The Translink Goldliner X2 is a daily cross-border bus service running between Belfast and Dublin, the two most important cities on the island of Ireland. It provides not just an alternative to the more glamorous Belfast-Dublin Enterprise express train, but also access to Dublin Airport from Belfast.

My 2024 summer travels to Northern Ireland ended with a flight out of Dublin Airport, providing an opportunity to once again sample Translink’s cross-border bus offerings. To summarise, it was its usual efficient and fuss-free self.

Buying my tickets

I bought my tickets for the 10:30 am departure on Translink’s website for £10.50. This was and is cheaper compared to the other two private operators on the same route, with their tickets going for between £14 to £20.

Tickets for Translink’s cross-border bus services must be purchased in advance on Translink’s website. The confirmation email is your ticket, and it can then be loaded onto Apple Wallet if you’d like. Tickets are then verified during boarding.

Departure from Belfast Europa Bus Centre

At the time of this trip, the Europa Bus Centre was still functioning as Belfast’s intercity bus hub. Since then, it has been replaced by the new Belfast Grand Central, and all of Translink’s cross-border bus services now depart from Grand Central.

This was my final departure from Europa, and I was again reminded of its unparalleled convenience as I made the walk from Botanic to the waiting area in 20 minutes. This won’t be possible with the new Grand Central due to its less central location. All that being said, Europa’s replacement was overdue, and its worn out state was obvious as I took in the sights of Europa one last time.

Goldliner buses depart on time, and mine was no exception. Don’t be late!

Goldliner X2 routing

The Goldliner X2 runs nonstop from Belfast to Dublin Airport and Dublin. This differs from the X1, which stops in Sprucefield, Banbridge, and Newry on the way south. Both services terminate at Dublin’s Busáras near the Custom House Quay, and there is an adjacent Luas Red Line stop for onward connections.

Do note that Dublin-bound buses stop only at Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 to set down passengers, whereas Belfast-bound buses stop at Dublin Airport’s Terminal 1 Arrivals only to pickup passengers. Passengers cannot purchase tickets for Translink buses between Dublin Airport and Dublin.

Onboard the Goldliner X2

This service was operated by a 2 year old single deck Volvo Sunsundegui SC5 with 60 seats onboard in a typical 2-2 configuration, and the last row having 5 seats across. The seats themselves are in a leather-like material and are standardised across the Goldliner fleet.

It was a reasonably comfortable experience onboard, and I was pleased to see that the legrooms have improved after the extremely tight legroom on my X1 bus in 2017.

Arrival at Dublin Airport Terminal 2

The X2 covers the Belfast – Dublin Airport sector in approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. This is of course subject to traffic conditions, but I’ve never had a bad day on the X1 or the X2.

As stated above, the Dublin-bound buses stop only at Terminal 2 to set down passengers. There is no hopping on the bus at Dublin Airport to travel onwards to Dublin.

Final Thoughts

As always, Translink’s X2 remains one of the best ways to get from Belfast to Dublin Airport (and Dublin). No complaints whatsoever.