Bus Ticket Information

All Bus Éireann tickets are issued subject to the conditions of the company. If you have not purchased your ticket in advance of travel, please try to have exact fare ready for the driver when boarding the bus. This will speed up journey times for you and for other customers.

If you already have a ticket, pass, please have it ready for inspection when you board the bus.

Tickets must be retained for the duration of your journey and produced for inspection on request.

For Expressway terms and conditions of travel, see here

Ticket Types (Bus Éireann Public Services)

Single tickets

Single tickets are valid for one single journey on the date of issue as shown on the ticket.

Return tickets

Return tickets are valid for one outward and one inward journey only. They are not valid for two journeys in the same direction and must be used within the date range stated. There are two types of return ticket:

  • Standard return: Standard return tickets are valid for one outward journey on the day of issue, and one inward journey that must be taken within 30 days of initial travel.
  • Day return: Day return tickets are valid for one outward journey on the day of issue, and for an inward journey on the same date only. Passengers wishing to use the return leg of the journey on another date will not be able to do so and will not be issued with an excess fare ticket.

Family return tickets

Family return tickets are subject to the same conditions of validity as standard return tickets and are issued to family groups of one or two adults and up to three children under 16 years of age.

Family return tickets are not valid on cross border services.

Weekly (10-journey) tickets

Weekly (10-journey) tickets are valid for ten journeys as specified and as shown on the ticket.

They are valid for seven consecutive days inclusive of date of issue. For example, a weekly ticket issued on a Tuesday is valid up to and including the following Monday. When a public holiday falls within the period of validity of a 10-journey ticket, the expiry date is automatically extended by one day.

10-journey tickets are also available for children.

Leap tickets

Leap Single tickets are available to purchase on all Bus Éireann services.

Selected Leap 24hr, 7 Day and monthly products are available for travel on city services in Cork, Galway, Limerick & Waterford and on Commuter services in the Greater Dublin Area. For more information on Leap see here 

Young Adults/Students

Bus Éireann offers concession tickets at student rates to:

  • young adults aged 19-23 years inclusive who are in possession of a valid Young Adult Leap Card
  • students aged 16-18 years and students aged 24 years and above in full-time third level education, including further education and training, who are in possession of a valid Student Leap Card. See leapcard.ie for full details on Student Leap Card eligibility.
    NB: Based on age and student status, persons aged 16-18 years may qualify for both the Child 16-18 Leap card and the Student Leap Card. For travel on Bus Éireann public services, the recommended card is the Child Leap Card (16-18) as it offers cheaper fares. For travel on Expressway services, the recommended card is the Student Leap Card as it allows the holder to avail of the half-price Young Adult online discounted fares. It is possible to apply for both cards at leapcard.ie.
  • students of all ages who are in possession of an International Student Identity Card (ISIC); or a current Translink yLink Card; or a student identification card issued by recognised third level institutions in the Republic of Ireland. See list here:

The following tickets are available for students:

  • Student single tickets
  • Student return tickets
  • Student 10-journey tickets
  • Student Leap Single tickets on all services and Leap 24hr, 7 Day & City Monthly zonal products on selected city & Commuter services

Student tickets are subject to the same validity conditions as standard tickets

Children

Children aged 5-15 years are entitled to reduced cash fares at Child rates. If in possession of a Child Leap Card (5-15), children aged 5-15 years are also entitled to reduced Leap fares at Child rates.

Children aged 16-18 years who are in possession of a Child Leap card (16-18) are entitled to half-price Child Leap Single fares on Bus Éireann public services and, in addition, to selected Leap products at Child rates.

NB: Based on age and student status, persons aged 16-18 years may qualify for both the Child 16-18 Leap card and the Student Leap Card. For travel on Bus Éireann public services, the recommended card is the Child Leap Card (16-18) as it offers cheaper fares. For travel on Expressway services, the recommended card is the Student Leap Card as it allows the holder to avail of the half-price Young Adult online discounted fares. It is possible to apply for both cards at leapcard.ie.

Under 5s

Children under the age of five travel free of charge on Bus Éireann’s PSO services (City, Commuter, and Stage Carriage services) when they are accompanied by a person or persons aged 16 years or over with responsibility for their welfare.

One child under the age of five may travel free of charge on Bus Éireann’s Expressway services when they are accompanied by a person or persons aged 16 years or over with responsibility for their welfare. Additional children under the age of five will be charged the standard child fare.

Unaccompanied children

Unaccompanied children under the age of 12 will be carried on any service for journeys of less than 30km that take place before 7pm.

On any journey longer than 30km, or that starts after 7pm, children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a person or persons aged 16 years or over with responsibility for their welfare. Children under the age of five must be accompanied at all times by a person or persons aged 16 years or over with responsibility for their welfare at all times.

Parents or guardians may be asked to provide proof of age for any child travelling unaccompanied if that child appears to be under the age of five. This is for the safety of all children travelling on our services.

Concession tickets

Where a passenger is travelling on a concession rate ticket issued on the production of a card or document showing entitlement to the concession (e.g. Young Adult/student card, Free Travel Card, etc.), that card or document must be produced for inspection when requested by a Bus Éireann official, and each time the ticket is tendered for travel.

Expired documents, documents transferred to another person, or documents used fraudulently in any other manner to acquire concession rate tickets will be seized and handed to An Garda Síochána.

In such cases, or in cases where the documentation used to acquire a concession rate ticket is otherwise invalid, the appropriate full fare must be paid for the journey undertaken.

Internet Sales - Mobile ticketing

As part of our ongoing commitment to improve our customer experience, Bus Éireann customers who have purchased tickets online are not required to print their tickets but may display them on a mobile device.

Please note, your booking details must be clearly displayed with your name, journey information, and MAC number on the screen. Your driver will not be able to issue your ticket if this information is not clearly visible. Please note that you may be required to produce photo ID when receiving your ticket.

TFI Go App

Route

Following a successful launch of its new Mobile Ticketing “M Ticketing” App called the “TFI Go App” in 2021, the National Transport Authority has now extended the app for mobile-ticket purchase for travel on all Bus Éireann City, Town Commuter and Local public services. Customers may now purchase Adult & Young Adult/Student Single, 2 and 10 Journey tickets on their smart phone prior to boarding all public services:

Key Features of the TFI Go App

  • 1, 2 and 10 Journey tickets available
  • Selected Zonal tickets now available
  • Search for a ticket between your origin and destination.
  • Zonal tickets are available on Bus Éireann city services in Cork, Limerick, Galway & Waterford and town services in Athlone, Balbriggan, Drogheda, Dundalk, Navan and Sligo.
  • Buy and download tickets directly to your phone.
  • Save a payment card for faster purchases.
  • Activate ticket before boarding and just show the driver your ticket.
  • Tickets valid for 28 days after purchase