City Transport
It's customary to say that the way to get to know Dublin is to walk. It's true that the city's size makes this a practical possibility, but equally true that walking the city streets can quickly become a tiring slog. Luckily there's an extensive and reasonably priced local bus network that makes it easy to hop on a bus whenever you want. Buses start running between 6am and 6.30am, and the last city-centre buses leave town around 11.30pm. After midnight a limited night-bus service takes over and runs every hour. Maximum fare on the daytime bus system is GBP1.15/?1.46 and since all buses are exact fare only it's worth carrying a lot of change (the driver will issue you with a ticket in lieu of change, which can only be redeemed at Dublin Bus headquaters on 59 Upper O'Connell St.). If you don't know which stop to go to in the first place, either ask a bus inspector - there usually seems to be one around, dispensing directions - or invest in a bus timetable, which includes a Dublin bus map , for GBP1.50/?1.90 from Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O'Connell St (Mon-Fri 9am-5.15pm, Sat 9am-1pm; tel 873 4222 for city buses, tel 836 6111 for provincial services). A one-day bus-only pass costs GBP3.50/?4.44; an Explorer Ticket, a one-day bus-and-train pass (including DART) costs GBP5.20/?6.60; a four-day version of the latter is better value still at GBP10/?12.70. Passes are available from most newsagents. Finding your way around the bus system may prove more of a problem, although most stops now have timetables and routes for the buses that stop there. Dublin Bus also runs city tours and cheap trips outside Dublin to places the regular services don't visit, so it's worth enquiring about these. The other useful city transportation service is the DART , the Dublin Area Rapid Transport system (tel 836 6222), which links Howth to the north of the city with Bray to the south in County Wicklow, via such places as Sandycove, Monkstown and Dun Laoghaire. DART services are quick, efficient and easy to use, and the stretch that runs along Dublin Bay from Dalkey to Killiney gives you such an amazing view that it's worth taking the train just for that. It's not expensive - maximum single fare is GBP1.70/?2.15 - but if you're considering taking more than one or two trips, it's worth buying an Explorer Ticket . The DART runs from 6.55am to 11.30pm and is accessible to wheelchair users, though in some stations there is a pronounced gap between the platform and the coach. Because most public transport stops before midnight, Dubliners are forced to rely on an oversubscribed taxi service. Recent limited deregulation has helped alleviate the problem, but long post-midnight lines at designated ranks remain a frustrating feature of the city's night scene. The best served city-centre ranks are situated outside the Shelbourne Hotel on St Stephen's Green, Dame Street (opposite the main gate of Trinity College), Abbey Street (on the right-hand side going up O'Connell Street from the bridge), or close to Jurys Hotel and The Towers hotel in Ballsbridge. You can also book taxis by phone; some of the more reliable firms include ABC Taxis (tel 285 5444), Central Cabs (tel 365 555), City Cabs (tel 872 7272) and National Radio Cabs (tel 677 2222; 24hr). Finding a taxi after 11pm is difficult, so if you know you'll need one, book it. If you're brave enough to face the often hair-raising habits of Dublin drivers, a bike can prove a useful way of getting around. Try Raleigh Rent-a-Bike at Hardings on Bachelor Walk (tel 873 2455) or Rent-A-Bike at 58 Lower Gardiner St (tel 872 5399).
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