A Guide To Dublin Airport: Tips for Less Stress at DUB

Dublin Airport At A Glance

• ICAO Code - EIDW
• 2 Terminals
• 50 Airlines
• 190 Destinations
• 40 Countries
• Busiest Route: Dublin-London Heathrow
• 4 Lounges
• 2 Runways
• 242 ft. AMSL Elevation

Why You Should Trust My Advice

Dublin Airport is my second home. I've been flying through Dublin Airport for more than 45 years, and I can't even count how many times I've taken a flight from here (sorry, Greta).

I've been a plane spotting nerd since I was a kid when I would spend weekends at DUB with a logbook. My connection runs even deeper, I worked at the airport when I was in college.

I've flown from DUB to the U.S. around 100 times, so I know the U.S. Pre-Clearance area as well as my own home. This isn't a humblebrag; I'm sharing my credentials so you know you can trust my Dublin Airport tips and advice.

A Big Airport On A Small Island

With a population of 5 million, but 30 million passengers, I'm not the only frequent flyer in the country. We're a small island, with no bridges or tunnels, so air routes are our connections to the world.

It used to be that seeing anything other than Aer Lingus was exotic, but now DUB is becoming a major hub, especially with transatlantic passengers connecting through Dublin to take advantage of the US Pre-Clearance in Dublin. Aer Lingus are members of One World alliance today so they can connect passengers on a wide network.

Dublin Airport Terminals

Dublin Airport has two terminals:

Terminal 1 (built 1972). A chaotic maze handling mostly European flights.

Terminal 2 (built 2010) a modern, more organized space that handles One World, long haul and U.S. flights.

Dublin Airport Terminal 1 (T1)

Ah, the excitement of arriving at T1 as a kid in the 80s when we were going off on the annual summer holiday. I can remember the smell of the jet fuel and the noise of those old engines.

Today T1 is a little less exciting. It's clean and well-kept, but you know it's a 70s building as soon as you walk into it.

T1 is home to Ryanair, Qatar, Turkish, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, the Canadian airlines, and many others.

Dublin Airport Terminal 1 Arrivals

There's a uniquely Irish tradition still alive here - we actually go to the airport to collect our friends and family. Being an island of emigrants, watching families reunite makes for heartwarming entertainment while you wait. There's a piano you can play too, but that's as fun as it gets.

Time your arrival 30 minutes after their plane lands for your friends with no checked luggage, and 45 minutes if they checked luggage to minimize wait time, expensive parking charges and listening to kids playing the piano.

Dublin Airport Terminal 1 Departures

On the upper levels is the departures area. It's busy, but not big and there's plenty of staff to direct you to your check in desk. If you've already got your boarding pass and just carry on, turn left when you enter the terminal to get to security or straight ahead for Fast Track, it's well hidden to keep the riff-raff away from its speedy lanes.

Dublin Airport Terminal 1 Security

Because T1 is home to Ryanair, it has a huge number of passengers. Security is busy. You just need your boarding pass, not your passport, they'll check that at the gate prior to boarding.

To be fair, I've never waited more than 20 minutes to get through. The good news is that Dublin Airport's website has live security wait times.

Here's a local trick: you can go through security in either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 regardless of your departure terminal. It can be worth going through the quieter terminal and then walking the 10 minutes between the terminals airside.

Dublin Airport Fast Track Security

Dublin Airport does have a Fast Track option that you can pay for. Because normal security is quick enough, I rarely pay for it. I just use it when I fly business class and have free access. If you're on the company dime or running late, it's a good option.

December 2024 Update: I was in the airport last week and now you can just tap your phone/card at Fast Track to pay for it. No need to book ahead.

Dublin Airport Terminal 1 Airside

Once you've made it past security, be ready for crowds. Remember, this is an old terminal. I minimize my time in T1.

T1 is a bit of a maze, so don't just blindly follow the crowd. There are three different gate areas and you're so busy dodging the shoppers that it's easy to miss your turn off point. The Ryanair gates are a solid 15 minute walk from security. If you're a bit slower or have kids, leave lots of time to get to your gate!

Dublin Airport Terminal 1 Shopping and Duty-Free

You'll be forgiven for thinking you're in a shopping mall and not an airport. There are so many shops in T1. I do like that the whiskey section in Duty-Free is always generous with the tasting samples even in the early morning. Keep it to drop in your coffee and you won't feel bad about it.

Dublin Airport Terminal 1 Restaurants and Bars

No matter what time your flight is at, 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., the bars in Dublin Airport are full. It's like Temple Bar on New Year's Eve. There's an anthropology study that needs to be done on it.

Food options in Terminal 1 are fine and they do have local Irish restaurants with healthier food, along with some of the tastier, greasier options. It's just too busy for me to enjoy it though so I fuel up before I hit the airport.

If you're starting to get the idea that I don't love T1, you're right and because you've been nice enough to visit my website, I'm going to give you my big tip if you're the type who gets to the airport early like I do.

Dublin Airport Terminal 1 Lounges

Terminal 1 Business Lounge

If you arrive at the door of this lounge, they should let you in, not because you're in Business Class, but because you found it. It's right after security, up the stairs and barely signposted.

When you enter the lounge, you can turn left or right. Most people go right, but I always go left because it's quieter and has a barista. Barista good. Machine bad. October 2024 Update: No more barista. All bad.

The lounge is ok. The food is good, but there's no views and the gates are still a good walk away so you can't get too cozy in the lounge. Leave time to get to your gate. Ask the agent at the lounge check-in how long it will take to get to your gate.

The East Lounge

The lounge for Qatar, Etihad, Emirates, and EgyptAir, is midway between T1 & T2. I haven't been in it yet, but I will be next month, and I'll add my notes here then. I hear good things, as you'd expect from these airlines (well, maybe not EgyptAir).

Ryanair at Dublin Airport

I love Ryanair. There you go. I've no problem saying it.

I'm an Arsenal fan and go to a lot of our games. When I was a teenager, I'd have to save up a fortune to buy a flight to Heathrow with Aer Lingus. I'm going to Arsenal this Saturday and my day trip return is 29 euros. Thanks, Mick!

But you must know their rules. They're clearly stated on their website. Don't yell at any gate agents because you didn't read the rules. The golden rule with Ryanair: BE AT THE GATE VERY EARLY.

Ryanair will cut off and deny boarding if you are not there 30 minutes before the flight. It doesn't matter if the plane hasn't arrived yet. I've seen it happen so many times. Their quick turnarounds are why they can offer such cheap fares.

Having said that, I will never understand the people who queue up when there's no plane at the gate. Strange people who will undoubtedly be sat next to my randomly assigned seat.

Dublin Airport Terminal 2

I love T2. It's calm, it's quiet, it's airy, it's underused. It's everything that T1 isn't. Plus it helps that it's generally a long haul terminal so it's means I'm going somewhere I'll get a tan and not just to "(Not) Paris" Beauvais.

Which Airlines Fly From Dublin Airport Terminal 2?

This is easy. There are 3 distinct groups of airlines that fly from T2.

1. The OneWorld airlines. Aer Lingus, British Airways & Iberia.
2. The US airlines. Delta Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines & Jetblue.
3. Emirates Airlines

Terminal 2 is busiest in the morning when the US flights are heading out and then gets The Shining level quiet in the afternoon & evening.

Flying between Ireland & the US

I have written the best guide ever written about Flying Between the US and Ireland, based on my 100+ round trips to the US on every airline, airplane and cabin. Be sure to read that for much more information.

US Destinations from Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport (DUB) offers direct flights to these US cities:

New York (JFK, EWR) | Boston (BOS) | Chicago (ORD) | Minneapolis (MSP) Hartford (BDL) | Seattle (SEA) | Denver (DEN) | Los Angeles (LAX) | Las Vegas (LAS) San Francisco (SFO) | Dallas (DFW) | Atlanta (ATL) | Charlotte (CLT) Orlando (MCO) | Miami (MIA) | Washington D.C. (IAD) | Philadelphia (PHL) | Cleveland (CLE) | Detroit (DTW) | Nashville (BNA)

On Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Delta Airlines and JetBlue.

Dublin Airport Terminal 2 Check-In Area

Check-in is on the ground floor. No lugging luggage up narrow escalators here.

The left half is for the US airlines and Emirates. BA & Iberia are in the middle.

Aer Lingus has the entire right side of the check-in area. They have very helpful staff to help with the self check-in. They have some strange baggage policies so be sure to check when you book.

I particularly like their business class check-in which is behind a curved wooden wall. Very private, I feel like I should have a yap dog in a purse walking the red rug when I use this check-in.

Dublin Airport US Preclearance (USCBP)

Something unique about Dublin Airport is that if you are flying to the US direct, you do US immigration in Dublin Airport US Preclearance (USCBP) area. So you should arrive at least 3 hours before your flight to allow for this.

My guide to the Dublin Airport US Preclearance area explains the 12 steps to fly through immigration with ease. Be sure to read it next.

Dublin Airport Terminal 2 Level 2 Arrivals

On the second level is the arrivals area. There are a number of restaurants and coffee shops here, all well designed and laid out. It's a nice space to spend some time in as you wait. I don't mind getting here early when picking people up.

Dublin Airport Terminal 2 Security

Security is up a dizzyingly high escalator. You can check the security waiting times on Dublin Airport's website but T2 is generally quick except for the morning rush for the US flights. You only need your boarding pass for security.

The Fast Track priority & business class priority line is easy to miss. It's on the far left when you get off the escalator.

It's officially the Grant Thornton Fast Track, GT being a big consultancy firm. They have cringe worthy photos of all their senior people when you land in T2. I'd quit any corner office before being subjected to this airport version of LinkedIn but I do wish I had self confidence of whoever signed off on it.

Dublin Airport Terminal 2 Duty Free & Shops

If you like your whiskey, buy it here. Aside from the benefit of Duty Free prices, Dublin Airport has some rare and exclusive whiskeys here. They know they have thousands of American passengers coming through T2 every day, and many of the distilleries give them exclusives on the rare stuff.

I have a friend who owns a whiskey bar in the US and because I fly so often, he gives me his shopping list of rare whiskey to pick up for him. Now I dress comfortably when I travel, a more muted Ali G would be a good description. So I always enjoy my Pretty Woman moment when the staff give me the slight look of disregard as I approach them for help, before pulling out my Santa's wish list of expensive whiskeys and their outlook changes quickly.

Dublin Airport Terminal 2 Bars & Restaurants

I intentionally get to the airport early so I can get my final Irish Breakfast at the restaurant overlooking the apron in T2. Watching planes land is something I can do all day. The food is good, the views are better.

Dublin Airport Terminal 2 Lounges

There are 4 lounges in Terminal 2.

The Liffey Lounge

This is the Aer Lingus and One World Lounge. It was recently rebranded to the Liffey Lounge after a lick of paint and some new seating. Hopefully it smells better than its river namesake. It's a decent lounge, with friendly staff, and good views out over the apron.

It's not easy to find though. In T2, go through the main shopping area past security, follow the signs for the boarding gates. You'll go down a big escalator, then do a U-turn at the bottom where you see all the American flags. And then you're getting close to it. Walk a few more minutes through the bowels of the airport and you'll see it.

The East Lounge

This is for eastbound passengers on Qatar, Etihad, Emirates & Egyptair. This lounge is further along the corridor from Aer Lingus, so don't worry, you're not lost. It's midway between T1 & T2.

51st & Green Lounge

If you are flying to the US, go to this lounge, not the Liffey Lounge. 51st & Green is located after the US Pre-Clearance Area, which means it's located after all passport control, so you can relax until boarding time without worrying about adding on time for that. It's also the nicest lounge by a long shot in the airport. And they do have a barista. Remember, barista good, machine bad.

A full review of this lounge is in my Dublin Airport US Preclearance guide.

The Revival Lounge

This lounge is the arrival lounge in T2 baggage hall. It's just enough space to have a shower and freshen up after the overnight flight.

How To Get To Dublin Airport

It's not easy to get to Dublin Airport. Dublin is one of the very few capital city airports in Europe to not have a rail connection. And we won't be getting one anytime soon. Scandalous from our politicians, but something you have to get used to around these parts. The "sure it's grand" attitude is very prevalent in Ireland.

Taxi to Dublin Airport

If you are going somewhere in Dublin, and you can afford it, just take a taxi. Dublin isn't that big. A taxi to the city centre will cost about €40.

I've seen people spend thousands on their once-in-a-lifetime trip to Ireland and get the bus from the airport. You're tired after flying. You have luggage. You don't know the city. This isn't the time to try to save a few bucks. And the Irish taxi drivers are always great craic. Even the grumpy ones perk up at the hint of an American accent in anticipation of a good tip.

Bus to Dublin Airport from Downtown Dublin/Dublin City Centre

The Aircoach can have you in Dublin City Centre within 40 minutes. It even goes to the other side of the city (which would cost a lot in a taxi). When choosing your hotel, it's worth checking if it's close to an Aircoach stop. You can book a less expensive hotel outside of the city center and get to it inexpensively if it's near Aircoach. Book online for best prices and to secure your seat.

Cork, Limerick, Galway, Belfast to Dublin Airport

There are coach services to all parts of Ireland from the airport. Dublin Airport website has details of these.

Chauffeur Car Service from Dublin Airport

Travel in style and have someone waiting for you in the arrivals house. Book your limousine service with one of these companies.

A good friend of mine, Niall Docherty, has a 9 seater taxi van available for Dublin Airport pickup, hotel transfers and tours of the thirty two counties specifically tailored to your needs. Driver with twenty plus years experience. You can contact Niall on +353 87 985 3004 or email.

Platinum Service Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport has a private terminal for the rich, famous and Regular Joes celebrating special occasions. From their website: "All passengers, no matter airline or class of ticket, can enjoy VIP personalised treatment at Platinum Services with private check-in, Security, suites for relaxation, drinks and dining, and chauffeur-driven to your aircraft."

The price isn't unreasonable. €395 and up. I don't use it on my Ryanair flights to Stansted, but for a special occasion, it's something fun & memorable. Have Questions?

Plane Spotting At Dublin Airport

I intentionally left this section until the end because I know it'll bore 99% of you to tears. But my site, my rules, so here's something for my fellow aviation anoraks.

Dublin Airport has 2 runways.

The North Runway 10L/28R

Let's start with the baby. Just opened in 2022, the North runway is mostly used for departures today.

There is a nice parking area right around where the planes rotate. I took this photo yesterday with my phone. The serious spotters with the lens could probably spot a stain on the pilot's shirt. It's paved, there's space to pull in and safely reverse into your spot (unlike the mound, more below).

This is another place you watch the north runway departures. It's on the road in-between the two runways and you drive right by the control tower. The spot is just anywhere you can pull off the side of the road and and you get more of the barrier. It is good though to see the right turns the planes must take very soon after take off for noise abatement.

The South Runway 10R/28L

The south runway used to handle departures and arrivals until 2022, which made it easy for us. Now, it's mostly landings. Again, there are two spots here that I go to.

First in the legendary Mound. This is where the social spotters squawk among themselves. It's just a lay by off the road and is lethal to pull into. Be extremely careful parking and leaving here!

They learned the lesson and the area at the north runway is much safer.

I prefer this area by access gate 16. I usually have it to myself and it's safer than the mound. Most places are. You have the control tower in the background. When plane are landing on 10R/28L, they just start to slow down here. When they use it for take offs, it's a fantastic stop to see close up departures.

There is talk of building a purpose built spotting area. We'll see which comes first, this or a train link.

Just to annoy other spotters, here's a photo I took from the new control tower.

More Plane Reading

Read my guide to flying from the US to Ireland and how to go through US Preclearance at Dublin.

Have Questions?

If you any questions about Dublin Airport, leave a comment below and or on our Facebook page.

Happy Flying!