Would you recommend it?
Yes, it is a great city to explore with lots to do
Who would you recommend it for?
History buffs, explorers, and drinkers.
How long did you go for?
About two weeks with a few days up in Belfast.
When did you go?
May
Reason for going?
Cousin was getting married
Did you need to know the language?
If you don't speak English then yes.
Where did you stay?
With family and the Bewley's hotel near DUB airport. You can read what I thought of the hotel in my blog...
What did you do in the city?
Walked pretty much everywhere. Shopped. Learned. Drank... a lot...
Where did you go on the tours?
No tours for this one, we did do a hop-on, hop-off bus which I highly recommend that took us to a lot of places that would have been a pain to walk to and it was very informative.
What would you suggest for people to do?
if you are going to drink, try to go into the local places for an Irish atmosphere
bring change for the beggars, a lot of them do really amazing art work or poetry
try everything. Even though I had a tough time finding local things that I enjoyed, it was an experience and I have great stories to tell from it
Dublin Castle. If you are looking for a warm (and dry) place to explore for cheap I would say make this a stop. It was really interesting to see and worth it.
the hop on, hop off. Don't worry about pre-booking it, just go to the tourist centre and buy your tickets (first stop is right outside)
What can people skip?
Temple bar, donair, pizza, Christ Church crypt, Guinness tour
What was your most vivid memory?
Watching the movie "Robin Hood" in one of the theatres downtown and the next morning my travel partner looking at me before saying "I think that movie was really good because Russell Crowe did not have much dialog."
How many cab drivers there were. I was speaking with one and when you apply for your driver's license, you can apply for your cabbie permit so almost everyone in the city is a cabbie which makes things cheap and easy to catch.
Besides that, just how many people were surprised I wasn't Irish and the look on their face when I spoke....
If you could recommend someone splurge on something, what would it be?
A better hotel than staying at an airport hotel. The airport is really easy to get to by bus or cab from downtown.
Anything you regret?
Not being able to explore more of the country.
Any other hints?
Bring an umbrella
Between the buses and the cabs you won't need a car if you are staying around Dublin
Dublin and the outer cities are often referred to as "Dublin 2, 3, 4, etc" instead of an actual city name
The shirts you buy in the tourist shops will shrink an unreasonable amount, buy at least 2 sizes bigger than you need
Would you go back?
In a heart beat
