Aircoach 705X

Three hours from BFS check-in to Dublin Airport gate

Aircoach 705X is the cross‑border bus linking Belfast International (T1) with Dublin Airport and Dublin city, used heavily by people stringing a BFS hop onto long‑haul runs from DUB. The coach stops directly outside the terminal at BFS, so you walk out of arrivals, turn left, and you’re at the stand in under 2 minutes.

The 705X runs 13 times a day, with services spread from early morning into late evening, covering most transatlantic and Asian departure banks out of Dublin Airport. Typical scheduled journey time sits around 2 hours to Dublin Airport and roughly 2 hours 30 minutes into Dublin city centre, but regulars treat those times as a best‑case on clear motorway runs.

Tickets are usually cheaper online than buying from the driver, with advance web fares often a few euros lower than the onboard price shown on the coach. You can book for specific departures, then show the QR code on your phone to the driver when boarding at BFS T1’s forecourt stop.

Timetable padding means off‑peak buses sometimes roll into Dublin Airport 10–15 minutes ahead of schedule, but at busy holiday weekends Reddit users report runs that are 60–70 minutes slower than timetabled. Treat the published time as a ceiling, not a guarantee, if you’re aiming for a 10:00 long‑haul out of DUB T1 or T2.

One /r/ireland poster called Aircoach ‘the easiest way to get from Belfast to Dublin Airport without faffing about with trains,’ after flying into BFS and overnighting in Belfast city the night before. Another commenter said they’d done the Belfast–Dublin Aircoach run ‘dozens of times’ and found it fine, but warned that a jammed M1 can drag the trip out noticeably.

Seasoned users typically book a coach at least one departure earlier than strictly necessary, often giving themselves a 3–4 hour buffer before their Dublin flight check‑in cut‑off. They’d rather drink a coffee for 45 minutes in DUB landside than sweat an M1 incident when they’ve got a once‑a‑day connection to North America or Asia.

Watch out for bank holidays, big events in Dublin, and Friday evening peaks, when Reddit reports say the BFS–DUB run can run well over an hour late. If your connection at Dublin drops under 90 minutes because of motorway traffic, start planning a same‑day rebooking with your airline as soon as Wi‑Fi on the coach cooperates.

Step-by-step from Belfast International to Dublin Airport on Aircoach 705X

• 1. Land at BFS T1 and exit arrivals; the Aircoach stop sits a short walk straight ahead on the terminal forecourt.
• 2. Check the 705X timetable in advance and aim for a departure at least 3 hours before your DUB check‑in deadline, 4 hours if it’s a bank holiday or big match day.
• 3. Buy your ticket online for a small fare saving, then keep the QR code ready on your phone for boarding.
• 4. Load checked bags in the hold; remember exactly which side and compartment, as the coach may make multiple stops before your drop‑off.
• 5. Expect about 2 hours on the coach to Dublin Airport, longer if motorway traffic is heavy; use live maps on your phone to gauge delays as you cross the border.
• 6. At Dublin Airport, get off at the terminal your airline uses (T1 or T2), grab your luggage from the hold, and head straight to check‑in or bag drop.

One last tip: pick a morning or late‑evening 705X where possible; those runs tend to dodge the worst M1 congestion between Newry and Dublin.