can i use my free travel pass on bus eireann

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Free travel in Ireland

What is the free travel scheme, how to use free travel, where can i use free travel, how to qualify for free travel, how to apply for free travel, where to apply for free travel, senior smartpass for travelling in northern ireland.

The Free Travel Scheme allows you to travel, free of charge, on public transport and some private bus and ferry services.

Everyone aged 66 and over, living permanently in Ireland, can get the Free Travel Scheme.

People with disabilities and carers aged under 66 may also qualify for Free Travel.

If you qualify for Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, your partner may travel with you for free if you meet certain criteria (see ‘Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants’ below).

If you can’t travel alone for medical reasons, you may get Free Travel for a companion. This allows a person aged over 16 to travel with you for free.

Changes to the Free Travel Scheme in 2024

From July 2024, you will qualify for the Free Travel Scheme if you have:

• Never been able to drive due to a disability
• A driving licence and are medically certified as ‘not fit to drive’ for 12 months or longer.

If you qualify for Free Travel, your Public Services Card (PSC) will have FT (for Free Travel) in the top left-hand corner. The letter following it shows who can travel for free with you:

• FT-P - you can travel for free
• FT+S - your spouse, partner or cohabitant can travel with you for free
• FT+C - you can have a person (over 16) travel with you for free

You must show or scan your Public Services Card to the travel operator when you are travelling on public transport. Find out more about 'How to use your public services card for free travel' .

Paper travel passes are no longer being issued but you can still use your paper pass, if it is valid.

You can use your Free Travel on most Iarnród Éireann , Bus Éireann , Dublin Bus , DART and Luas Services and on certain private bus and ferry services (pdf) .

Free travel is also available on Dublin Bus Nitelink , Go-Ahead Ireland and TFI (Transport for Ireland) Local Link services .

Free travel does not include some special services such as Dublin Bus AIRLINK services .

You can find a full list of services where you can use Free Travel (pdf) on gov.ie.

There are no restrictions on the times you can use your Free Travel.

Living on the Aran Islands or Tory Island

If you are permanently living on any of the Aran Islands, you may get up to 12 single (or 6 return) air trips each year between the islands and Galway City.

People who live permanently on Tory Island (Co. Donegal) are entitled to 8 (or 4 return) free journeys on the seasonal helicopter service operating between the island and Falcarragh on the mainland.

If your public services card includes free travel for a companion, spouse, partner or cohabitant, they can also travel with you for free on the above services.

Going to Northern Ireland

You may also travel free of charge on certain cross-border services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. But to travel free in Northern Ireland, you must have a Senior Smart Pass – see ‘Senior SmartPass for travelling in Northern Ireland’ below.

To get Free Travel you must be living in Ireland and meet one of the following conditions:

• You are aged 66 or over
• You are getting Disability Allowance , Blind Pension , Carer's Allowance or an Invalidity Pension
• You are blind or visually impaired and meet the medical conditions for Blind Pension
• You have been getting Incapacity Supplement or Workmen's Compensation with Disablement Pension for at least 12 months
• You are a specified carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relative's Allowance
• You are getting a social security invalidity payment (or similar payment) from a country covered by EU regulations or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement for at least 12 months

Widow or widower or a surviving civil partner

If you are a widow or widower or a surviving civil partner aged 60 or over, living in Ireland and your late spouse or civil partner had Free Travel, you can get Free Travel, if you are getting one of the following payments:

• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme
• A similar social security pension or benefit from a country covered by EU regulations or a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement
• You are getting an ordinary Garda widow's pension

Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants

If you are entitled to Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, your partner may be able to travel with you for free.

Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant cannot travel with you for free, if you are under age 66 and getting Free Travel because you are:

• Getting Carer's Allowance
• The nominated carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relatives Allowance

Your PSC card must have FT-S on it to allow your partner travel with you. To add your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant to your Free Travel - see ‘How to apply for Free Travel’ below.

If you can’t travel alone

If you are unable to travel alone , you can have a person, over 16 years of age, travel with you for free. Your PSC card must have FT-C on it. To add a companion to your Free Travel, see ‘How to apply for Free Travel’ below.

Free travel companion card for children

A child with a visual impairment can get Free Travel for a companion if they are under 18 and they either:

• Satisfy the blindness condition for a Blind Pension, or
• Are registered with Vision Ireland or the National League of the Blind of Ireland

The person they travel with (companion) must be age 16 or over.

Work and Free Travel

You can keep your Free Travel for 5 years, if you moved from one of the following disability payments to work:

• Disability Allowance
• Invalidity Pension
• Partial Capacity Benefit (from Invalidity Pension)
• Disablement Benefit paid along with Incapacity Supplement

You can also keep your Free Travel for 5 years if you transferred from Disability Allowance or Invalidity Pension to a Community Employment , SOLAS or a Back to Work scheme.

If you are aged 66 or over and are getting a State pension, your Public Services Card (PSC) will be issued showing that you have Free Travel automatically.

If you are under 66, you will get Free Travel automatically issued on your PSC if you get one of the following payments:

• Blind Pension
• Carer’s Allowance

If you are married or in a civil partnership, your PSC will be issued with FT-S on it. If you are cohabiting, you must fill in Part 1 and 2 of the Free Travel application form FT1 (pdf) .

If you are not getting one of the payments above but you are eligible for Free Travel, you must fill in the Free Travel application form FT1(pdf) and send to the Free Travel Section in the Department of Social Protection.

If you can’t travel alone and need a companion

If you are unable to travel alone, you can apply for Free Travel for a Companion, using either of the following forms:

• Over 70 Companion pass form (pdf)
• Under 70 Companion pass form (pdf)

You can get an application form for Free Travel from the Department of Social Protection. The form is also available at your local post office and Citizens Information Centre .

Lost or damaged Free Travel pass or PSC

There are currently 2 types of Free Travel Pass:

• A paper Free Travel Pass
• A Public Services Card with Free Travel (with F-T written in the top left-hand corner)

Paper passes are no longer being issued so if you need a replacement for a lost or damaged paper pass, you must undergo SAFE registration and get a Public Services Card .

If your Public Services Card Free Travel is lost, stolen or damaged, you should telephone 0818 837 000 to request a replacement card.

Free Travel

Social Welfare Services College Road Sligo Ireland

If you are 66 or over and have Free Travel, you can travel free of charge on all bus and rail services within Northern Ireland using a Senior SmartPass card.

If you are 66 or over and have Free Travel, you do not need to meet the residency condition in Northern Ireland to apply for a Senior SmartPass card.

How to apply for a Senior SmartPass

To get a Senior SmartPass, you must fill in an application form (FTNI1). You can get this form from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office. It is not possible to get this form online .

You should not use a photocopy of the form as each form is barcoded. The application form must be filled in with black ink only and returned in person (not posted) to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

You must bring each of the following items with your application form to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office:

• Your Irish Free Travel pass/Public Services Card
• Proof of your address, (for example, a gas, electricity, phone bill or bank statement)
• Proof of your identity, (for example, your driving licence, passport or another form of photo identification)
• A recent passport standard colour photograph

It may take up to 6 weeks to process your application. There is further information on the extension of the Free Travel Scheme .

Travelling with a partner or companion

A spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or companion cannot travel with you for free on public transport within Northern Ireland.

However, your Irish Free Travel allows your spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or companion to travel for free on certain cross-border services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. For example, a cross-border train journey that starts in Ireland and ends in Northern Ireland or vice versa.

Renewing and replacing a Senior SmartPass

Your Senior SmartPass will expire after 5 years.

• If you have electronically used your card within the last 2 years, you will get a new card automatically in the post from Translink when your card expires.
• If you have not used your card in the last 2 years, you will be sent a renewal application form to fill in. The renewal form is not the same as a first-time application and you do not need to supply a photograph.
• If you have never used your card, you will not hear from Translink at all. If you wish to get it renewed, you must contact Translink by email at [email protected] , or telephone 00 44 289 075 9129 or 028 90 66 66 30 and they will send you a renewal application.

If you lose or need to replace your Senior SmartPass for travel in Northern Ireland, you can fill in form (FTNI 2) (pdf) .

Brexit and the Senior SmartPass

On 31 January 2020 the UK exited the EU . Senior SmartPass holders can continue to travel in Northern Ireland on the bus and train.

Related documents

• Tax-free purchases for non-EU travellers The Retail Export Scheme, allows visitors to Ireland (from outside the European Union) to buy goods in Ireland to take home with them and benefit from tax relief. 2861.0872
• Customs regulations for travellers to Ireland Find out about the important rules in place regarding customs regulations for people travelling to Ireland. 2638.2876
• Travelling from Ireland for healthcare in Europe Introduction to the options for Irish residents who wish to access healthcare in other countries in Europe. 2556.9595

If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

You can also contact your local Citizens Information Centre .

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• Visitor travel information

The TFI Leap Visitor Card is the most convenient public transport ticket for tourists and visitors to the Dublin area. It allows unlimited travel for your selected time period on Dublin City Bus services (Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland), Luas, DART, and Commuter Rail.

Use the TFI Live App to plan your journey throughout Ireland across the TFI network.

For more information on the TFI Leap Visitor Card, visit the Leap Card website at https://about.leapcard.ie/leap-visitor-card .

Transport services in Dublin

• Dublin Bus operates in the Greater Dublin Area.
• Go-Ahead Ireland operates in the suburbs of Dublin, as well as some routes to Kildare.
• Luas is Dublin’s tram service, operating two lines within Dublin (Red Line and Green Line).
• DART is a rail line that runs regularly from Malahide / Howth in North Dublin southwards through the city centre and as far as Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
• Dublin Northern Commuter service extends from Dublin’s Pearse Station via Dublin Connolly Station to Dundalk.
• Dublin Portlaoise Commuter service extends west from Dublin’s Heuston Station to stations as far to Portlaoise.
• Dublin Longford Commuter service extends from Dublin’s Pearse Station via Dublin’s Connolly Station to Longford.
• Dublin Dunboyne / M3 Parkway services extends from Dublin’s Dockland/ Connolly Station via Clonsilla to Dunboyne/ M3 Parkway.
• Dublin Southern Commuter service operates from Dublin’s Connolly Station to Gorey Station.
• Phoenix Park Commuter services operate from Portlaoise through the Phoenix Park Tunnel to terminate in Grand Canal Dock.
• Commercial Bus Operators run a number of services in the Greater Dublin Area.
• Cycling: Dublinbike stations are currently present in Dublin.

Transport services around Ireland

• Iarnrod Eireann Irish Rail is Ireland’s national train operator running city and commuter services in Dublin and Cork, as well as intercity services throughout Ireland.
• Bus Eireann is Ireland’s national bus operator running through town and commuter services as well as intercity services throughout Ireland.
• TFI Local Link is a local public transport services that operates in rural towns and villages throughout Ireland.
• Commercial Bus Operators have a large number of licenced private bus services operating city and intercity services through Ireland.

Some of the bigger commercial bus operators are listed below though the list is not exhaustive:

Aircoach     JJ Kavanagh & Sons     Swords Express     Finnegan Bray     Matthews     Collins Coaches     Wexford Bus     City Direct    City Link     Airport Hopper

• Cycling:   Bike Share stations are located in Cork, Limerick and Galway.
• Taxi: The National Transport Authority  license all small public service vehicles (SPSV – taxi, hackney and limousine) within the Republic of Ireland.

If you have a privately held bus licence and would like your information to be included here please contact us .

• - TFI Bus Services
• - TFI Local Link
• - Dublin Network Redesign
• - About Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail
• - Dublin area train map
• - About Luas
• - Luas Maps
• - About taxi
• - Check a licence
• - TFI Driver Check App
• - Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) Register
• - Customer information
• - Hiring a bicycle
• - Cycling safety
• - National Bike Week 11th – 19th May 2024
• Accessibility & Etiquette

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Get the facts on Ireland's Free Travel Scheme

Everyone aged 66 and over, living permanently in Ireland, can get the Free Travel Scheme

WHAT is the Free Travel Scheme?

The Free Travel Scheme allows you to travel, free of charge, on public transport and some private bus and ferry services.

Who qualifies for it?

Everyone aged 66 and over, living permanently in Ireland, can get the Free Travel Scheme.

People with disabilities and carers aged under 66 may also qualify for Free Travel if they are in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. You can check with your local Citizens Information Centre if you are unsure whether or not you qualify.

If I have Free Travel can somebody else travel with me?

If you qualify for Free Travel and you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, your partner may travel with you for free. They cannot travel with you for free, if you are under age 66 and getting Free Travel because you are getting Carer’s Allowance, or you are the nominated carer for a person getting Constant Attendance Allowance or Prescribed Relatives Allowance

If you can’t travel alone for medical reasons, you may get Free Travel for a companion. This allows a person aged over 16 to travel with you for free.

If you qualify for Free Travel, your Public Services Card (PSC) will have FT (for Free Travel) in the top left-hand corner. The letter following it shows who you can take with you:

FT-P - you can travel for free

FT+S - your spouse, partner or cohabitant can travel with you for free

FT+C - you can have a person (over 16) travel with you for free

You must carry it with you when you are using public transport.

Paper free travel passes are no longer being issued but you can still use your paper pass, if it is valid.

Where can I use Free Travel?

You can use your Free Travel on most Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, DART and Luas Services and on certain private bus and ferry services. Free travel is also available on Local Link services.

It does not include some special services such as Dublin Bus AIRLINK services.

Are there any limits on the times when I can use my Free Travel?

There are no restrictions.

Can I use my Free Travel to travel to Northern Ireland?

You may also travel free of charge on certain cross-border services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. But to travel free in Northern Ireland, you must have a Senior Smartpass.

How do I get a Senior Smartpass?

To qualify for free travel within Northern Ireland, you must be in receipt of a Free Travel Card or Paper Pass and be aged 66 years or over. Your spouse, civil partner, cohabitant, or companion is not eligible to accompany you for free in Northern Ireland under this scheme. You can get an application form from your local Social Welfare Intreo office or Citizens Information Centre

What happens if I have Free Travel due to a disability and I start work ?

You can keep your Free Travel for 5 years, if you moved from one of the following disability payments to work:

Disability Allowance

Invalidity Pension

Partial Capacity Benefit (from Invalidity Pension)

Disablement Benefit paid along with Incapacity Supplement

You can also keep your Free Travel for 5 years if you transferred from Disability Allowance or Invalidity Pension to a Community Employment, SOLAS or a Back to Work scheme.

How to apply for Free Travel

If you are aged 66 or over and are getting a social welfare pension, your Public Service Card (PSC) will be issued showing that you have Free Travel automatically. You must have completed the PSC SAFE registration process and be getting one of the following payments:

State Pension

Blind Pension

Carer’s Allowance

If you are married or in a civil partnership, your PSC will be issued with FT-S on it. If you are cohabiting, you must fill in Part 1 and 2 of the Free Travel application form FT1.

If you are not getting one of the payments above, but you are eligible for Free Travel you must fill in the Free Travel application form FT1.

You can get an application form for Free Travel from the Department of Social Protection. The form is also available at your local post office and Citizens Information Centre.

What happens if I lose or damage my Free Travel pass or PSC?

There are currently 2 types of Free Travel Pass - a paper Free Travel Pass and a Public Services Card with Free Travel (with F-T written in the top left-hand corner). Paper passes are no longer being issued so if you need a replacement for a lost or damaged paper pass you must undergo SAFE registration and get a Public Services Card.

If your Public Services Card Free Travel is lost, stolen or damaged, you should telephone 0818 837 000 to request a replacement card.

The telephone lines for South Munster Citizens Information in Cork City are monitored from 10am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. In addition, the Cork City Centre CIC in Cornmarket Street is open to the public from 10am to 12.30pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the Blackpool CIC is open to the public each morning from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday. Full details for all Citizens Information Centres and their opening times are available on our website.

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Can You Use Your Irish Free Travel Pass in England?

Free travel passes are a social welfare program in Ireland that allows seniors and some other people to travel on public and some private transportation lines without paying. A common question that arises is whether people can use these free travel passes in England as well. 

Can you use your Irish free travel pass in England? The answer is no: England, Scotland, and Wales have their own free travel schemes separate from Ireland. Irish free travel passes only work between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.  

Despite the fact that an Irish free bus pass doesn’t work in England, it is still a very effective social program. Continue below to read more about where you can travel with an Irish free travel pass, and how to travel for free in England. 

Disclaimer: Hi! this post may contain affiliate links which will take you to online retailers that sell products and services. If you click on one and buy something, I may earn a commission, see my  Affiliate Disclosure  for more details.

Irish Free Travel Passes Only Work in Ireland

The main reason that Irish free travel passes only work in Ireland is that the other members of the United Kingdom have their own free travel programs for social welfare, and you must be a resident of those areas in order to take advantage of them.

The only cross-border travel that the Irish free travel pass will be eligible for is cross-border travel between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. 

To be able to use your Irish free travel pass to travel without paying between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, you must meet a few conditions:

• The journey must begin on one side of the border and end on the other side. Round trip tickets are not eligible for a free travel pass.
• You can only use one mode of transportation at a time. You cannot combine a trip that includes both a bus ride and a train ride, or the trip will not be free.
• You must use one through-ticket for your entire journey. You can set up a multi-legged journey across the border, but the location of your final destination must be clearly printed on your ticket.

Who Can Get A Free Travel Pass in Ireland? 

In Ireland, free travel passes are allotted to people that are over 66 years and a few other categories that receive a government pension. If you are over 66 and receive a government pension, your free travel pass will be issued to you automatically. 

If you receive a government pension for disabilities, you will receive your free travel pass when you are first inducted into the disabilities program. 

In most cases, you do not have to manually apply for an Irish travel pass if you are eligible to receive one. If there is some question whether or not you should have an Irish free travel pass and you haven’t gotten one in the mail, you should contact your local government bureau. 

How Do I Travel Free in England?

England has its own sets of rules and regulations with regards to free travel passes used in-country. These vary from region to region, and London has its own set of rules for free travel pass use. Here are some of the rules regarding free travel pass used in the rest of the UK:

• In most of England, if you are a resident, you can apply for a free travel pass from the local council as soon as you reach the state pension age, whether you’re a man or a woman. The state pension age depends on where you were born. 
• In Wales, if you are a resident, you can apply for a free travel pass once you are 60 years of age. 
• In London, if you are a resident, you can apply for a free travel pass once you are 60 years of age, but the free travel pass for London works only on London mass transportation systems. 
• In Scotland, if you are a resident, you can apply for a free travel pass once you are 60 years of age.

Other Ways to Save Money Traveling on a Travel Pass in England

If you are a senior (the demographic the free travel passes of the UK are geared towards), there are other options available to facilitate free travel if you are travelling within the United Kingdom. 

Here are some of the methods you can use to save money travelling across the UK when you’re a senior: 

• The Senior Railcard is an annual savings card that you can use across the United Kingdom for steeply discounted train fare across several areas of the UK. 
• Many individual private coaches and train operators offer senior discounts for older travellers. Call ahead and see what concessions each business offers before deciding which one to travel with.
• In more rural areas of the United Kingdom, some local village councils make special concessions for travel fares for seniors. It’s worth it to check in before you travel in these areas and see if there are any discounts offered. 

Limitations and Advantages of a Free Travel Pass in England and the UK

Like in Ireland, the free travel passes offered in the rest of the United Kingdom come with certain conditions that must be met in order for them to be used. The free travel scheme is very convenient for people who meet the qualifications, but there are rules to follow. 

Here are some of the limitations and advantages of a free travel pass in England and the rest of the UK other than Ireland:

• The free bus pass in England only works during off-peak travel times, which means it is only eligible for free travel between 9:30AM and 11PM on weekdays and all day on weekends and public holidays. 
• People living in Wales can use their Wales free travel pass to travel in and out of England, as long as their journey begins and ends in Wales. 
• There are no unified schemes of free travel across Great Britain, so you must obtain a free travel pass from your region of origin, and it is only eligible for that region alone; a free travel pass in Scotland does not work in England, nor one from Ireland or Wales. 

Where Can I Use My Free Irish Pass? 

There are several major public transportation companies that will accept a free travel pass within the borders of Ireland, both in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland. 

Here is a list of the major companies that accept a free travel pass in the Republic of Ireland:

• Bus Éireann (long distance)
• Bus Éireann (city bus service)
• Iarnród Éireann (rail)
• Certain private bus and ferry services (check ahead before travelling) 

Here is a list of the major companies that accept a free travel pass in Northern Ireland:

• B&C Coaches
• Cavehill Coaches
• Logan’s Executive Travel
• McAnuity’s Yellow Line Coach Hire
• Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company
• McDermott Coach Hire
• Translink (Metro Belfast, Ulsterbus, Goldline, NI Railways, Enterprise)

Using Free Travel Passes in Ireland and England

One of the best advantages of living in Ireland or England is access to their robust mass transportation systems and social welfare programs. If you are an elderly or disabled resident, it can make life easier not having to pay fares constantly when you are unable to drive yourself.

While you can’t use your Irish free travel pass on English buses and trains, there are plenty of places in Ireland that you can use it, and England has its own free travel schemes available if you are eligible. Just be sure to check ahead before you make plans. Happy travelling! 

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Tickets and Fares

Expressway ticketing information.

All Expressway tickets are issued subject to the conditions of the company. Customers are advised to book their tickets online in advance of travel to guarantee a seat reservation. 

Tickets purchased for Expressway services are valid only on Expressway services. 

Expressway on-board ticket machines are now enabled to take Contactless Debit/Credit Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Leap Card payments. The ticket machines are also enabled to register PSC free travel smartcards. Cash will also continue to be accepted as a payment method on-board the bus. If paying with cash, customers are advised to have the exact fare ready for the driver when boarding the bus. 

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

Seats may be reserved at time of purchase, either online or through a ticket vending machine. When a seat is not reserved at time of purchase, a €2 charge will apply for any subsequent reservation booking at a later point in time. A reserved seat is for a chosen specific departure time. If a customer wishes to travel at an alternative departure date or time a booking may be amended via the  Manage your Booking  page.

If a customer boards a service which does not match their reservation time, their ticket will be valid if the service is within three hours of their reservation, provided there is a seat available on the coach. This does not apply to through (multi-leg) journeys, which are only valid for the specific services displayed on the ticket.   If a customer arrives early for an alternative time than what is stated on their ticket, they should go online to change the time of their departure for a fee of €2.00.

Reserved seats are non-refundable. However, a booking can be amended up to one hour before the selected service is scheduled to depart from its journey origin.

Amending a booking is subject to a €2 administrative fee. Note: this is per booking ID and not per passenger.

To ensure a reserved seat on a service, passengers are advised to arrive for boarding 5 minutes before scheduled departure time to avail of priority boarding.

Whether a ticket is bought online, from a ticket vending machine or from a driver, each ticket will have a QR code for each customer. Each ticket must be presented to the driver for scanning to be validated for travel

Free Travel Scheme Reservations and Seat Reservations where the customer has prepaid for their tickets, are now available online for a fee of €2.00. Customers with Seat Reservations will be given priority boarding. Customers will be asked to choose a time and date when buying Online or at a ticket vending machine.

Ticket Types

Single Tickets  are available for purchase online, at ticket vending machine or on- board the coach. Single tickets are only valid for the route, date, time and specified journey for which they are purchased.

Return Tickets  where a customer chooses a specific departure date and time are available for purchase online or at a ticket vending machine only. See Monthly Return Travelpasses for on-bus open return options (available on specific routes only). Return tickets are valid for one outward and one return journey, for the route, date, times, and specified journeys for which they are purchased. Seat reservations will be made at the time of a Return ticket purchase for both the outward and return journeys. The booking details may be amended prior to travel at the  Manage your Booking  page.

Open Return Travelpasses

Monthly Open Return Travel Passes  are only available for purchase on board bus (Routes 2, 64 and 100x only).

• Monthly Return Travelpasses are valid for an outward and return journey within one month where the return time is not specified. This ticket is only available on Routes 2 (Dublin Airport - Wexford), 64 (Galway - Derry) and 100X (Dublin to Dundalk) and may be purchased from the driver upon boarding. No seat reservation is made for the return journey. If customers wish to guarantee their seat on a specified return journey, they may reserve a seat online under the ‘Book Tickets’ – ‘Seat Reservation – Valid Ticket Required option’. 

10 Journey Travelpasses  are available for purchase online and on-board Expressway coaches. They are not available for purchase at ticket vending machines.

• 10 Journey Travelpasses are valid for 10 journeys between two points within 7 consecutive days. If purchased online, the customer will be required to choose an activation date. If purchased on board a coach, the starting date is on the first used journey.
• 10 Journey Travelpass customers have the option to reserve their seats online on specific services for some or all the journeys if they wish to do so under the ‘Book Tickets’ – ‘Seat Reservation – Valid Ticket Required.

Ticket Categories

Adult:  refers to anyone aged 16 years and over who does not have an entitlement to any of the concessionary cards outlined under Young Adult, Student or Child. 

Young Adult and Student:   Customers who hold and carry a valid Young Adult or Student Leap card or the Translink yLink card are eligible for Young Adult/Student fares. The valid form of identification must be carried when travelling. No other forms of identification are valid for travel. See leapcard.ie for full details on Student Leap Card eligibility. 

Single and return tickets are available to purchase online and at TVMs at discounted half-price fare rates. Single tickets are available on-board at discounted half-price fare rates if purchased with a debit/credit card or via Leap Card . On-board Young Adult and Student half-price cash fares are not available.  

Children:  Children under the age of 16 years are entitled to reduced Child fares where applicable on Expressway routes. 

• Children aged 16-18 years who are in possession of a Child Leap Card (16-18) may purchase Child Single tickets on-board bus using their Leap card travel credit.
• See  Young Adult and Student  for information pertaining to students aged 16-18 years who are in full-time third level education or training. 
• Based on age and student status, persons aged 16-18 years old may qualify for both the Child 16-18 Leap card and the Student Leap Card. 
• For travel on Expressway services, the recommended card is the Student Leap Card as it allows the holder to avail of the Student discounted fares. 
• For travel on Bus Éireann public services, the recommended card is the Child Leap Card (16-18) as it offers cheaper fares. It is possible to apply for both cards on leapcard.ie .

One child under 5 years of age may be carried for free on Expressway services as long as they are accompanied by a responsible person or persons aged 16 years or over. The child’s guardian may book a “Seat Only” reservation online for a charge of €2.00 to guarantee the child a seat. 

Where doubt exists as to the eligibility of a child claiming reduced fare travel, it is the responsibility of the passenger claiming such eligibility to produce evidence of age.

Leap Card on Expressway

Leap Card travel credit may be used to purchase Single tickets on-board Expressway services. Adult, Young Adult, Student and Child Leap cards are all accepted for the purchase of Leap Single fares on-board bus. There is no additional discount when paying with a Leap Card, but it may be used as a handy method of contactless payment when purchasing Single tickets. 

The purchase of a Young Adult or Student ticket on-board requires the customers to be in possession of a valid YA/Student Leap Card and make a payment via Leap Card or debit/credit card.

Leap 24hr, 7 Day & Monthly (non-Taxsaver) products are not valid on any Expressway services. 

Taxsaver Tickets

As a result of Government legislation, Employers can purchase monthly and annual/yearly Taxsaver Commuter Tickets on behalf of their Employees.  Companies can save up to 10.75% in PRSI while employees can save between 28.75%-52% in Tax, PRSI and USC on the cost of their travel.

Leap monthly and annual Taxsaver tickets are acceptable on Expressway services that operate within designated Leap zones in Dublin and Cork. 

Point to Point monthly and annual Taxsaver tickets are valid for the options displayed on the ticket. If a Taxsaver customer wishes to guarantee their seat, they can do so by booking a “Seat Only Reservation – Valid Ticket Required” online at  expressway.ie .

The Employer acknowledges that passes issued to it under the Taxsaver Scheme are non-transferable and specific to employees for whom they are purchased.  The Employer covenants and undertakes to procure compliance with this condition by its employees who are provided with passes by the Employer under the Taxsaver Scheme. 

All refund requests should be submitted by e-mail to  [email protected] . Leap Cards may be kept for personal use after product cancellation. All point-to-point passes must be returned by the Employer to Bus Éireann with a cover note on the Employer’s headed paper outlining the reason for the refund application to: Bus Éireann Taxsaver Section, Room 10, Main Building, Broadstone, Dublin 7.

No refunds/credits will be given for monthly passes unless unused and cancelled by the fifth day of the month. There are no partial refunds on monthly tickets.

All refunds/credits for annual passes must be made by the fifth day of the month, with no usage, at any time, during or after the first of that month, for it to be included in the refund. There’s no refund on annual passes after 9 months of use.

All Leap Card replacements are made through  the Leap Card website . All point-to-point replacements are made by emailing  [email protected] .

Services with Shared Ticket Agreements with Translink

Translink (Ulsterbus) tickets issued on the X3/X4 (Derry-Londonderry-Dublin Airport-Dublin) route are valid for travel on Bus Éireann Expressway Route 32 (Letterkenny–Dublin Airport-Dublin) and vice versa, where both services operate between shared locations on these routes. Tickets issued for shared travel on Expressway/Translink services are subject, where applicable, to the conditions of carriage and ticket validity regulations of the relevant operator.

Through-Travel Multi-Leg Journeys on Expressway 

Through-Travel (Multi-Leg) journeys may be made on the Expressway network. A 20% discount will apply to tickets purchased online only, where there is more than one journey purchased and the customer is connecting from an Expressway service to another Expressway service.

The customer will have a seat reserved on both services and will get an individual ticket for each leg of their journey. 

Customers making connections between two Expressway routes should note that on occasion severe traffic delays can cause unforeseen disruptions. It is recommended to allow at least 30 minutes transfer time, particularly if your onward connection is the last service of the day.