Ireland, in hindsight › Apps

Apps to have on your phone

Ten apps that make an Ireland trip easier. Official store listings only; nothing here is an affiliate link.

1. Freenow by LyftIreland's main taxi app. Uber here only books licensed taxis, so it has fewer cars, especially outside Dublin.App Store · Google Play
2. Google MapsDownload the areas you'll visit for offline use; signal drops in the west.App Store · Google Play
3. TFI Leap Top-UpTop up a Leap card for Dublin Bus, Luas and DART by holding it to an NFC phone, and track your fare caps.App Store · Google Play
4. eFlowPay the M50 toll online by 8pm the next day or get a penalty; ask your rental firm how they handle it.eflow.ie
5. TFI LiveReal-time buses, trains and Luas, plus a journey planner.App Store · Google Play
6. TFI GoBuy Bus Éireann, TFI Local Link and some private bus tickets on your phone (not trains).App Store · Google Play
7. Irish RailLive train times; book intercity tickets online, where advance web fares are cheaper than at the station.App Store · Google Play
8. TFI Driver CheckCheck a taxi and its driver are licensed: search the registration or licence number.App Store · Google Play
9. An eSIM app (e.g. Airalo)Data from the moment you land; check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.App Store · Google Play
10. Met ÉireannThe official forecast and warnings; weather decides the Cliffs of Moher, Skellig and boat trips.App Store · Google Play

What visitors said about these apps

• 1Leap card13 visitors

  From visitors' trip reports

  • Leap Visitor Card from a shop outside departures came preloaded for 24 hours, no top-up needed; check whether it covers outer zones. · TripAdvisor, 2026
  • Buy a Leap card from a shop outside the airport terminal; the card costs about 5 euro (~$5) and the deposit is refundable at the airport. · TripAdvisor, 2026
  • Take the Dublin Airport Express bus (about 10 euro, ~$11) to Wellington Quay and use a visitor Leap card for city buses and trams. · Blog, 2026
  • Buy Leap cards before travelling; they work on city buses and trains in Dublin and elsewhere, saving fumbling with change. · Blog, 2025

  13 visitors here; showing the 4 who gave detail.

• 2Google Maps10 visitors

  From visitors' trip reports

  • Preview daily Irish driving routes in Google Maps Street View to learn signage, roundabouts and narrow single-lane sections before you arrive. · Rick Steves forum
  • Save every destination as a Google Maps favourite before leaving home; they appear without a local SIM and let you walk to each stop. · Blog, 2025
  • Allow extra time for car pickup in Tralee; the car was over an hour late. Google Maps handled Conor Pass better than the GPS. · TripAdvisor, 2022
  • Use TFI Live with Google Maps, the TFI Go app and a Leap card; it worked across buses in the Republic. · Rick Steves forum, 2025

  10 visitors here; showing the 4 who gave detail.

• 3Irish Rail6 visitors

  From visitors' trip reports

  • Pay a couple of euro extra for flexible Irish Rail tickets; the author caught an earlier Belfast train, and late trains are open seating anyway. · TripAdvisor, 2023
  • Book Irish Rail tickets online for a guaranteed seat; your name shows above it. Dublin to Belfast from Galway needs a station change. · TripAdvisor, 2023
  • Buy a Leap card for Dublin and tap on and off the Luas; short hops get a small discount. Book Irish Rail tickets ahead. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
  • Rome2Rio was inaccurate; use Irish Rail and Bus Eireann sites, and travel early morning or evening to save daylight. · Rick Steves forum

  6 visitors here; showing the 4 who gave detail.

• 4Freenow by Lyft4 visitors

  From visitors' trip reports

  • Use Freenow for taxis; some bus stops lack shelters, so weather matters. · other, 2025
  • Flagging cabs and paying cash beat FreeNow waits in Dublin. · TripAdvisor, 2022
  • Use FreeNow taxi app because Uber is scarce. · Blog

  4 visitors here; showing the 3 who gave detail.

• 5eSIM4 visitors

  From visitors' trip reports

  • Grafton Street eSIM worked; ignore suspicious billing texts. · TripAdvisor
  • Use an eSIM; cheap physical SIMs were 3G and unreliable. · TripAdvisor, 2026

  4 visitors here; showing the 2 who gave detail.

• 6TFI Go2 visitors

  From visitors' trip reports

  • TFI Go and TFI Journey Planner apps worked well; Bus Eireann's own planner failed. Dublin Express tickets work within 12 hours. · TripAdvisor, 2022
  • Use TFI Live with Google Maps, the TFI Go app and a Leap card; it worked across buses in the Republic. · Rick Steves forum, 2025

  2 visitors here

• 7TFI Live1 visitor

  From visitors' trip reports

  • Use TFI Live with Google Maps, the TFI Go app and a Leap card; it worked across buses in the Republic. · Rick Steves forum, 2025

  1 visitor here

• 8eFlow1 visitor

  • 1 visitors said this; none added more detail than the headline.