to a normal train.
DARTs generally run Monday to Saturday between 6.20am and midnight, and on Sundays from 9.20am to 11pm.
Expect to pay around €7 for a day ticket (with as many trips as you like). This allows you to stop at the stations of your choice, take in the sights and then set off for new destinations at no extra cost.
There’s also a day pass for €8.20, allowing you to take the DART and combine it with buses… So, as soon as you arrive at the station, you can take the bus to go deeper into the port towns or other remote areas of your choice!
Be careful, however, when choosing your travel times: like many public transport systems, the DART is saturated at peak times between 7.20 and 9.20 a.m., as well as at office departure times at lunchtime and between 4.20 and 7 p.m. So try to avoid the crowds by choosing off-peak times: you’ll avoid the inconvenience of a saturated train!
The DART only serves the city of Dublin and its suburbs… Here’s an overview of its different stations (from south to north):
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