CIE screwing tourists

XPS_Zero · 14-02-2019 9:56pm #1

The NTA needs to come up with some kind of rule to stop IE (and DB if they are doing it) acting the bollox over the way they fleece tourists.

I'm in Connolly station a lot and I constantly hear tourists coming to the desk asking what ticket they should get when they are planning on bouncing around the SHZ or Dublin generally to see the sites.

Just yesterday a guy sold them a €12.50 Irish Rail day ticket instead of telling them to go to the vending machine and get a LEAP card and put €10 on it, and they'd get unlimited travel on any mode for the whole day with it...or tell them that in the tourist offices they could get the far superior Leap Visitor card where it's €19.99 for 3 days and it goes on hour to hour from the hour of your first tag on rather than expiring at midnight like the normal Leap cap.

So I must ask:

1. Why are there not Leap Visitor cards available in the Rail and Luas vending machines? or lets say in the newsagents in the train stations? coupled with a big poster advertising this? This would make it way easier for tourists...or even in the ticket offices? When Leap Visitor first came out it was not available at anywhere but the bloody airport which was absurd
It's the same at the airport the DB vending machines don't dispense leap cards AT ALL let alone Visitor versions.

2. Are the staff ignorant of these savings the tourists could be making or are they intentionally screwing them out of money at the direction of their company? I can't imagine in their shoes even obeying such a directive I'd just give them a Leap card.

3. If IE and DB are going to pretend to be in competition like they are private corporations maybe they could behave like them in other ways like customer service? fiscal responsibility? logical planning?

jasper100 · 14-02-2019 10:07pm

XPS_Zero wrote: »

The NTA needs to come up with some kind of rule to stop IE (and DB if they are doing it) acting the bollox over the way they fleece tourists.

I'm in Connolly station a lot and I constantly hear tourists coming to the desk asking what ticket they should get when they are planning on bouncing around the SHZ or Dublin generally to see the sites.

Just yesterday a guy sold them a €12.50 Irish Rail day ticket instead of telling them to go to the vending machine and get a LEAP card and put €10 on it, and they'd get unlimited travel on any mode for the whole day with it...or tell them that in the tourist offices they could get the far superior Leap Visitor card where it's €19.99 for 3 days and it goes on hour to hour from the hour of your first tag on rather than expiring at midnight like the normal Leap cap.

So I must ask:

1. Why are there not Leap Visitor cards available in the Rail and Luas vending machines? or lets say in the newsagents in the train stations? coupled with a big poster advertising this? This would make it way easier for tourists...or even in the ticket offices? When Leap Visitor first came out it was not available at anywhere but the bloody airport which was absurd
It's the same at the airport the DB vending machines don't dispense leap cards AT ALL let alone Visitor versions.

2. Are the staff ignorant of these savings the tourists could be making or are they intentionally screwing them out of money at the direction of their company? I can't imagine in their shoes even obeying such a directive I'd just give them a Leap card.

3. If IE and DB are going to pretend to be in competition like they are private corporations maybe they could behave like them in other ways like customer service? fiscal responsibility? logical planning?

Tourists are cannon fodder. Any city I go to I do some research on available options, I still end up get fleeced somewhere along the way.

Its all part of being a tourist.

Dravokivich · 14-02-2019 10:10pm

Nta don't want the locals to have easy access to the visitor card.

IE 222 · 14-02-2019 10:25pm

Don't think it's up to IE or Dublin Bus to be up selling leap cards. IE are in the business to sell tickets and make maximum revenue for the service provided. I don't see why we should be subsidising what's already a reasonably priced rail fare even further.

L1011 · 14-02-2019 10:34pm

IE sell Leap cards at their TVMs ^

Tourist specific tickets are for tourist agencies to sell; however in this case they just sold the non-Leap equivalent fare as they would for anyone else who walked up so it isn't a tourist specific issue. Probably staff should be pushing Leap at all times to everyone though.

Stephen15 · 14-02-2019 10:51pm

I thought the NTA were trying to do away with the likes of the DoDublin Pass with the latest fare revisions

GM228 · 14-02-2019 11:00pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

I thought the NTA were trying to do away with the likes of the DoDublin Pass with the latest fare revisions

The DoDublin Card is a commercial ticket DB offer valid for their commercial (and PSO) services, the NTA have no say on their use, not even in relation to PSO AFAIK.

devnull · 14-02-2019 11:05pm

Visitor Leap is never going to be made easily available in non tourist locations when it is cheaper than the visitor related options, because as others have said the locals would be doing it as well and that is something that the NTA is keen to avoid.

What I do have a problem with however is the carry on at the airport where there is CIE commercial sales desk masquerading as a general transport information desk that want to avoid selling you a Leap Card under any circumstance and instead flog their DoDublin card.

I've heard multiple reports of people specifically asking for Leap Visitor and had difficulty purchasing one due to the hard sell of the DoDublin card and there was one instance where a friend of mine was told that Leap Visitor had been discontinued which was simply not the case.

Realistically there needs to be a travel information desk run by Transport for Ireland or Failte Ireland in the airport which gives impartial advice to tourists and give them the best option that suits their needs. Operators should have an option of renting their own desk, but should not pose as generic travel information desks when they are not.

I'm surprised that the DoDublin card is still being sold including DB PSO services and commercial services since the fares determination requested that DB withdraw it and to date they haven't done and as well as the fact that it doesn't include Go-Ahead services, there was talk of operators complaining to the EU about cross subsidisation.

Stephen15 · 14-02-2019 11:54pm

devnull wrote: »

I'm surprised that the DoDublin card is still being sold including DB PSO services and commercial services since the fares determination requested that DB withdraw it and to date they haven't done and as well as the fact that it doesn't include Go-Ahead services, there was talk of operators complaining to the EU about cross subsidisation.

It's interesting that it's still sold but not valid on GAI services as whenever services transferred to GAI the NTA made it very clear that all DB tickets would remain valid on the GAI services. Since DoDublin passes are not accepted could this not be classed as misleading or even a form of false advertising on the part of the NTA.

It's also interesting that DoDublin passes are not accepted on GAI but yet DB Taxsaver and DB Rambler are accepted and only rightly so however it would appear that the NTA are willing to take the lose when people use those in GAI services with all fare revenue for those going to DB however not in the case of DoDublin passes assumingly because the NTA thought that DB would discontinue those tickets.

devnull · 15-02-2019 12:18am

Stephen15 wrote: »

It's interesting that it's still sold but not valid on GAI services as whenever services transferred to GAI the NTA made it very clear that all DB tickets would remain valid on the GAI services. Since DoDublin passes are not accepted could this not be classed as misleading or even a form of false advertising on the part of the NTA.

The DoDublin ticket is a different case because it includes commercial elements such as the open top bus tours as well as Airlink and it's a mixture of PSO and commercial services offered by Dublin Bus. The fares determination stated that DB would withdraw these tickets but they have not done so.

It would be very interesting to see what the outcome of such situation was if there was a claim of cross subsidisation on the basis that the commercial offerings from DB are being subsidised by the bundling of PSO services into the same product which is listed as a major selling point of that product.

For example, an open top bus operator might claim that because DB is getting x revenue from PSO operations on DoDublin, it can then afford to take lower income on the City Tour and Airlink bus elements of it, which is essentially using state funding to give them an advantage over private enterprise.

I assume the reason that it doesn't include GAI is that it's a Dublin Bus branded product and DB consider it a commercial one and thus can only be used on their services. It's also not a ticket that TFI have as much control over.

Stephen15 · 15-02-2019 12:56am

devnull wrote: »

The DoDublin ticket is a different case because it includes commercial elements such as the open top bus tours as well as Airlink and it's a mixture of PSO and commercial services offered by Dublin Bus. The fares determination stated that DB would withdraw these tickets but they have not done so.

It would be very interesting to see what the outcome of such situation was if there was a claim of cross subsidisation on the basis that the commercial offerings from DB are being subsidised by the bundling of PSO services into the same product which is listed as a major selling point of that product.

For example, an open top bus operator might claim that because DB is getting x revenue from PSO operations on DoDublin, it can then afford to take lower income on the City Tour and Airlink bus elements of it, which is essentially using state funding to give them an advantage over private enterprise.

I assume the reason that it doesn't include GAI is that it's a Dublin Bus branded product and DB consider it a commercial one and thus can only be used on their services. It's also not a ticket that TFI have as much control over.

It could open up a can of worms alright. Not just with other tour bus operators but also with the likes of Aircoach and other commercial operators.

Coming to think about it the notice put out by the NTA didn't mention all tickets valid on DB being valid on GAI services only specifically Leap Cards, FTP, Rambler and Taxsaver tickets. I would admit that most GAI services wouldn't be of much use to tourists due to them being orbital and local services in the suburbs anyway.

However I do think that if DB agreed to withdraw such a ticket they should really be withdrawing it now or as soon as possible.

n97 mini · 15-02-2019 11:28pm

3 day visitor Leap card is €19.50. That includes all modes, Nitelinks, and the 747/757. If you make good use of it, it's way cheaper than the regular Leap card. That's why it's not widely sold.

The fleecing of tourists isn't so intentional. A lot of it is down to staff not knowing or having any incentive. Why tell anyone that an Irish Rail ticket is generally a lot cheaper online than in the station, assuming they actually know that. I suspect many aren't regular public transport users.

Corca Baiscinn · 16-02-2019 4:42pm

n97 mini wrote: »

3 day visitor Leap card is €19.50. That includes all modes, Nitelinks, and the 747/757. If you make good use of it, it's way cheaper than the regular Leap card. That's why it's not widely sold..

Where can you buy the Visitor Leap Card?

mikemac2 · 16-02-2019 4:49pm

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Where can you buy the Visitor Leap Card?

Dublin Airport

Bus & Travel Information Desk (T1 Arrivals)
Spar (T2 Arrivals)
WHSmith (T1 Arrivals)

Dublin City Centre

Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O’Connell St.
Discover Ireland Centre, 14 Upper O’Connell St.
Visit Dublin Centre, 25 Suffolk St.
Easons Busaras, Beresford Place
Easons Heuston Station, Dublin 8

L1011 · 16-02-2019 5:31pm

Which is a quite decent range of outlets for a city of this size and where tourists are likely to arrive.

The abuse factor for locals would require someone who has occasional extremely high transport demands over a 3 day period, but doesn't have the same requirements frequently, or doesn't pay tax (as taxsaver gets cheaper quickly)

Those are not common

Stephen15 · 16-02-2019 6:04pm

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Where can you buy the Visitor Leap Card?

You can buy it online aswell. Say I know there's a week or a couple of days coming up that I am going to need to be using public transport a lot and don't already have a Taxsaver or Rambler tickets would purchasing a Visitor Leap Card not be a good option.

Stephen15 · 16-02-2019 6:11pm

n97 mini wrote: »

The fleecing of tourists isn't so intentional. A lot of it is down to staff not knowing or having any incentive. Why tell anyone that an Irish Rail ticket is generally a lot cheaper online than in the station, assuming they actually know that. I suspect many aren't regular public transport users.

It may not be intentional but staff should be trained to advise customers on the best value options for them. I don't blame staff as such but rather the organisation but if bus drivers can and I have seen them do advise passengers on the best value fares then no reason why staff who's job description is to sell tickets can't with proper training.

Hilly Bill · 16-02-2019 9:44pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

It may not be intentional but staff should be trained to advise customers on the best value options for them. I don't blame staff as such but rather the organisation but if bus drivers can and I have seen them do advise passengers on the best value fares then no reason why staff who's job description is to sell tickets can't with proper training.

They are there to sell tickets. If someone asks for a specific ticket then you sell them that ticket. If they ask you for alternatives then you give them alternatives.
I've sent plenty of tourists to the nearest point of sale for the visitor card. I've also explained that 3 separate single fares would be cheaper.
Point being, the thread title is misleading unless the OP did a survey.

Corca Baiscinn · 17-02-2019 8:01pm

Dublin Airport

Bus & Travel Information Desk (T1 Arrivals)
Spar (T2 Arrivals)
WHSmith (T1 Arrivals)

Dublin City Centre

Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O’Connell St.
Discover Ireland Centre, 14 Upper O’Connell St.
Visit Dublin Centre, 25 Suffolk St.
Easons Busaras, Beresford Place
Easons Heuston Station, Dublin 8

May thanks for that mikemac2, Will put on my phone for future reference but its interesting that the original OP referred to Connolly and that's not on the list, one would have to nip over to Busáras. Connolly has Belfast arrivals so visitors from outside the jurisdiction. Wonder do they know about it

XPS_Zero · 17-02-2019 9:35pm

Dravokivich wrote: »

Nta don't want the locals to have easy access to the visitor card.

I don't know where to begin unpacking the nonsense of this point that several people made.

A leap visitor card is not much different than a regular Leap

Two out of it's three options are IDENTICAL to the normal leap card, and the 3 day option would only give you value if you were traveling around constantly for that period, so it's not really possible to abuse it.

There is no rule saying you have to have a plane ticket or hotel reservation or something to have an LV card, and at least one inspector guide I've seen makes no distinction between natives and tourists having one. How would they even know if you were a resident anyway? Your accent?

The Leap Visitor card has three options:

7 day at €40 (identical to the LEAP cap)
1 day at €10 (identical to the LEAP cap)
3 days at €19.99 the only option with real benefit which you would need to do a lot of travel in those 3 days to take advantage of. If someone is Irish and moving around a lot why would it be some kind of tragedy that they had such a ticket? The difference in what they'd be paying would not affect the overall transport budget.

You are also (as is usual on these things and comment sections) answering the post you wish I made rather than the post I actually made so you can fire off an easy answer.

You are claiming that the reason is to stop natives abusing it:
First, the idea that anyone competent in this country actually sat down and consciously worked that out is hilarious to me, having worked around the utter tools we have running our public services for several years now. This is 100% incompetence rather than any kind of coherent plan. You are talking about managers who could not find their ass with both hands and a hunting dog.
Second, as I showed above 2/3 of the options are no different to a normal leap (you can pick which one is loaded onto the card or reloaded) and the third one could only be used by someone doing a huge amount of travel to make a saving on it, ergo no Irish person working 9-5 or even bobbing around the greater dublin area for a weekend would make money on it.

So we know that's not the reason. Furthermore, you think I asked why is it no on sale in DART stations etc but I also asked why it's missing at several key tourist locations as well:

-You can't get it in Tara, Connolly or Heuston stations even at the information desks never mind the machines. Even if you didn't want to sell it at every DART station having it here would be basic.

-It's advertised all over the airport but the vending machines at the bus termini don't have them, in fact they have only 2 DB ticket options it's terrible. Very few tourists would be going into Spar to look for a transport ticket it's a moronic place to sell them. Why on earth would you look for a transport ticket in a book store either?

-Unless you are in the airport it's not advertised anywhere.

-The aforementioned CIE desk does not sell them

^ None of this is explained by the mortal fear of natives who have a 3 day period free using the ticket which would be a tiny blip in the ocean fiscally.

It is more easily explained by just another example of CIE/NTA/DOT incompetence or CIE being greedy.

IE 222 wrote: »

Don't think it's up to IE or Dublin Bus to be up selling leap cards. IE are in the business to sell tickets and make maximum revenue for the service provided. I don't see why we should be subsidising what's already a reasonably priced rail fare even further.

We own IE, it's up to them to do whatever the hell we tell them to do, our rep, the minister for transport, is the only shareholder, and I'm suggesting we tell them it IS up to them.

We already have the fare option available, this is simply pointing it out to people. Why? Are you seriously asking what advantage their is in making it cheaper and easier for tourists (who by definition spread money around) to move around the city? With a more flexible ticket? I should think the economic stimulus would be a patently obvious benefit.

Hilly Bill wrote: »

They are there to sell tickets. If someone asks for a specific ticket then you sell them that ticket. If they ask you for alternatives then you give them alternatives.
I've sent plenty of tourists to the nearest point of sale for the visitor card. I've also explained that 3 separate single fares would be cheaper.
Point being, the thread title is misleading unless the OP did a survey.

I don't need to do a scientific survey to see a pattern when I'm min the station every day for DART travel and again for Intercity travel a lot.

They asked for a ticket that would let them travel around the rail network, they were sold a ticket for €12 when there was one for €10 that could have added two other transport modes for them. They didn't technically ask for a multi-mode ticket but the staff should know that a tourist might be using more than one mode and even if the only used rail an LV would still be cheaper.
There is zero excuse for not selling them one or even telling them to get a standard LEAP and stick €10 on it. They are in a job where you'd have to proposition a 12 year old to get fired, it's no skin off their nose they should be helping people out.

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Dublin Airport

Bus & Travel Information Desk (T1 Arrivals)
Spar (T2 Arrivals)
WHSmith (T1 Arrivals)

Dublin City Centre

Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O’Connell St.
Discover Ireland Centre, 14 Upper O’Connell St.
Visit Dublin Centre, 25 Suffolk St.
Easons Busaras, Beresford Place
Easons Heuston Station, Dublin 8

May thanks for that mikemac2, Will put on my phone for future reference but its interesting that the original OP referred to Connolly and that's not on the list, one would have to nip over to Busáras. Connolly has Belfast arrivals so visitors from outside the jurisdiction. Wonder do they know about it

Nobody from Belfast would know about it unless they were on the NTA website, I've never seen it advertised in tourist booklets but I hope it is somewhere.

It's also not advertised in Busaras you'd have to know what it is and where it is in order to get it, and most people would not. It's also not available in the BE vending machines, and there are now no ticket offices.

IE recently changed it's own rules which used to say they would sell you the cheapest ticket for your journey needs, this has had currency implications on the Enterprise for regular customers who were really annoyed by it, as were the staff. It was extremely petty and they could not be making much on it, if they would do that they would do this.

CIE operates as if it's three companies are in competition with each other individual company heads talking sh1te about protecting their "brands" as if they are a private corporation, and just like the Departments of Education and Health we've had a succession of spineless ministers who did not have the guts to whip them into shape and remind them who they work for.
Tourism is a huge revenue booster for this island and we should be doing everything we can to make things easier for them, esp with what looks like an inevitable no deal Brexit coming up, an already very expensive city, and another banking crash from the US on the horizon where every bit of cash will count.

drive on right · 19-07-2019 10:34pm

Hello:

I could use some LOCAL knowledge!

We are traveling in September and are planning to buy LEAP Visitor's Cards (3 day card)
for Dublin.

I was trying to figure out WHICH of 2 locations INSIDE Heuston Rail Station would have them (News or Books?).

The LEAP info page has NOT been updated!

(I an NEW to this Forum. Site won't let me put the Link in - sorry).

THANKS to someone's Post: Just learned that EASONS HAS CLOSED at Heuston.

I emailed Eason, but IF they are closing stores, don't know If I will get a response.

So.....maybe we will STAY on our bus X8 until Busarus and buy them there.

Anyone know IF Easons is STILL OPEN at Busarus in Dublin?

I prefer NOT to look like such as Tourist: pulling bags behind me:
looking like a "nice" target for pickpockets etc.

I won't be alone. My husband will be with me. (We can wear money belts.)

Except that IF we need to go to Busarus: it means walking a few blocks WITH
luggage to get to a "Left Luggage" for the day.

Dublin Bus at 59 Upper O'Connell Street sells LEAP Visitors Cards:
BUT Closes at 14:00 on Sunday. Our bus gets in at 13:45!!

THANK YOU for any advice you would like to give us!!!

P.S. LEAP Visitor Cards also sold at:
1) Discover Ireland Centre (14 Upper O’Connell St)
which IS CLOSED all DAY on Sunday.

2) Visit Dublin at 25 Suffolk Street DOES sell LEAP Visitor Cards.
It is OPEN on Sunday until 3 PM.
BUT we would NEED a regular LEAP Card JUST to get there.

O.K. I know that I really should send emails to Customer Care at LEAP Cards
and Irish Tourist Board.

Qrt · 19-07-2019 10:46pm

drive on right wrote: »

Hello:

I could use some LOCAL knowledge!

We are traveling in September and are planning to buy LEAP Visitor's Cards (3 day card)
for Dublin.

I was trying to figure out WHICH of 2 locations INSIDE Heuston Rail Station would have them (News or Books?).

The LEAP info page has NOT been updated!

(I an NEW to this Forum. Site won't let me put the Link in - sorry).

THANKS to someone's Post: Just learned that EASONS HAS CLOSED at Heuston.

I emailed Eason, but IF they are closing stores, don't know If I will get a response.

So.....maybe we will STAY on our bus X8 until Busarus and buy them there.

Anyone know IF Easons is STILL OPEN at Busarus in Dublin?

I prefer NOT to look like such as Tourist: pulling bags behind me:
looking like a "nice" target for pickpockets etc.

I won't be alone. My husband will be with me. (We can wear money belts.)

Except that IF we need to go to Busarus: it means walking a few blocks WITH
luggage to get to a "Left Luggage" for the day.

Dublin Bus at 59 Upper O'Connell Street sells LEAP Visitors Cards:
BUT Closes at 14:00 on Sunday. Our bus gets in at 13:45!!

THANK YOU for any advice you would like to give us!!!

P.S. LEAP Visitor Cards also sold at:
1) Discover Ireland Centre (14 Upper O’Connell St)
which IS CLOSED all DAY on Sunday.

2) Visit Dublin at 25 Suffolk Street DOES sell LEAP Visitor Cards.
It is OPEN on Sunday until 3 PM.
BUT we would NEED a regular LEAP Card JUST to get there.

O.K. I know that I really should send emails to Customer Care at LEAP Cards
and Irish Tourist Board.

How are you arriving? They sell them in Dublin Airport arrivals afaik.

Jamie2k9 · 19-07-2019 10:52pm

You can buy online and have it posted before you travel. Easons opens at Busaras on Sundays.

n97 mini · 19-07-2019 11:43pm

Qrt wrote: »

How are you arriving? They sell them in Dublin Airport arrivals afaik.

+1

Don't wait till you get to the airport as there can be long queues in T1 at the Tourist Information Desk.

n97 mini · 19-07-2019 11:44pm

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

You can buy online and have it posted before you travel.

+1

Don't wait till you get to the airport as there can be long queues in T1 at the Tourist Information Desk. They cover the 747/757 from the airport, so very they're well worth it.

Qrt · 19-07-2019 11:55pm

n97 mini wrote: »

+1

Don't wait till you get to the airport as there can be long queues in T1 at the Tourist Information Desk. They cover the 747/757 from the airport, so very they're well worth it.

Any time I arrive in T1 it's usually late and dead, so I didn't know it got so busy!

devnull · 20-07-2019 9:38am

n97 mini wrote: »

+1

Don't wait till you get to the airport as there can be long queues in T1 at the Tourist Information Desk. They cover the 747/757 from the airport, so very they're well worth it.

The 'Travel Information' desk at the airport is not actually what it says, it's a commercial sales desk for the CIE Group, so if you are looking for impartial travel information on the quickest and cheapest route to your destination, you won't get it there if there is a better/cheaper route that uses other providers.

They also may try to sell you the DoDublin card which is a card which contains all Dublin Bus (but not Go-Ahead) services, Airlink and the Hop on and Hop off tour and do a hard sell on how much better value it is than the Leap Visitor, but hold your nerve and ask for what you want. If you still don't get it email info@nationaltransport.ie to complain.

Once a former colleague of mine was told that Visitor Leap didn't exist anymore and was replaced, so avoid all this hassle and buy your visitor Leap online like I advise everyone to do, going to the travel information desk really isn't worth the hassle of the queues or a battle for them to give you what you ask for.

There is talk of in the medium term TFI opening up their own staffed transport information points at various locations and hopefully they will have one in the airport offering impartial travel advice. Operators should still be allowed them, but they should be clearly marked as operator desks rather than masquerading as generic information desks.

21-07-2019 3:33am

superlenin wrote: »

€7 for a 500ml bottle of water in Venice and you concerned about tourists in Ireland getting treated fairly!!!!

CIE operate in Venice?
They don't half make it difficult to navigate the options, could they not make it a bit simpler and more straightforward.

drive on right · 21-07-2019 7:17pm

Hello:

We live in USA and are visiting Ireland in September.

I just joined the IE Forum and DID not SAVE this Thread after reading it.

I want to get a LEAP Visitor Card at Heston Station on a Sunday.
I checked the Easons web site for store hours.

I might have seen a picture/map of where the taxi Rank & stores were at Station.
(we are arriving from Cashel on X8 Air Coach Stop outside Station).

THEN.....thanks to IE Boards:
I found out that Easons BOOK Store at Heuston has CLOSED!!
(But on Easons web site: it is still listed as one of their stores).

I emailed Easons - but with multiple stores closing...not sure I would get a reply.

I Posted on IE Boards under THREAD: "Easons at Heuston Station closed"
(BECAUSE I am so NEW to IE Boards - they won't let me PASTE a link in here).
(I tried and got REJECTED).

Yesterday: A really NICE person Posted & told me that:
Easons Newsagents at Heuston is OPEN and has LEAP Visitor Cards & also I could SITLL get them at Easons at Busarus.

Yesterday, I emailed Dublin Bus since someone wrote (here) that Dublin Bus manages LEAP Visitor Cards.

Dublin Bus emailed me: BUT it CONTRADICTS info on LEAP web page:
Dublin Bus wrote:
"The only places you are able to purchase a Leap visitor card are Dublin Airport or the Dublin bus head office in o'connell street."

HOWEVER: The OFFICIAL LEAP Visitor Card web page STILL lists the following locations:

"Purchase your card when you arrive in Dublin from a number of different agents in the city:

Dublin Airport

Bus & Travel Information Desk (T1 Arrivals)
Spar (T2 Arrivals)
WHSmith (T1 Arrivals)
Dublin City Centre

Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O’Connell St.
Discover Ireland Centre, 14 Upper O’Connell St.
Visit Dublin Centre, 25 Suffolk St.
Easons Busaras, Beresford Place
Easons Heuston Station, Dublin 8"

I can always Call Easons News Agent at Heuston Station before we arrive.
I can also Call: Visit Dublin Centre.

OR......just buy a Regular LEAP Card and NEVER get the 5 euro Deposit back as we live in US.

THANK YOU for any info you have

P.S. Should I write to Irish Tourist Board and tell them HOW CONFUSING it is???

n97 mini · 21-07-2019 8:11pm

The ITB have nothing to do with Leap cards, so you'd probably be wasting your time. Just order them online and get them mailed to you (for free).

https://www.leapcard.ie/en/NavigationPages/VisitorCardPurchase.aspx

Fwiw I've been to a few US cities where the implementation of public transport travel cards is a lot more confusing! Not saying Leap is perfect either, it's far from it.

devnull · 21-07-2019 8:21pm

drive on right wrote: »

"The only places you are able to purchase a Leap visitor card are Dublin Airport or the Dublin bus head office in o'connell street."

That's because they are the only places that Dublin Bus themselves sell Leap Cards and the other places have nothing to do with Dublin Bus I would assume.

CIE screwing tourists

Comments