dublin tourist leap card

Leap Visitor Card: Tourists 2024 Guide

By Author Keith O'Hara

Posted on Last updated: December 30, 2023

The Leap Visitor Card makes getting around Dublin   very  convenient.

In a nutshell, the Leap Visitor Card is a convenient public transport ticket for tourists visiting Dublin.

It offers unlimited travel on Dublin City Bus, Luas, DART, and Commuter Rail for 1, 3, or 7 days for a fixed price.

If you’re exploring the various things to do in Dublin , it’ll save you time, money and hassle.

Table of Contents

Some quick need-to-knows about the Leap Visitor Card

Photos via Shutterstock

Although buying a Leap Visitor Card is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make the process more straightforward:

1. Why buying one makes sense

The Leap Visitor Card makes using public transport easier and cheaper. You buy a card for either 1, 3 or 7 days and you get unlimited travel. If you’re visiting Ireland on a budget , it’s both a time and money saver (as is the excellent Dublin Pass ).

2. Where you can get one

You can buy a Leap Visitor Card online, in Dublin Airport or in the city centre. Full list of places to get it can be found below.

3. How much it costs

There are three different options for the Leap Visitor Card:

• 1 day (24 hours): €8.00
• 3 days (72 hours): €16.00
• 7 days (168 hours): €32.00

4. Where you can use it 

The Leap Visitor Card can be used on Dublin City Bus services, the Luas (the tram that runs in the city), DART and Commuter Rail

5. How it works

To use your Leap Visitor Card, simply tap it off the validator when you’re getting on the bus or when you’re passing through the gates at the train station. More info on using it on each type of public transport below.

6. Where it isn’t valid

Leap Visitor is not valid on the Hop on/Hop off tour or other special tour services and cannot be used on Bus Éireann services.

Where you can buy a Leap Visitor Card

You can buy a Leap Visitor Card online or offline. Now, the online purchases come with a warning – the card gets delivered to your postal address.

So…  make sure to order it well in advance  to ensure that it arrives before you visit Dublin. You can also buy the card in person from a number of other places in Dublin:

Dublin Airport

You can buy the card from Wrights Airport Convenience Store (T1 Arrivals)

Dublin City

• Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O’Connell St., Dublin 1
• Spar, 63 Upper O’Connell St., Dublin 1
• Mullins Newsagent, Unit 1B Heuston Station, Dublin 8
• Spar, Talbot Street, Dublin 1
• Easons, Unit 2, Connolly Station, Dublin 1

How the Leap Visitor Card works

The beauties of the Leap Visitor Card is that you don’t have to worry about having cash for your fare.

You simply touch the card off a validator and, once you’ve heard the ‘beep’, you know it has worked.

Here’s how to use the Leap Visitor Card on the bus, train and tram:

On Dublin Bus

Touch the card against the Leap Card Validator on the right-hand side as you enter the bus.

On the Luas (tram)

Touch the card off the Validator on the platform before you get on the tram and Touch Off when you get off the tram.

On DART and Commuter Rail

Touch the card off the Validator at the platform entry gate before your journey and Touch it off the platform exit gate or Validator after your journey.

FAQs about the Leap Visitor Card

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Where do you buy one?’ to ‘How long does it last?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

Is the Leap Visitor card worth it?

The Leap Visitor Card provides you with unlimited travel on Dublin Bus, the Luas an the DART for a set fee. If you’re exploring the city, it’ll save you time and money if you use public transport to get around.

What is a Leap Visitor card?

The Leap Visitor card is a convenient public transport ticket that provides unlimited travel in Dublin for a selected time period on DART, Dublin City Bus services, the Luas and Commuter Rail.

Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent most of the last 10 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 30 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries . Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.

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Money-Saving tips

The dublin pass.

The Dublin Pass offers free access to over 30 of the city’s top attractions. It also includes a ticket for the Dublin sightseeing bus, as well as discounts at many stores and restaurants.

What Does the Sightseeing Pass Include?

The city pass allows you to visit some of Dublin’s top landmarks and monuments for free, including Christ Church Cathedral , Dublin Castle , Guinness Storehouse , St Patrick’s Cathedral , Jameson Distillery,   and Dublinia.  It also includes a ticket for the Dublin sightseeing bus.

The city pass is valid for consecutive days, not periods of 24 hours. For example, if you activate your 3-day card at 4 pm on a Monday, it'll be valid until Wednesday at 11:59 pm.

Is The Dublin Pass Worthwhile?

To check if the Dublin Pass is worth purchasing, you should decide what attractions you’d like to visit before and calculate how profitable it would be. If you’re planning on exploring several of Dublin’s most popular monuments, the pass is usually beneficial.

For example, it'll cost you nearly € 44 ( US$ 48.90) to visit Christ Church, St Patrick's Cathedral, and the Guinness Storehouse, so purchasing the Dublin Pass will definitely be worthwhile.

Where to Buy the Dublin Pass?

You can find out everything you need to know and buy your Dublin Pass on our website by clicking on the link below:

• Purchase the Dublin Pass online

You may also be interested in

Apart from booking your flights and hotel in advance, there are other tips and tricks that will help you save money when travelling to Dublin. One of the main ways of saving money when visiting a city is to pay as little as possible for entrance tickets to the attractions.

Leap Visitor Card

The Leap Visitor Card is a handy Dublin transport pass for tourists who wish to use the city’s public transportation frequently.

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The Leap Card.

A unique map for travelling in and around Dublin!

Where can you recharge your leap card in dublin.

If you’re on foot in Dublin, and want to make the most of its public transport, then the Leap Card could be a practical asset for easy travel. This useful plastic smart card lets you use all available transport services, without having to reserve tickets or pay in cash. A practical map for backpackers who want to discover the city and its surroundings!

What is the Leap Card?

The Leap Card is the most convenient way to use public transport in Dublin! The advantage of this rechargeable smart card is that it’s universal, allowing you to do without the usual paper tickets for travel, and therefore save time!

So you can hop on a Dublin Bus, Xpresso, Luas, DART train and commuter services around Dublin whenever it suits you, without having to plan your journey or buy a specific ticket in advance. A plus for those who don’t like queuing at the counter!

This card can be purchased directly from the Dublin Bus office, at the DART Center or on the official website: www.leapcard.ie (please note that the card will be sent to you by post). More economical, it offers preferential rates that will save you money. There are several formulas to choose from:

• a Leap Card for adults
• and a Leap Card for children

The amount to be credited to the card depends on you and your budget. They range from €5 to €125. However, you should make sure that your credit corresponds to your needs, to avoid unnecessary expenses. The rates are very well explained on the website , and the public transport staff will be able to advise you on the fares for each journey.

Charging stations are plentiful in Dublin. You can then recharge your Leap Card :

• at the Dublin Bus office
• in tramway terminals
• within the DART terminals
• in relay stores such as Spar

It’s simple and easy!

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Who is eligible for this ticket?

• Customers in possession of a valid open class ticket

What are the conditions of travel?

Customers who are already in possession of or purchasing on the day of travel a valid standard class ticket(s) such as Family Ticket, Day Return, Open Return, Weekly, Monthly, Annual or InterRail ticket can book on their chosen service by selecting the 'Reservation Only' option in the Passenger selection box. Customers are advised there is limited availability for seat only bookings online.

How do I buy this ticket? 

• Read our FAQ on how to book a seat only reservation .

Where can I buy this ticket? 

• You can purchase the ticket  above using our journey planner . Tickets can only be purchased up to 90 days in advance.

Where do I collect the ticket? 

See our  Ticket Collection  section.

• Free Travel/DSFA Pass Holders

Customers who hold a  Free Travel / DSFA Pass  can book on their chosen service by selecting the  'Free Travel Pass'  option in the Passenger selection box. Customers are advised there is limited availability for Free Travel bookings online.

• Please see our handy guide on how to book a 'Free Travel Pass' option .
• You can purchase the ticket  above using our Journey Planner . Tickets can only be purchased up to 90 days in advance.
• An allocation of bookings on all InterCity services can be reserved online without a fee for 'Free Travel Pass or valid ticket holders'. When this allocation is fully booked, all remaining seats can be reserved by 'Free Travel Pass or valid ticket holders' for €2.50 per journey. 

For more information on Online Tickets please see Ticket Information

There are a limited number of wheelchair accessible spaces on each train, book in advance to avoid disappointment.

passenger-seat icon Travel Pass or Travel Ticket holder

Is an option for customers who are in possession of Free Travel Pass, a valid standard class ticket(s), seasonal ticket(s), Taxsaver ticket(s) or InterRail to book onto a train in standard class. Customers who have a valid standard class ticket but wish to upgrade to First Class should also use this selection. For more information go to Tickets Explained section.

Please select the passenger(s) who require this ticket type

Leap Card for Rail Travel

Saving you Time and Money

Adults travelling in the Short Hop Zone on a single ticket can save an average of 30 percent by using a TFI Leap Card rather than purchasing a ticket at the station. TFI Leap Cards are the easy and convenient way to travel by DART, Commuter Rail in Dublin, Dublin city buses and Luas.

The TFI Leap Top Up App allows you top up on your phone for hassle free travel, saving you time queuing at stations.

• TFI 90 Minute Fare
• TFI Leap Card Capping
• TFI Leap Card in Cork

The TFI 90 min Fare

TFI Leap Card customers can transfer between most DART, Commuter Rail, Dublin Bus, Luas, and Go-Ahead Ireland services in the Dublin area at no additional cost for 90 minutes. That’s an Adult Fare from €2; Young Adult or Student from €1 and a Child at just 65c on the appropriate TFI Leap Card.

Please visit our TFI 90 min fare page for more information . 

Leap Card Capping 

Customers travelling frequently on rail services with a TFI Leap Card can benefit from daily and weekly maximum spend capping.

There is also a multi modal TFI Leap Card Cap, meaning customers who frequently switch between rail, bus and Luas can benefit from a maximum spend cap.

It is important customers always touch on and touch off when using a TFI Leap Card irrespective of reaching the maximum spend cap.  You must be tagged on to be in possession of a valid ticket for travel.

Please note:  Capping applies to Dublin City Bus scheduled services including Xpresso. It excludes Nitelink, Tours and Go-Ahead Ireland Commuter services. Capping only applies to journeys taken by the card holder.

Leap Card in Cork 

Customers in Cork can purchase the following TFI Leap products at leapcard.ie or at participating at TFI Leap agents in the Cork area .

• Adult Weekly
• Adult Monthly
• Child Monthly
• Student Weekly
• Student Monthly

Check out our  Leap Card FAQ  for more information.

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• Buy a TFI Leap Card
• Top-Up a TFI Leap Card
• Register a TFI Leap Card
• Help & Support

Buy A TFI Leap Card

Note: Kindly fill all fields marked with an asterisk.

Information

You can buy standard  Adult and Child (age 5 – 15) TFI Leap Cards  from  TFI Leap agents  or online by selecting an option below.

Personalised TFI Leap Cards  such as  Adult , Young Adult (age 19-25), Student and Child (age 16-18)  that need your photo printed on them  can only be purchased online  by selecting an option below.

To renew or replace a Child (16-18), Young Adult (19-25) or Student Card please click here

Visitor cards  can be purchased at  selected outlets  or online by selecting an option below. Please note that the Leap Visitor Card is not an e-ticket and will be delivered to your postal address when purchased online.

For information on how to purchase a TFI Leap Card in Irish please click  here

• A website of the National Transport Authority