Most of the check-in desks at Dublin Airport are on the first floor of Terminal 1 in the Departures Hall. The exception is Area 14, which is situated a level lower near the Arrivals Hall and is used by Aer Lingus.

The Dublin Airport Authority recommends arriving around 90 minutes before your flight is scheduled to depart. If you have to park a car, you'll need to budget another 30 minutes or so, while visitors who took advantage of car hire at Dublin Airport can afford to cut it a little closer. Several airlines operate self-service kiosks in the check-in area. These can issue boarding passes and speed up the check-in process, with airline associates on hand to sort out any difficulties. 

The Dublin Airport Authority takes security seriously, with all passengers subject to the same screening procedures regardless of how they checked in. To route a potential headache, you may want to go through your carry on bag ahead of time and remove any sharp objects or liquids to your checked luggage. Doing so shortens security procedures so you can drop off your Dublin Airport rental car and proceed to the boarding lounge as quickly as possible.

The following items cannot be carried into the airplane cabin:

• Weapons of any kind, including firearms or their components, bows, flare guns or sling shots
• Stun devices like tasers or pepper spray
• Sharp or pointed objects, including box cutters and all but the smallest pairs of scissors
• Tools that could cause injury
• Liquids, gels or pastes over 100ml

Regarding liquids, exceptions are made in common-sense scenarios for items like baby food and essential medicines. In case of the latter, the medicines need to be stored in their original container and carried with the prescription. For more information about this or our car hire Dublin Airport service please do not hesitate to contact us.