Usually when something good happens in your life you feel it best if you went out and celebrated or did something necessary to reward yourself. As I have just graduated from the University of Massachusetts I felt it was needed to drop everything and head to Europe!
My trip has/will consist of Ireland, Scotland and possibly France, too. Right now it’s Day 4 of my trip in Ireland and boy, do I have a lot to tell you!
To make this easier I’ll go day-by-day, starting with Dublin.
Depending where you’re going in Ireland the chances are you’re going to land at Dublin International Airport. The first thing I learned after going through customs is that no matter where you are in Dublin, the Republic of Ireland’s capital, you’re going to need correct change. It might not sound that painful but believe me it can get stressful when trying to go on a bus to meet friends.
So, to avoid any headaches or frustrated bus drives make sure you have change (try your best to familiarize yourself with it asap). The bus from the airport to Dublin City Centre is €6. There are signs everywhere that says a bus comes every 10 minutes, but it’s actually more like every five.
Unless you’ve been to Dublin before and if you’re not here on a tour, you will have virtually no idea where you’re going.
So, ask questions.
Tell your bus driver where you’re going and he’ll tell you which stop would be best and a general sense of where to go. Trust me, often you’ll wait in a line to exit the bus because people are asking for advice.
One of the best qualities of Ireland beside the extraordinary scenery is their transportation system. If you get off at the Dublin bus station you can get bus route times for all the local cities and the distant ones as well. You can also talk to a customer service rep. for all the other inner-city info: cost, times and appropriate bus numbers. For city-to-city times you can find that information on http://www.buseireann.ie
Depending how much money you have or how lavishly you like to live you’ll find a number of places suitable for you. For me, a cheap night in a clean hostel will do just fine.
The Kinlay House Dublin is where I stood at for my one-night stay in Dublin. It’s everything you want out of a hostel: clean, private and it has its own lockers! The price range goes anywhere from €12 a night to around €33 depending what type of a room you want. You can find more information here http://www.kinlaydublin.ie/home.php.
Once getting yourself settled in Dublin, the city is yours to navigate.
If you’re into shopping, Grafton Street is where you’ll want to be. Surrounding the popular street is shops, malls and plenty of places to dine. Be sure to visit Saint Stephen’s Green located just off the street if you just want to relax and sit down or take a stroll around the park. In the summer months the park can get quite crowed with natives and tourists looking for a nice way to end the day around the city.
After done relaxing and you decide that you’re hungry you can hop on over to the nifty Porterhouse Central Restaurant located just on the opposite end of Grafton Street. Once there you can enjoy more than easily 100 different beers including over five homemade varietals. The food lets not forget, is of good quantity and quality as well. The Porterhouse burger with chips (fries) and a small plate salad are offered at a reasonable €9.99.
If shopping isn’t quite your thing, but history is, head over to the Dublin General Post Office. I know it doesn’t sound too exciting but the GPO has as much history within its walls as it does outside them. The GPO was the main stage for the 1916 Easter Rising where groups of Irish Republicans insurrected with the aims of ended British rule in Ireland. You can read more about it here http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/. On the outside of the building you can still see bullet holes in the pillars.
You should also check out one of Ireland’s most prestigious schools, Trinity College. They have tours of the college daily and the Book of Kells, one of Ireland’s treasures is also there. If you’re a history buff this is a must-see, if not, don’t waste your time in line but still walk around the college. More info on the Book of Kells is available at http://www.fontcraft.com/artype/kells.
Entrance to Trinity College
When you think of Ireland what comes to mind? Green fields, sheep, cliffs and Guinness. While in Dublin another must-see is the Guinness Storehouse. Ever wonder how Guinness gets its pitch-black color? Well, while walking around you can do just that and when you finish the tour, take a elevator or walk to stairs and receive your free pint with an panoramic view of Dublin. You can book your tickets here http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/TicketSelection.aspx or just wait until you get there.
If you want to keep the Guinness flowing and don’t want the night to end too early or you want to cap the night off with a drink, head over to the Temple Bar in its self-titled section of Dublin. The building has been open since 1840 and has won the Irish Music Pub of the Year for seven years in a row. So, if you’re looking for a lively atmosphere and a good craic (time) then the Temple bar is your place to be. Just don’t be looking to save a penny or two there.
Inside view of one of the bars in Temple Bar.
Outside of Temple Bar
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