Ryanair - arriving at airport very early?

jc2008

This may be a daft question but I am leaving at 08.10 on Monday (bank holiday) from Dublin T1.

Due to getting a bus to the airport, I'm erring on the side of caution and will probably be arriving at around 05.30-05.45 am (getting the next bus is possibly cutting things too fine). Will I be able to go straight through security even if I arrive more than 2 hours before the flight is scheduled to leave? I don't have to check in (as it's done online) and I don't need to leave any bags at the bag drop desk.

Also, when you get past security, is there much to do while waiting about? Going to the bar isn't really an option considering the early time! Can you move between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 once past security or is that only before security?

Thanks.

mikemac

Yes, you can pass through security

Never too early to hit the bar

scotty_irish

that early in the morning beyond security will be dead. not much to do. bring a book. once you're through you're stuck in whatever terminal you're in. forty mins is plenty early enough to arrive. since you're taking a bus, personally i'd pick one that's scheduled to arrive 70-80 mins early if possible. that's loads of time that early in the day since traffic isn't really a problem.

jc2008

Thanks for the answers!

I won't get the next bus as it only arrives 70 minutes before the flight leaves, and it doesn't allow much time if the bus is delayed. Although I'm surprised to hear that security will be dead at that time, I believed that was 'peak time' for the airport, as a lot of people fly out around 7, 8am, and it being a bank holiday mightn't help (although I imagine most people will be arriving on Monday as opposed to departing!)

There's 4 of us by the way, so we might spend a while looking around the shops etc. (although I don't think there's very many). I should have mentioned we're getting Ryanair, and if I know Ryanair, the gate will be the furthest possible distance from the security area.

Are there any nice (and cheap) places to get breakfast past security while we're waiting?

Thanks

GeturGun

scotty_irish wrote: »

once you're through you're stuck in whatever terminal you're in.

Incorrect - you can travel between terminals after security; for T2, follow the signs for the 400 gates

Also, the airport is fairly busy at that time. The shops all open around 05:30 AFAIK

If you are going with Ryanair at 08:10, you must be going to Stansted??? The good news is that any time I have got this STN flights, the gate used has been one of the first as you come into the D area !!!

jc2008

Thanks for the answer! Yes, nice detective work - it is Stansted I am flying to!

I haven't flown in a few years but the last time I flew with Ryanair you went through security and went right and walked for about 5/10 minutes to get to the gates, which I remember being Pier A (I think!). I don't remember a D at all, is it to the left as you go through security (actually, the layout could have completely changed as my questions no longer make sense!).

Glad to hear you can walk to the other terminal - gives us a greater choice of shops to look at, plus I've never been in the new terminal!

Lapin

jc2008 wrote: »

.... it is Stansted I am flying to!

The Captain of the plane will let you know this about half way over the Irish Sea. Sometimes they put it to a vote and let the passangers decide.
You could end up in East Midlands

By the way, The Garden Terrace Bar in T1 do a nice breakfast from around half 5. Pints too! and a somking area if you're a smoker.

GeturGun

jc2008 wrote: »

I haven't flown in a few years but the last time I flew with Ryanair you went through security and went right and walked for about 5/10 minutes to get to the gates, which I remember being Pier A (I think!). I don't remember a D at all, is it to the left as you go through security (actually, the layout could have completely changed as my questions no longer make sense!).

After you come through security the 'D' gates are down to the right. They are no longer numbered Dxx but 1xx. After Boots turn right, all the Ryanair flights go from down there.

Left after security for T2

6ix

You probably won't do this, but if I were you I'd just arrive on the bus 70 minutes before the flight. I've flown a fair bit to the UK with Ryanair this year and I normally aim to arrive at the airport about 1 hr before the departure time. Security takes max of 10/15 minutes, then about another 5-10 minute walk to the Ryanair gates, so that normally leaves me with a decent wait anyway.

I'm usually travelling alone, so I don't bother queuing to board or anything, it's easier to get on last tbh, rather than standing in a queue for 30 minutes beforehand. I'm usually so bored during that wait, I couldn't bear another couple of hours on top of it!

jc2008

Thank you for the answers, I really do appreciate them!

It turned out that you were all right - we did get the early bus and were too early as a result, but better early than late I suppose - we hardly ever travel by plane so were allowing time for any surprises!

We kept ourselves amused by looking around the shops and getting something to eat. I took a walk down to T2 but there was nothing there apart from a lot of gates for Aer Lingus planes, I didn't notice any shops in T2 - did we miss them or are all the shops in T2 landside (before security)?

And GeturGun, you were right. The Stansted flight left from the first Ryanair gate on the right, 102 if I remember correctly, so it wasn't too much of a trek from the main shopping area.

Lapin

jc2008 wrote: »

I took a walk down to T2 but there was nothing there apart from a lot of gates for Aer Lingus planes, I didn't notice any shops in T2 - did we miss them or are all the shops in T2 landside (before security)?

You missed them. Sounds like you walked down pier E.
All the (airside) shops are between here and the actual terminal building itself.
You may have noticed an extra long escalator at the terminal end of all the Aer Lingus gates.
This takes you up to where the shops are.
Here's a (not so great) photo I took a few months ago.

jc2008

Thanks for the picture!

None of that looks familiar though, so we must have gotten very lost!

After we got through security, we went left and kept walking past (if I remember correctly) the Ethiad and Aer Lingus 1st class lounges, and then ended up at a lot of gates with mostly Aer Lingus planes, including ones departing to places like Boston.

I noticed a few esclators, and one at the start that was long but it was signposted as leading to US Preclearance or something, and not 'Departure Lounge' or 'The Loop' or 'Shops and restaurants' or anything!

irish_goat

Arriving with 70 mins to spare is more than enough time.