The Ultimate Guide to Parking in Dublin City Centre

Fed up of parking being a nightmare? We’ve got it cracked with the “Ultimate Guide to Parking in Dublin”. We’ve got all the top tips for parking including free parking, on-street parking, pay and display, park & ride and on-demand parking.

New to Parkpnp? Grab €5 free parking and book one of our 20,000 available spaces in Dublin now.

Traditional Car Parks

Most city centre car parks charge between €2 – €4 an hour. The real value in the world car park is with their package deals where drivers can save up to 50% on by prebooking special deals online. There is real value to be had by shopping around, luckily we’ve done the hard work.

St. Mark’s Church is a hidden gem of Dublin City centre parking. It is located on Pearse Street, directly across from Trinity College’s Science Gallery Dublin. This car park is ideal for daytime shoppers with half day deals for €8. As there are many offices in the locality it is perfect for pre-booking guaranteed parking with daily, weekly and monthly parking offers. 

• Full day (24 hours) – €20
• Working Hours (6am to 6pm) – €15.99
• Half Day – €8
• Weekly – €80
• Monthly – €305

St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre Car Park is one of Dublin’s biggest and most popular. Ideally located for people looking to get into town for some shopping or simply looking for the ideal launchpad for meetings on closeby Baggot St or Harcourt St. Online bargains include:

• 24 Hour Parking – €24
• 5 Hour Shopper Special – €14
• Daily Parking – €20
• Overnight Parking – €10

Q-Park Clerys offers secure, multi-storey parking next door to the former Department Store of the same name. Ideal for visitors coming in from the North of the city, the car park is a short walk away from the Spire Dublin and O’Connell Street.

• 24 Hour Parking – €20
• 5 Hour Shopper Special – €14
• Daily Parking – €17

Q-Park Dawson Street is right in the centre of Dublin. Ideally located for Trinity College, Grafton Street, Dame Street and a host of other amenities. Some of the great packages are:

• 4 Hour Shopper Special – €15
• Overnight Parking – €10
• Daily Parking – €30

Parkrite IFSC is the perfect launchpad for Hilton Garden Inn, 3 Arena, EPIC Museum, National College of Ireland (NCI), The Convention Centre, Grand Canal Square, Citigroup, Institute of Banking, Spencer Hotel, Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and Famine Museum. Deals include:

• All Day Parking (Mon-Fri) – €14.65
• Croke Park Event Parking – €5.25
• Overnight Parking – €13.65

Q-Park Setanta is only a short walk away from the National Gallery and National Museum of Ireland, Merrion Square and Leinster House and located close to the retail thoroughfare of Grafton Street. Discounts include:

• 24 Hour Parking – €28
• 5 Hour Shopper Special – €14

Q-Park Grand Canal Square offers safe and secure parking within the busy Grand Canal area of Dublin. This is the official multi-storey car park of the Bord Gais Energy Theatre.

• Evening Parking – €13
• Overnight Parking – €18
• 24 Hour Parking – €24

Parkrite Parnell St Car Park is around the corner from the Cineworld Cinema complex and nearby Jervis Street, Henry Street Shopping, Capel Street, and Green Street courthouse. Rotunda Hospital is 200 metres from the car park. Nearby to DIT and the King’s Inns.

• 3 Hour Shopper Special – €6
• Daily Rate – €13

Q-Park’s Christchurch  is a short walk away from Christ Church Cathedral, Fitzpatrick Cathedral, City Hall and Temple Bar.

• Daily Rate – €18
• 24 Hour Parking – €24
• 5 Hour Shopper Special – €11

Moore Lane is just off Moore St and is the perfect location for people looking for parking close to the ILAC & Jervis Shopping Centres or staying in one of the myriad of local hotels and guesthouses.

• Daily Rate – €12
• Overnight – €10

Q-Park Four Courts is just across the Liffey from the Four Courts. This multi-storey car park is a short walk away from Christ Church Cathedral, the Jameson Distillery and the Guinness Storehouse.

• Daily Rate – €15
• 24 Hour Parking – €16
• 4 Hour Shopper Special – €13

Euro Car Parks Convention Centre Car Park is an underground multi-storey car park. It is the ideal location for events in the Convention Centre, 3 Arena, Bord Gais Energy Theatre.

• Evening Rate – €10.50
• All-Day Convention Rate – €26.25

Some car parks are starting to offer weekly and monthly deals. Pricing for monthly options tend to be in excess of €200 and often are only available on demand. There are some lower prices available but be expected to make a lot of phonecalls and bargain a little.

Free Parking

This bad boy is really love/hate. Some obvious benefits with real downsides.

There is actually a lot of free on-street parking available particularly in the suburbs. The space tends to be outside people’s homes although there are pockets where Pay & Display haven’t been placed in operation just yet. Close to the city centre pockets of Dublin 8 around the Blackpitts area can be quite fruitful. If you’re willing for a bit of a walk there is plenty of free parking to be had around Drumcondra particularly the Croke Park area. While around Luas stops, bus stops & Dart Stations many canny drivers find nooks & crannies which allow them to Park & Ride on the cheap.

The massive issue here is the daily space race. People getting up at the crack of dawn only to realise their usual space has been snapped up, leaving the driver with a burning hole in their pocket.

Two other issues tend to pop up, mainly the negative impact free parking has on residents. Wheelie bins and traffic cones are increasingly becoming an everyday part of the Dublin landscape as residents look to stave off frugal commuters. While security issues often rear their ugly head as cars are frequently damaged causing massive hassle and stress to motorists.

Employee Parking

This is the undoubted holy grail. Many people working in the suburbs, schools, churches and industrial facilities take this as a granted but it’s a massive selling point for employers. Especially as they look to hire and retain the best and brightest talent.

Many companies don’t have on-site space available but are increasingly looking to contract parking to keep their staff happy. This means companies identify vacant spaces in their local area and hire them out on behalf of their employees.

Many companies have never even thought about the benefits of contract parking or that it’s an option. Often times, it takes a determined internal lobbying campaign for management to realise the urgency. Imagine all the lost time spent by staff searching for parking, thinking about parking, worrying about parking etc. Increasingly when presented with the rationale businesses are seeing contract parking as an economically sound investment.

The next challenge is sourcing relevant space. It can be a time-intensive issue if companies take it on themselves as spaces can be very hard to find. The workload can be reduced greatly by working with experts. Parkpnp has the largest database of under-utilised parking spaces in Dublin and offer a comprehensive service which can massively help your business.

Pay & Display

This is the familiar friend, classic pay & display. Scattered across the city and most suburbs rates range from €2.90 per hour to €0.75 per hour depending on the area of the city. With supply tending to be plentiful it’s generally quite easy to find pay & display parking across the city at most times of the day.

We’ve all had that fleeting feeling as we empty our remaining change into the on-street machine and try to calculate whether this would be enough to keep the clampers at bay. The three hour maximum period is guaranteed to keep drivers on their toes. Commuters often have to trek back to their car two/three times a day just to keep it in check. Many people can only relate too well to that person who seems to be constantly running out of meetings to keep their car topped up.

Often used by those who didn’t make it in time for free parking, Pay & Display regularly guzzles up €20 or more a day and is better suited for shorter-term stays where convenience is imperative.

Park & Ride

Well-known to public transport commuters. These spaces tend to range between €4-€6 a day. They are in plentiful supply around key LUAS & Dart Stations. A solid option for those who are travelling from outside the M50.

However, if your car is a necessity for work or if you work irregular hours and can’t depend on public transport it can be problematic. The increasing price of public transport is making it a harder value equation for many drivers who are opting to park closer to town and walk or cycle.

Shared Economy

Globally the fastest growing type of parking is being driven by the shared economy. People are starting to realise that all the under-used spaces which lie idle in front of houses and businesses all day every day are the solution to the parking nightmare.

Parkpnp is leading the explosion of shared economy parking in Dublin. With the largest spread of spaces across the city centre Parkpnp is a one stop shop for your parking needs. Hourly parking is available from as little as €1, while eagle eyed parkers can snap up city centre spaces for as little as €60 a month if they’re quick enough.

All kinds of spaces are available from residential to commercial and on-street to gated and underground. It’s definitely worth checking out the options to find your perfect parking space, saving you time and money.