UCD by bus
UCD and the nearby hotels listed above are well connected by bus to the city centre. The main routes to UCD are 39a, 46a and 145; there is usually a bus every few minutes on one or other of these routes. The total journey time from city centre to UCD campus, including waiting at the bus stop, is usually less than 30 minutes.
The fare from the city centre to UCD is €3, and bus fares are paid directly to the driver in coins, with no change given. A good alternative would be to buy a Leap card (which gives discounted fares and is more convenient) – available from the airport, some DART stations and a range of other outlets.
There are two apps that can help you use the bus system. One is the TFI Journey Planner, which enables you to plan your entire route, and the other is called Dublin Bus, which indicates bus departure times from a given bus stop in real time. You can search by Bus ‘Stop Number’ or for ‘Stops Near Me’. You should use the latter to find the stop nearest to your hotel, but make sure you find a southbound stop – listed buses will show destinations ‘UCD via Blanchardstown SC’ (route 39a), ‘Dun Laoghaire’ (route 46a) and ‘Ballywaltrim’ (route 145). In the city centre, Stop 404 on Nassau Street serves 39a southbound and Stop 406 on Nassau Street serves routes 145 and 46a southbound, as does Stop 842 on St Stephen’s Green. There is a southbound stop (No. 848) for 145 and 46a directly outside the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road.
When travelling southbound on route 39a, UCD campus is the final stop; on routes 46a and 145, the UCD stop is number 2007 (see map below). You can follow your progress on Google maps. Shortly before UCD, you will pass Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) on the left, which is the national TV and radio broadcaster. It has a large sign and tall broadcasting tower. The UCD stop is not the next, but the one after that, up a slip road off the main road (see images below).
The stop for northbound buses back into the city from UCD (or if you are travelling northbound from the Talbot Hotel) is 768.
UCD by taxi
Taxis are also readily accessible at most times of day and the fare from the city centre should be less than 15 euro. I recommend using an app such as My Taxi, which will call a taxi to wherever you are waiting.