Open-top Dublin bus tours are informative with amusing commentaries

An Lar means City Centre on the front of buses

DART railway is ideal for getting to Howth and Bray for trips out of the city

Dublin is an easy city for walking - it's flat and compact

Dublin is one of the easiest cities to get around. Not only does Dublin city have a compact centre but there are more than 1,200 buses serving over 200 routes, with many using speedy bus corridors and cross-city access to the main Dublin shopping areas.

Dublin rail services are also plentiful with many train routes across the city and also to many local areas. Trains run every five to 10 minutes at peak times.

For late night revellers, the Dublin Bus Nitelink is cheap and easy. The Dublin bus runs until 2am, Monday to Thursday, and later still at the weekends. Dublin also has around 12,000 taxis. Car hire Dublin is a great option if you want to explore the many excellent local attractions.

Head straight to the Dublin Tourism Centre, Suffolk Street - it's in the former Church of St Andrew - for maps and information on a Dublic city break. You can also buy a Dublin Pass for 'free' entry into many Dublin attractions.

Dublin on foot

Dublin is a compact city and relatively flat so it's easy to get around on foot. Virtually all the major attractions are within walking distance of each other for anybody reasonably fit.

The River Liffey flows west to east through the city centre making navigation pretty easy. The city centre is generally considered to be the area within the Royal Canal in the north and the Grand Canal to the south. The main north-south street is O'Connell Street and the O'Connell Bridge over the Liffey.

There are various popular themed walks around Dublin including the Rock 'n' Stroll Trail; the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl operated by Dublin Tourism and the Discover Dublin's theatrical walking tours.

Dublin Bus

Dublin Bus - Bus Atha Cliath serves Dublin city centre and surrounding area. The buses are two-tone green. There are also CitySwift services and Imp mini-bus services on some routes.

The destination An Lar on the front of a Dublin bus means City Centre. Buses run until 11.30pm with an hourly Nitelink Dublin bus service on Friday and Saturday nights.

When boarding a Dublin bus have the right money available and if using a pass, do validate it as you enter the bus.

The open-top bus tours by Dublin Bus and Grey Line Tours are an excellent way to familiarise yourself with Dublin. They also take in top Dublin sights, such as Phoenix Park, that are not so easy to walk to. The drivers' commentaries are often amusing.

Bus Eireann

Bus �ireann runs excursions out of Dublin city taking in some of the most beautiful parts of Ireland. They employ experienced driver-guides and use luxury coaches.

Day tours include trips to Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains, to Powerscourt Gardens and to Newgrange and the Boyne Valley. The Dublin bus day tours operate all year round.

Dublin bus tours

Grey Line operates 90min open-top bus tours of Dublin and 75min multi-lingual tours of the city. Excursions out of Dublin include trips to Kildare Outlet Village for enthusiastic shoppers, a trip round Dublin Bay including a visit to Malahide Castle and The Grand Wicklow tour of the Wicklow Mountains to the south of Dublin.

Dublin by rail

DART - Dublin Area Rapid Transit - is the rail service running from Howth in the north to Bray in the south with 25 stations including a number in central Dublin. DART is ideal on Dublin city breaks as both seaside resorts are worth visiting.

Trains run every 15 minutes - or every five minutes during rush hours - until midnight or 11pm on Sundays. Avoid travelling at peak hours when the Dublin trains are packed with commuters.

One-day passes, family tickets and Explorer tickets can be used on DART and Dublin Bus. Seven-day passes can also be bought but you will need photo identification.

Dublin by Bike

The Dublinbike scheme allows you to hire a bike. There are hundreds of bikes at 40 stations around the city. First, buy a three-day ticket for €2, then it's free for the first 30 minutes of any rental and two hours cost €1.50.

Dublin by horse carriage

A romantic way to enjoy a Dublin city break is by horse and carriage. A splendidly fitted carriage comes with a chirpy driver who will tell you all about the Dublin sights.

The carriages can be found at the Grafton Street side of St. Stephen's Green. You can take a short trip around the Green; a half-hour tour of Georgian Dublin or an hour-long City tour. Be warned, the driver may not stop talking for the full hour.

Dublin taxis

Dublin taxis can be found outside major hotels, at bus and train stations and along busy streets such as O'Connell St. Taxis rarely cruise for fares. Most pubs will have details of Dublin taxi companies close at hand.

Rates are set by law if travelling within the Dublin city limits. For longer trips, negotiate the fare with the driver before setting out.