DUB: Dublin Collinstown (Ireland)

[atoutprix]

Dublin is, as we all know, the home base of Ryanair.
It's a big airport, and rather complicated, with four piers : A, B, C, D - some are small, the last one very long but brand new - at the pier D, there are still about 8 or 10 gates in a large prefab hall (very noisy and often crowded) at apron level, reserved for FR flights.
The arrival hall is at ground level, with the Tourism Office and an information desk about Dublin public transport.
The departure hall is on the first floor, with the check-in desks and the security control ( at the rush hours, the queue can easilty last 25 minutes, be there in time !)
There are restaurants (including a MacDo) and bars on the second floor.
Although I have seen it quite a few times, I am unable to explain it clearly - I am sure some other fans could do it better than me.
Anyway, here are a few pics and hints about DUB.

Airport website :
http://www.dublinairport.com/home.aspx

3 runways :
- 10/28 (2637 m)
- 16/34 (2073 m)
- 11/29 (1200 m)

Transportation :
There is a bus 747 (!) that brings you directly to O'Connell Street in the center of Dublin.
Other local buses or buses to other Irish towns depart from behind the car park in front of the terminal.


Runway 28 on a dark and wet morning :



The main terminal : arrival on the ground level, departures at upper level



Check-in hall :



The new (april 09) concourse to piers A and D :





A view of the long pier D :



At the end of pier D :



The rotonda at the end of pier A (gates A7 to A13) :




Seen from a landing - from left to right : piers D, A, B, C.



Seen from high above :

[amnesia]

Used to work there. Hope I was not serving some of you at Food Court at mezzanine floor

[atoutprix]

Works in progress on the new terminal (as is on 31st march 2009) :

[amnesia]

oh my god!!!! I remember I was in Dublin in dec 2007 after 3 months after I left Dublin. There was some construction works there, but I can't believe it is so large now!! Looks impressive!

[RyanAdmin]

Tomorrow I will go to Dublin for the first time. I am flying SVQ-DUB and later tomorrow from Dublin to the Netherlands.

I was wondering: Is there maybe a little village near to the airport that is cheap to visit?

Does the airport have free wireless internet zones?

[ruinair]

hi there is no little village near the airport that i can recommend sadly. there is not much near the airport but big warehouses and housing estates. the bus to the city centre only takes about 20 minutes so maybe you spend 30 mins in the city centre - get off at O'Connell Street and have a look around nearby Temple Bar area.

[amnesia]

As far as I used to work there, there was many wireless internet connections but none of them free. Prepaid options only...
Village? It depends how long will you stay there. There is Swords (here), small and Irish called it interesting to live in, but nothing special in my opinion. It's easy to get as there are a buses number 41 (here) and 41c departing on front of arrivals entrance. Only make sure to ask an assistance officer where is that bus's stop. It's little crazy there and you may hop onto wrong direction.
You also can go to Airport roundabout (here) and wait for bus number 33. It will take you into Skerries (here). There is one of very few so called sand beaches there. In my opinion it may not compare to polish ones, but in hot sunny day this place makes a lot.
If you have some more time to spend and want to get tired, Howth (here) might be good option for you. The walk around the peninsula was usually taking me about 2 hours with some minutes. But I'm affraid there is no direct bus connection from airport. You will be forced to go to city center and there catch some bus which will take you unless 90 minutes each way.
Hope was helpfull

[RyanAdmin]

Thanks!

But I read it now, and now I'm back home.. .

From the aircraft I saw a IKEA, it seems to be near to the terminal hall? Would be nice to visit!

With a small village I meaned to go for a walk and go shopping or having dinner.

Yesterday I was in Dublin, we had 4 hours to wait, we've stayed at the airport.

There was a place where you could get your 2nd coffee for free, but the cappuccino machine was broken, and they say it after that we buyed the coffee cups. Really bad coffee!

There are a lot of shops after the security!

[ruinair]

hi there is indeed a new IKEA store in Ballymun, Dublin but it only opens in June so if you had gone there it would have been closed sadly! yes Dublin Airport is one big shopping centre

[amnesia]

Really bad coffee? Hm.... probable Ritazza where I used to work
As you saw, Dublin is a place where you may stay, drink, eat, sleep... 20+ milion of passengers anually means something

[atoutprix]

Present state of the new terminal (5 may 2009), airside :

[atoutprix]

Dublin T2 as of now (8 oct 2009) :





How it will be :





And the model (near the McDo) :

[atoutprix]

The boarding gates at DUB will be renumbered as from wednesday February 3d, 2010 !


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2010/0130/1224263404654.html

http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/blogs/contrails/default.aspx

• Pier D boarding gates will convert to a 100 number range i.e. D60 will become 101
• Pier A boarding gates will convert to a 200 number range i.e. A1 will become 201
• Pier B boarding gates will convert to a 300 number range i.e. B22 will become 301
When pier, part of T2 comes into operation the gate numbers will commence with 400.

[danieln]

I will make a day trip to Dublin next month. Can someone tell me if it is still possible to buy the Dublin Rambler 1-day buss-pass at the airport? As far as I know, this pass is also valid on the 747 airport bus, and this way I could save the amount of a one-way ticket to the city center.

[atoutprix]

Yes, the "Rambler" ticket still exists. On sale at a vending machine at the bus stop, in front of the terminal.
Astonishing good value, at 6 euros for a day return trip on the Airlink Bus plus unlimited travel on urban buses on that same day(a single trip on Airlink bus is 6 euros, return is 10 euros ...).

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Fares--Tickets/Tickets/2-Journey-Daily-Weekly/