Dublin Travel Guide

Some facts about Dublin

Sitting on the east coast of Ireland on the banks of the River Liffey, Dublin may be small for a capital city, but it more than makes up for it in character and atmosphere. At just an hour's flight from London or a seven-hour ferry from Liverpool, it has long been popular with tourists looking to get away for a good time in one of the city's hundreds of pubs and bars.

And while Dublin is famous for its world-class pubs, there's so much more to the city than its tipple. It has a long and rich history waiting to be discovered, beautiful arts and architecture and even the largest walled park in Europe, Phoenix Park.

Getting to Dublin

One of the great things about Dublin is how easy it is to reach from the UK, and there are plenty of options available when it comes to transport. Let's take a look at some of the easiest.

By ferry

Dublin is accessible from the UK via ferry. You can hop on at many UK port towns, with Liverpool and Holyhead tending to have the most regular services. The upside of hitting the high seas is that you can take your car with you, making it easier to venture further out of Dublin once you arrive, but do bear in mind that ferry crossings can take a lot longer than flying, and are also often more expensive.

By plane

Flights from London to Dublin take roughly an hour and a half, and are generally the quickest way to reach the city. Dublin Airport is 10km outside the city centre, making it easy to hit the town in no time. From here your choices for transport to the centre is the bus or a taxi, as there's no train station at the airport.

Getting around Dublin

Now that you've arrived at your hotel and recharged with an Irish coffee, it's time to take a look at the best ways to get around Dublin.

On foot

As with any destination, we think if you're able to, it's the best way to really appreciate and soak in the culture. Dublin city centre is compact, which means that if you're staying in the centre you'll be able to walk to pretty much everything. From Trinity College all the way to the Guinness Storehouse is only about 25 minutes on foot.

By public transport

If you'd prefer to zip around Dublin quickly, there's plenty of public transport options available. Luas is Dublin's tram system, which is comprised of two lines, red and green. Red runs from the south west to the north east of the city and the Green runs from south east to the centre. When you're planning your travel, be aware the two lines do not connect to each other and the walk from the end of the Green line to the Red line is about 15 minutes. You can pay as you go on the Luas, but if you plan on making multiple journeys we recommend getting a Leap Card. It's Dublin's pay-as-you-go public transport smart card which you can pick up at the airport or any shop displaying the logo. It'll give you 72 hours of unlimited travel for less than €20.

To save yourself time, you can manage your Leap Card online and top up on the website. And don't forget to always tap in and out, otherwise you'll get charged the maximum possible fare.

Where to go in Dublin

Now that you know how to get about, it'd probably help to know where you're going. Let's take a look at where some of the best tourist attractions in Dublin are, so that even if you're stumbling home with the beer goggles securely fastened, you'll have no excuse for getting lost.

Dublin is bisected by the River Liffey, which runs from east to west across the city. Back in the day, there used to be a pronounced cultural divide across the river with the working class to the north and the middle and upper classes to the south. However, that's no longer the case and these days we can split Dublin into several distinct districts.

The Medieval Quarter

For history buffs, the Medieval Quarter is a must. The oldest part of Dublin, it's here that you can find both Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick's Cathedral. While walking through this district, make sure to keep an eye out for the street names as they can reveal many secrets about their past - Cook Street, Cornmarket and Fishamble Street can be discovered here, to name a few.

The Georgian Quarter

This is where you'll find Dublin's famous Georgian architecture, including St Stephen's Church, more commonly known as 'The Pepper Canister'. The district starts at Trinity College and continues up to the canal.

Dublin Docklands

Dublin Docklands is where lots of the world's biggest tech companies have offices, including Google, Facebook and LinkedIn. This area has seen significant revitalisation in the recent past and has become home to one of Dublin's most cosmopolitan scenes.

The Cultural Quarter

If you're looking for a good time on your Irish getaway, then look no further than the Cultural District. This is where you'll find Temple Bar, the home to pubs, clubs, markets and Dublin's most energetic nightlife.

What to eat in Dublin

We're happy to report that the food on offer in Dublin is fantastic; there's so many great places to eat that we couldn't possibly hope to cover them all. But, if there's one thing that Dublin and Ireland arguably do better than almost anywhere else in the world it's seafood. Especially the oysters.

When it comes to drink, Guinness is obviously what Dublin is best known for, and if you haven't tried the stuff in its homeland, you don't know what you're missing. You can visit the Guinness Storehouse to see how it's made, discover its history and even pour your own pint. However, Dublin has much more than just the black stuff.

Despite being really touristy, Temple Bar is where you'll want to go at least once during your time in Dublin. There's always some live music and a good atmosphere, although the prices can be higher than in other parts of the city. If you're looking for something away from the crowds, there's no shortage of bars to discover throughout Dublin, ranging from charming locals to hip craft beer pubs.