Planning a night at the 3Arena or a big fixture at the Aviva Stadium? The smartest base in Dublin is the Green Isle Hotel at Newlands Cross a 4-star hotel with over 400 free parking spaces and a direct Luas tram to the 3Arena from the Red Cow stop just up the road. You get the full event-night experience without the city-centre room rates or the parking scramble.

Here’s how the journey works to each venue, and why basing yourself just outside the centre is often the better move for you.

How do you get to 3Arena from Green Isle Hotel?

The 3Arena is one direct Luas ride away, with no changes. The Red Cow stop beside the hotel is on the Luas Red Line, and the 3Arena’s stop “The Point” is the final station on that very same line. You get on once, stay put, and step off right at the venue doors.

Trams leave roughly every 10 minutes, and the journey runs about 35 to 40 minutes for around €2–3 each way. Because The Point is the end of the line, there’s no chance of sailing past your stop in the crowd everyone bound for the show gets off together. If you’d rather skip the post-encore tram queue, a taxi back to the hotel is only about 15 minutes.

A few pointers for gig nights:

• Use a Leap Card or tap on with contactless to breeze past the ticket machines at Red Cow.
• Check the last tram times before the show, particularly for late finishes, and keep a taxi app handy as a fallback.
• Leave a little slack at each end trams fill up on event nights, which is all part of the atmosphere.

Need the finer detail before you set off? Our contact and location page has our address, map and directions.

What’s the best way to get to the Aviva Stadium?

The Aviva Stadium is at Lansdowne Road in Ballsbridge, on the south side of the city and roughly seven miles from the hotel. By car or taxi that’s about a 15-minute drive outside of peak match-day traffic ideal if you’re travelling as a group and happy to share a fare.

Prefer to leave the car behind? Take the Luas Red Line from Red Cow into the city centre, then switch to a DART out to Lansdowne Road or Dublin Pearse, each a short stroll from the ground. Budget around 50 to 55 minutes door to door. The DART runs extra services on match days to handle the crowds, so it holds up well even when the roads are gridlocked.

Either way, staying at the Green Isle lets you soak up the post-match buzz around Ballsbridge and still have a calm, comfortable room waiting well away from the late-night city-centre noise.

Why is the Green Isle Hotel a good post-event stay?

Now that you’ve seen how easily you can reach each venue, here’s why staying just outside the centre works in your favour. The moment a major gig or international match is confirmed, the hotels nearest the docklands and Ballsbridge sell out their best rooms and push their prices up on event weekends you can easily pay double the usual rate, and then pay again to park.

The Green Isle Hotel avoids all of that. It sits just off the N7 and less than two kilometres from the M50, so it’s genuinely simple to reach whether you’re driving up from Cork, Limerick, Galway or anywhere across the midlands with over 400 free on-site parking spaces, you won’t be circling the block for a spot or feeding a city-centre meter you simply park at the hotel and let the nearby Red Cow Luas carry you the rest of the way.

The hotel is also built to make the whole event day run smoothly:

• Eat before you go – Enjoy a carvery lunch or something from the bar menu at our restaurant and bar, and skip the overpriced queues inside the venue.
• Comfortable post-event stay – After a late show or a tense finish, it’s a quick trip back to a spacious, contemporary room instead of a long slog home.
• Ideal for groups and families – Ideal for groups and families with family rooms and connecting options, it works just as well for a group of friends at a concert as for a family heading to the rugby.
• Unwind at the bar afterwards – A drink to round off the night, the bar is the perfect place to relive the match or the setlist before you turn in.

If you’re making a weekend of it, some of Dublin’s best days out are right on the doorstep. Phoenix Park with its wild deer, Dublin Zoo and miles of walking trails is an easy one to build a day around.

The result is a comfortable, keenly priced 4-star stay with the venue still within easy reach. Take a look at our rooms to see what suits your event dates.

The best-value rooms go first when a big concert or international fixture is announced, so it pays to book as soon as your dates are set. Look up what’s on at the 3Arena and the Aviva, sort your travel, and secure your room while rates are still low our Game, Gig & Getaway stays are built for nights exactly like these.

Ready to sort the accommodation? Book your stay at the Green Isle Hotel and make your next Dublin event night far easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there a direct tram from the Green Isle Hotel to the 3Arena?

Yes, the nearby Red Cow Luas stop and the 3Arena’s “The Point” stop are both on the Luas Red Line, so it’s a single direct tram with no changes. Trams run about every 10 minutes and the trip takes roughly 35 to 40 minutes.

2. How far is the Green Isle Hotel from the Aviva Stadium?

The Aviva Stadium is around seven miles from the hotel about a 15-minute drive by car or taxi, or roughly 50 to 55 minutes using the Luas and DART together.

3. How long does the Luas take from Red Cow to the 3Arena?

The Luas Red Line takes approximately 35 to 40 minutes from Red Cow to The Point (the 3Arena stop), with trams departing around every 10 minutes throughout the day and evening.

4. Does the Green Isle Hotel have free parking for guest?

Yes. The hotel offers over 400 free on-site parking spaces, so you can leave the car safely and take the Luas or a taxi to your event without paying city-centre parking charges.