Travel between Ireland and Northern Ireland with Free Travel
This page explains how cross-border Free Travel journeys work when you are travelling between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Use this topic if you or someone you support:
- Has an Irish Free Travel card or paper pass, and
- Wants to travel free on named cross-border bus or rail services between Ireland and Northern Ireland
Note
This page offers plain language guidance. It is not a legal document.
Only the Department of Social Protection (DSP) can make an official decision about free travel eligibility.
Quick overview
With an Irish Free Travel card or paper pass you can:
- Travel free of charge on certain cross-border bus and rail services between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and back again
- Bring some family members or a companion free of charge, if you have the right Free Travel entitlement
To travel free within Northern Ireland only, on local buses and trains, you usually need a Senior SmartPass rather than an Irish Free Travel card. That separate arrangement is explained in Use a Senior SmartPass within Northern Ireland.
Who can travel and who can come with you
With an Irish Free Travel card or paper pass:
- You can travel free on named cross-border services
- Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may travel free with you, if your card carries the correct spouse or partner entitlement
- If you hold a Companion Free Travel card or pass, one companion aged 16 or over may travel free with you instead
If you live in Northern Ireland and hold a Northern Ireland Concessionary Travel Card, you may also travel free on these cross-border routes, but:
- Your spouse, civil partner or companion cannot travel free with you on cross-border journeys, unless they also hold their own concessionary or travel card
Always carry any supporting ID the operator may ask for.
Open each section for the details that matter for your trip
What counts as a cross-border Free Travel journey
For a journey to qualify as cross-border Free Travel:
- The journey must start in one jurisdiction and end in the other
- For example, Cork to Belfast, or Belfast to Dublin
- You must use one type of transport only for the whole Free Travel journey
- Either bus, or rail, not a mixture of both
- You must travel on the basis of one through-ticket
- The ticket you are given must show your final destination in the other jurisdiction
- For example, a ticket issued in Cork must clearly show Belfast as the final destination
You cannot use Free Travel to combine separate bus and rail tickets and treat them as one cross-border Free Travel journey.
Transport operators you can use
Free cross-border travel is available on named services from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Current operators include, among others:
- Bus Éireann
- Ulsterbus
- Irish Rail
- Halpenny Transport Ltd on the route Blackrock to Newry
- Patrick Gallagher on the route Dungloe to Belfast
- Leydon Coaches on the route Swanlinbar to Cavan and Enniskillen
- Hugh McGonagle on the route Cockhill Buncrana to Derry
- Philip McGonagle on the route Cockhill Buncrana to Derry
- John McGinley on the routes Moville to Derry and Moville to Dublin
- Citibus (also known as Dublin Coach) on the route Dublin to Belfast
Services and operators can change over time. so always check timetables and confirm that a service still accepts Free Travel before you travel.
How bus cross-border journeys work
When travelling by bus on a cross-border Free Travel journey:
- Show your Free Travel card or paper pass to the driver as you board, before departure
- On Bus Éireann and Ulsterbus services, the driver will issue you a single journey ticket
- This ticket is valid on the date of issue only
- If you want a return journey, you get
- One single ticket for the outward journey, and
- Another single ticket later for the homeward journey
- On the other listed bus operators, you will get either a single or return ticket as required
Keep your ticket with you for the whole journey. You may be asked to show it again.
How rail cross-border journeys work
When travelling by train on a cross-border Free Travel journey:
- Go to the ticket desk at the station where your journey starts
- Present your Free Travel card or paper pass
- You will be issued with either
- A free single ticket, or
- A free return Standard Class ticket
Key points:
- Your Free Travel entitlement is for Standard Class travel
- If you want to travel in First Plus or another higher class, you must pay the appropriate supplement yourself
Breaks in a cross-border rail journey
You do not have to complete a cross-border rail journey in a single day.
For example:
- If you are travelling from Cork to Belfast by train, you may spend up to two nights in Dublin on the way
However:
- The outward part of your journey must be fully completed within 3 days from the date the ticket is issued
If you are unsure how a break in your journey will work with your ticket, ask at the ticket desk before you travel.
Changing between Connolly and Heuston in Dublin
Sometimes a cross-border rail journey involves changing trains between Connolly and Heuston stations in Dublin.
If this transfer is part of your cross-border Free Travel rail journey:
- You may travel free of charge on the LUAS Red Line between Connolly and Heuston as part of that journey
Keep your rail ticket and Free Travel card handy in case LUAS staff ask to see them.
Refunds or discounts
If your cross-border Free Travel journey is delayed:
- No monetary refunds or discounts are given for late departures, or for other delays that happen during a cross-border Free Travel journey
You can still raise concerns with the operator, but there is no extra payment under the Free Travel Scheme for delays.