How To Store Your Luggage At The Dublin Airport

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Arriving in Dublin Airport and wondering where to stash your bags while you explore the city? You’re in luck — yes, Dublin Airport has luggage-storage, and we’ve navigated it so you don’t have to.

There’s only one option and it’s called Smarte Carte. It’s located in the Arrivals hall in Terminal 1 (T1) in the Dublin Airport. And unfortunately, it’s hidden around a corner, making it very hard to track down.

My partner Frank and I — along with our dog Robi — recently stored our bags there during a layover, and what was supposed to be a simple drop-off turned into a mini ordeal of hidden counters and sparse info.

We’ve scoured airport maps, waited in lines we didn’t need to, and lived the process ourselves so you don’t waste your precious time.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly where the storage desk is, how long it takes, how much it costs, and how busy it gets — all from a real-world visit.

If you’re planning to ditch your luggage so you can grab a few hours in the city, this is a must-read before trying to navigate the hectic arrival terminal.

Man cuddling a small dog while standing beside a fully loaded airport luggage cart in a glass corridor at Dublin Airport. Highlights the reality of traveling with both pets and luggage.

When Is Smarte Carte Open?

Smarte Carte is open from 5:00am – 9:00pm, Monday – Sunday (all 7 days of the week). You can always confirm this on their website too.

Airport map of Dublin Airport’s arrivals area, with the Smarte Carte luggage storage location circled in red. Helps travelers locate where to store their bags in Terminal 1.

Where Exactly Is Smarte Carte Located?

When you walk out of Arrivals (which is in Terminal 1), turn right and head all the way down the hall. Smarte Carte is located at the end. It’s circled in red on the terminal map above.

TIP: Don’t go to the Excess Baggage Company stand nearby (as Google suggests). They aren’t a luggage storage company. They’re a courier service that ships bags and packages as a door to door luggage shipping company.

The front desk of Smarte Carte's stand at Dublin Airport is circled in red to further show that the luggage storage option is not obvious amidst the parenting room sign, monitor, and travel products for sale.

How do I know I’ve arrived at the right place?

You’ll arrive at a large area with wooden flooring (different from the tiling of the rest of the airport) that will say Smarte Carte.

Don’t be deceived by the empty Smarte Carte counter right out front (circled in red above — sorry for the blurry image). That’s not the actual luggage storage check-in counter, but rather a sales counter where Smarte Carte sells SIM cards, suitcases, and other displayed products.

VERY IMPORTANT: If no one is there, it doesn’t mean Smarte Carte’s luggage storage is closed. Remember, their hours are 5:00am – 9:00pm, Monday – Sunday.

Don’t walk away like we did only to circle back 15 minutes later. Instead…

Traveler rolling a suitcase behind the corner of the Smarte Carte front desk and through a not obvious luggage storage hallway marked with a “This Way” sign. Illustrates the hidden entrance path to the Dublin Airport baggage storage area.

Go behind the corner

Look to the left of that counter. You’ll see an unofficial looking sign that is not very obvious that just says “THIS WAY” with an arrow pointing left (as seen above).

Follow the arrow behind the corner, walk past some private office rentals and then you’ll find the actual real Smarte Carte check-in counter tucked away. We have no idea why it’s super hidden behind a wall, but hey, you’ve made it!

Price list posted at Dublin Airport’s Smarte Carte storage center, outlining costs for storing small, standard, and large items.

Pricing & payment (as of July 2024)

Small Items (keys, phones, envelopes, etc)

€9 flat rate (up to 3 months)

Bag Storage (suitcases, holdalls, bags, rucksacks, etc)

€9 up to 4 hours per bag
€12 up to 12 hours per bag
€16 up to 24 hours per bag
€25 up to 48 hours per bag
Each day after is an extra €7 per bag

Large items (surf boards, cycles, golf bags, etc)

€30 per day
€180 for 7 days
€270 10-14 days
€45 per week thereafter

The price is applied per bag (no matter the size or weight). It doesn’t matter if your bag is a small backpack or a huge checked suitcase – each one counts as one bag.

TIP: If you have a larger bag in which you can consolidate bags, you can save money that way.

We had two carry-on suitcases and two backpacks (and weren’t able to consolidate them) so Smarte Carte counted that as four bags.

Yes, it’s pricey, but for us, it was worth us to not be weighed down so we could take full advantage of our layover and explore our beloved Dublin.

You don’t have to choose ahead of time how many hours you want to keep your bags there. And you don’t pay until you pick it up. They’ll calculate how long you kept it there and give you the final total.

To pay, they take card and tap. We’re not sure if they take cash (euros) since we just paid with our credit card.

Close-up of a Smarte Carte bag storage confirmation receipt at Dublin Airport, showing booking details and opening hours. Shows what travelers receive after dropping off luggage.

Hold on to your confirmation card

Smarte Carte will ask for your passport in order to store your luggage.

They’ll give you a confirmation card (pictured above) and tell you to hold on to it. I would take a picture of it just in case you lose it.

Although if you do lose the confirmation paper (and didn’t take a pic), I feel they should be able to look you up no problem with your passport info — but don’t take my word for it. Just hold on to that paper.

Security

Smarte Carte staff member placing suitcases in a large x-ray machine inside the baggage storage area in Dublin Airport.

Before you leave, they’ll screen all your bags through their own x-ray machine for security.

They then take it back to their storage facility (which is behind closed doors), which made us feel like our stuff was in safe hands.

How long does it take?

Overall, it was very quick (once we actually found the place). The whole process took about 5 minutes.

How busy is it?

We visited early July, which is during Dublin’s high season, and we were the only ones there. We went on a Tuesday at 3pm-ish. Of course, it might be different if you’re there during a specific holiday, like Christmas.

Man pushing a luggage cart stacked with coats, suitcases, and a dog in a carrier near an elevator inside Dublin Airport. Captures the experience of navigating the terminal while using luggage storage.

Take advantage of the free luggage carts

While many airports charge to use the baggage trolleys, Dublin Airport offers them for free. It makes lugging your suitcases around the airport so much easier!

There are 50 trolley bays scattered around the airport. The nearest one to Smarte Carte is right across the hall.

TIP: You have to press down on the handle for the brakes to release in order to push the cart.

Other services that Smarte Carte offers:

Smarte Carte offers a whole host of services and products such as:

Bag Storage & luggage forwarding
Secure eco bag wrapping
Retail of suitcases and associated ‘green’ travel accessories
Furnished by the hour private office rental
A ‘Free of Charge’ safe, clean and secure Parenting Room
Additional concierge services to include:
Sim Local, mobile/cell phone sim card sales
WiFi Candy, portable WiFi rental
Lost Property for both Ryanair and Dublin Express (dub.lostproperty@smartecarte.ie)

How do I contact Smarte Carte?

You can find more info at their website here.

Or you can email them at: dub.baggageservices@smartecarte.ie (note: they have been known to respond slowly).

Or you can call them at their phone number: 01 965 3000.

Woman sitting on a bronze chair sculpture in a Dublin park while holding a small white dog in her lap. Suggests dog-friendly activities to do in Dublin after dropping off luggage at the airport.

Ready to hit up Dublin?

Check out more of our Dublin posts — coming soon!