Dublin Travel Advice?

I am going to be spending some time in Dublin, Ireland next week and was wondering if anyone has ever been there and if so do you have any advice on great stops that are either must see or below the radar?

 

Are you staying in Dublin the whole time? I don't know what the political climate is there these days, but if it's safe to travel north, you should do so.

Giant's Causeway is awesome.

Guinness factory is fantastic. Old Jameson Distillery is cool as well.

You can't go wrong with any of the Castles and Cathedrals.

The Blarney Stone is overrated, but still worth doing.

 

Temple Bar district, if you're into that kind of thing.

If you're a history nerd, Trinity College Dublin.

I recommend a doubledecker bus tour, which will let you hop off and on at various stops. It was 15 euro when we were there in 2009.

Phoenix Park, where the U.S. embassy is, is a nice little oasis in the city.

If you're a sports fan and into history and can get to Croke Park, I'd suggest doing so. I'm not sure if they do tours and the odds you'll get tickets to the all-Ireland final are nearly nil, but the stadium itself is pretty historic.

---

Not sure what your transportation situation is, but I agree with RJ on going to the north. It's where my family is from and I prefer it to the south in many ways.

Up north, definitely do Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. The Glens of Antrim , which you'd pass on the way there, are spectacular. Belfast is a neat city.

Just be ready for the different currency if you do go north (pound sterling) as opposed to the south (euro).

----

One last thing: your credit card probably doesn't have a microchip on it, which means you might be given a hard time about it being accepted outside of touristy areas. Europe now has a chip-and-PIN system and has for years, and some places may not have a swiper machine.

 

The North is far more scenic.

If soccer is on TV in one of the pubs, be VERY careful about who you root for. I made that mistake and cheered when an American scored for, I think it was Coventry City and we had to leave very quickly. This was almost 20 years ago, but still.

The bus tours are great, because you can see so much in a relatively short period of time.

 

My older son lives and works in Dublin so we have gone there more than a few times to visit.

In Dublin, take the tour bus around the town to get yourself an overview of where things are.

Be sure to visit and take the tour at Kilmainham Gaol. This is a prison in downtown Dublin where the British "housed" many of the "troublemakers" during the struggles for Irish independence.

At Trinity College, be sure to see the Book of Kells.

If you go to Northern Ireland, the train service from Dublin to Belfast is convenient and not very expensive. Indeed Giant's Causeway is worth a visit. In Belfast itself, be sure to see the new Titanic Museum. The Titanic was built in Belfast.

With enough time, try to see Londonderry too. If you want to understand what the Irish call "The Troubles", Dublin, Belfast and Londonderry will give you a crash course.

Enjoy...

 

I'm thrilled to see others talking up Giant's Causeway. Usually when I tell people that was one of my favorite things about Ireland, they just look at me funny. Of course, these are usually the people who go there to do nothing but golf.

 

Thanks everyone. We are on our way to O'Hare and ready for the journey.

 

Trinity College Library is my top recommendation.

St. Stephens Green is pretty awesome. St. Patrick's Cathedral is one of the most amazing structures I've ever seen. Dublin City Hall is cool, but Belfast's is much, much better and offers tours.

I was not a fan of the Temple Bar district. Get outside the tourist areas and just walk the neighborhoods and duck in and out of pubs.

I enjoyed the north and northwest much more than Dublin. You can do Bushmill's the Carick a rede rope bridge and Giant's Causeway in a day if you rent a car, which I highly recommend.

 

If you get a car, Kerry is a must.

 

My parents were born in Belfast and I've been there six times. Agree that the north is far more scenic than the south. If you get up that way, drive up the coastal route from Belfast to Portrush. (If you play golf, Royal Portrush is fantastic.) Train from Dublin to Belfast is a cool ride. About two hours, scenic, not very expensive.

As for Dublin, I did the hop on-hop off bus tours twice. Very cool way to see the city. Didn't do the Guinness factory but I did visit an old prison (can't remember the name for the life of me but I'm sure any website would have it.) My cousins recommended it and it was well worth the trip. Lots of political history there.

Wish I would have seen Trinity College. My sister did and said it was very cool.

 

One other thing: If you want to sample the best candy in the history of mankind, buy a pack of wine gums. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe those things. (Alcohol free, of course.) The black ones are the best. Black currant flavored. Mmmmm.

 

I would second Kilmainham Gaol.