Transport

UNSDG 11As signatories to the UN Sustainable Development Goals Accord, RCSI is committed to improving life in Dublin for all. To improve our city’s traffic congestion, air quality and contribute to our local economy we recommend you commute to campus by foot, bicycle or public transport.

Dublin in a small city and RCSI is conveniently located right in the centre. Here’s how to get to RCSI using public transport:

Dublin Bus

Dublin Bus runs all public bus services in the greater Dublin area. Buses start from 5am and finish at midnight. Dublin Bus also operates a night-time bus service called Nitelink, which runs from the city centre to the suburbs. For further information on bus timetables and fares, please visit dublinbus.ie.

LUAS

LUAS (meaning ‘speed’) is the Light Rail transport system in Dublin. The LUAS connects suburban parts of Dublin to the city centre with a high capacity and high frequency transport service. The St Stephen’s Green stop on this line is located immediately across from RCSI. You will get further information on luas.ie.

DART

The DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) is an electrified commuter rail network serving the coastline and city centre of Dublin. The service makes up the core of Dublin’s suburban railway network, stretching from Greystones, County Wicklow, in the south to Howth and Malahide in north County Dublin. The main DART stations servicing the Dublin city centre are Pearse Station, Tara Street Station and Connolly Station. For timetables see irishrail.ie.

Leap Card is a convenient way to pay for public transport services – including LUAS, bus and train services – in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford so we recommend you purchase a Leap Card as soon as you arrive in Dublin.

It will save you having to carry cash and is usually 20% cheaper than a single cash fare ticket. Leap Card users in the Dublin area also benefit from smart discount features such as capping and the Leap 90 Discount.

Student Leap Cards are also available, which offer additional discounts and benefits to users. Application forms for these and other discount cards are available from Student Services.

Cycling

Travel by bicycle is a great transport option in Dublin. Bicycles can be purchased new or secondhand from many local shops in the city and there are secure bicycle parking areas located in and around the RCSI campus. If you decide to purchase your own bicycle, it is essential that you insure it and keep it locked.

You can also avail of the public bicycle scheme, Dublin Bikes, which provides a large number of public bicycle stations around the city with several hundred bicycles available for general public use. You can find out more about how to collect, return and pay the small fee for a public bicycle on dublinbikes.ie.

Car

Should you decide to travel by car, parking is available in the city, however it is very expensive. Discounted parking is available to students at Q Park, located behind 123 St Stephen’s Green: Student car parking rates are as follows:

  • 7am - 4pm: €3 per hour (maximum of €8 during these hours)
  • 5pm - 11pm: Up to €5 per hour (maximum of €15 in 24 hours)

To obtain this prepaid top-up card you must follow these steps:

  1. Acquire a form from Q-Park reception
  2. Fill it out and return it to Q-Park reception (you will be required to produce your student card)
  3. You will receive a prepaid top-up card, which you will then have to top-up with a minimum of €10

Alternatively you can apply for the prepaid top-up card online via the Q-Park website. When entering the car park, this card is put into the machine (instead of getting a ticket); when exiting the car park, again this card is put into the machine. The daily rate will be deducted on each visit

Students’ Union parking passes

A number of prepaid parking passes for the St Stephen's Green/Mercer car park are provided to the Students’ Union for allocation to the student body. The application forms for these will be released on date specified by the Students' Union. Once completed and returned, the allocation process will begin based on the requirements of the application.