Time of year visited: end of March,2018
Cities Flown to: Dublin
Ireland is such a beautiful country filled with beautiful scenery, friendly people and plenty of things to see and explore. Below we provide a guide and our itinerary based on our personal experience to help guide your upcoming trip. We were in Dublin for just 5 days so we didn’t get to spend much time in other towns. However, we still make some suggestions for outside of Dublin as we did some day trips.
Airlines Flown: out of JFK we flew on Air Canada. We had a layover in Toronto, which by the way has a very nice airport. The staff on both flights were very attentive and the flights were very smooth. The seat on the first leg of the flight to Toronto were standard seats, it was a very short flight so we had nothing to complain about. From Toronto to Dublin we upgraded our seats at the gate to Business Class. If you are ever on the fence between doing First or Business class, from our experience we can tell you Business is just as great and not as expensive. The food was very tasty and the Prosecco kept flowing until we fell asleep 😉
Out of LAX into Dublin we flew non-stop on Aer Lingus. This was a 10 hour flight for us so we were a little skeptical on how much space we would have (recall our Amsterdam and Munich flight). To our pleasant surprise, the seats were pretty spacious and the staff was very friendly. They provided free meals (they were good as well) and they had tea time after dinner. Aer Lingus also runs specials to Dublin very often so depending when you travel you can catch a flight for below $500. We had specific dates and times we had to fly out on so our flight was a little over that.
Reminder: portable battery packs, even built in to your luggage, must go on your carry on luggage not your checked bags. If you have an AWAY bag, for example, remember to unscrew it (on the older model) or pop-it out (on newer models) from your bag if you are checking it in. (When you unscrew the two screws, lift your bag upright and the charger slips out).
-For those seeking to get the travel cubes we featured to help you keep organized and maximize space, you can get them right here.
Travel Requirements
U.S citizens only need a valid passport to visit Ireland. The passport must be valid for the length of your stay and it must have at least one blank page per stamp. For additional information regarding travel requirements click HERE.
Currency Exchange
The official currency of Ireland is the Euro. Currently, 1 USD is equal to .81 Euro (remember exchange rates fluctuate). Keep track of rates by using an app like XE Currency App. Check with your bank to see what rate they offer you. If it’s close to the ongoing rate it makes sense to do it with them in advance vs waiting to do it when you arrive. If not, then just wait until you get to Ireland (avoid doing it at an ICE exchange office). You can also withdraw money at an ATM when you land just ask your bank what the fee will be for using an out of network ATM and if they charge any other fee. Lastly, you can exchange just a small amount (100 Euros or so) and use your credit card the rest of the time you are there. The majority of places accept cards. If you opt for this option please make sure your credit card has NO FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE. Whatever option you go with, DO NOT EXCHANGE YOUR MONEY AT THE AIRPORT.
Time Of Year To Visit
During our visit the weather was on average 50 degrees during the day, which wasn’t bad for us. On some days the wind chill made it feel a lot colder. When we visited the Cliffs of Moher this was especially true because they are by the Atlantic, so keep that in mind. It is also good to note that light rain is expected during any time of the year, we definitely had some show up during our trip but it wasn’t bad. If you want warmer weather try to visit June-August when the temperature hits the mid 60’s, but expect larger crowds. It is also good to note the Irish celebrate Easter weekend in a big way, so if you want to go when there’s a lot going on, visiting during that week.
USA Pre-clearance-Must Know
The Dublin airport is part of U.S pre-clearance program. The program builds facilities at participating airports which allows US bound passengers to undertake all US immigration, customs and agriculture inspections at your departing airport prior to departing back into the United States. In short, you go through customs at Dublin and not in the U.S when you land! Because of this, please give yourself at least 3 hours to get to the Dublin Airport. If you are going to have any travel size liquids or gels on your carry-on bag make sure you have them in one quart-size ziplock bag.
Must-Haves For Your Trip
Tip: Most bars in Dublin close around 1-2am.
Transportation
From the Airport:You can use Uber. Depending where you stay it will be approximately 24 Euros (~$29). You can also take the Airlink bus for just 6 Euros each way ($8), buy the ticket on their website and catch the bus right outside the terminal.
Around town: The buses in Dublin are very clean double decker buses and they run often. You can read more about them, and plan your trips, on their website.
If you use Uber to get around use the “metered taxi” option (it pops up when you are requesting a ride). Uber partnered with local taxis, so instead of ordering regular cars, they are the local taxi service and 8/10 times it was at least 4-8 Euros cheaper per ride, to do it this way.
Where We Stayed
For this trip we stayed at the Trinity City Hotel, a 4-star hotel centrally located in Dublin. It was perfect for our stay because we walked around town from here the majority of time. The staff is AMAZING, they make you feel valued and give you a voucher to use at their bar and restaurant every day you are there. The hotel’s decor is also super cute. We recommend it 100%. The only thing you should keep in mind is that the kitchen staff stops making food past 10pm. If you order room service after that time the only options you will have will be pizza or sandwiches.
Below is the area we suggest staying at and pinned is the location of the hotel.
Itinerary
*Note there are many pubs in Dublin, so we won’t list too many as you won’t have a shortage of options but we will mention a few. Also “Temple Bar” is a popular tourist trap, we walked by there but we didn’t stop by because drinks are more expensive.
We suggest you go earlier during the day and avoid the long lines. It is also cheaper to buy the tickets on their website. Their Gravity bar provides a beautiful view of Dublin!
Get tickets ahead of time for the date and time you want to visit and avoid the long lines to get in. You can get tickets on their website for about 14 Euros.
Expect about 7 Euros per person to have access to the Cathedral. We found it to be very beautiful, so it was worth it.
You can pay for a self guided tour or a group tour. We opted for the self-guided option.
Go if the day is nice as it won’t be too pleasant if you go when it’s windy. The lighthouse itself is not as impressive but the area around it is. We recommend renting a car to get here. You can walk here from the nearby town but it will be quite a walk.
It’s about a 40minute bus ride from Dublin. Super cute fisherman town with good seafood restaurants.
A good local bar for inexpensive drinks
a cool place we found open late for drinks and music
Another good local bar
Good place for live Irish entertainment and drinks.
Absolutely beautiful. Note it can get pretty chilly as it’s right by the Atlantic so make sure you dress accordingly and wear shoes that can make it through the mud as it can be pretty muddy. Please be careful and don’t get too close to the edge, the wind in this area is no joke and it hits unexpectedly.You can book a day trip here such as this one via websites such as Viator (get $10 off with our referral link). You can also book directly through Irish Day Tours, compare prices and book what works for you. If you are going to drive here yourself, the roads can get pretty narrow so take this into account.
This bedrock area is not too far from the Cliffs of Moher. It’s made up of cracked pavement of glacial-era limestone. There are cliffs and caves, fossils, and beautiful rock formations.
It is a 30 minute drive from Galway (see below).
They are known for their Oysters so make sure if you come you give them a try. In September they hold their Oyster Festival. Walk around their Latin Quarter. You can make this into a day trip you are visiting for a short time or you can split your time here for longer trips. The tour we linked above combines a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, The Burren and Galway.
Where To Eat
THE BEST fish & chips in Dublin. Just go and see!
Come here for Lunch or Dinner, it doesn’t disappoint.
Breakfast, Brunch or Dinner. They have great options
we LOVED this Mexican restaurant. The owner, Hugo, takes pride in having handmade tortillas and we thank him for that. It was a great find.
a great place for Breakfast
This Italian restaurant with a little Irish flare was so tasty, we came here for breakfast. Ps. try their homemade desserts.
Another good Mexican restaurant in Dublin. They are open until 3am so after you hit the bars, come here for some tacos.
We came here for dinner and LOVED their Seafood Linguini pasta
We hope this guide helps you plan your next trip to Dublin Ireland. If you had never considered Ireland before, we hope it inspires you to visit this beautiful country. If your trip will be longer than ours, we definitely recommend splitting your visit into different towns. Please share our article and tag us on Instagram. Let us know if these guides are helpful as we spend many hours putting them together and gathering content during our trips. <3 Safe Travels!
I’ve been waiting for your post about this trip. This all looks great, awesome pics. I’ve been saying I want to go to Dublin for the past 3 years but I’ve been waiting on a friend. Did you get the feel that you could travel there alone and feel safe if you had to?