Hello there, it's been a while!
You're probably wondering where I've been and truth be told, I don't really know what to say. I started my blog almost 10 years ago when I had all the time in the world, and now life is super busy and finding a spare hour to sit and write a blog post is a luxury. However you'll be pleased to know that I'm back and I've got so much to tell you about!
So, what better way to start than with a post all about our day trip to Dublin. Yes you read that right, we went to Dublin for the day. It's a place that has been on my 'to visit' list for years and it certainly lived up to expectation; it's a city packed with culture, the architecture is stunning and surprisingly, the Guinness is quite nice too!
My friend Chloe and I went on our little day adventure back in February so this post is very overdue, nevertheless I hope some of these recommendations help you out if you're thinking of going to visit.
How much fun can you have in Dublin in one day? Let's find out!
Flights
Our flights to Dublin cost £30 return. We flew from Liverpool John Lennon Airport with Ryanair and in thirty minutes we'd touched down in Dublin. I can't actually believe how quick the flight was. Our estimated flight time was 55 minutes so we paid the extra £8.99 to sit together, had we known it was going to be so quick we wouldn't have bothered.
We caught the 7:15am flight to Dublin and then the 8:20pm flight back home to Liverpool. These were perfect flight times for us, although the early wake up call was hard and I did find the tiredness catching up with me halfway through the day.
I drove to Liverpool Airport and parked my car on the Long Stay Car Park which cost £33.99 for the day. It was super easy to find and only a two minute walk to the airport which was perfect.
Getting Around
One thing I loved about Dublin was that the transport links were brilliant We booked a coach transfer to get us from Dublin Airport to the City Centre via Air Coach. It cost €9 return, our tickets were emailed to us and the coaches are parked right outside the terminal so they're super easy to find. I'd definitely recommend booking your transfers in advance as you get priority, otherwise there's no guarantee there'll be room for you on the coach.
Our transfer time was around 30 minutes with good traffic but I can imagine it taking a little longer at busier times. The coaches were on time, the pick up points were well signposted and it made our journey to/from Dublin a lot easier.
Once you're in the city centre most of the tourist attractions are within walking distance of one another and it's pretty easy to walk around, plus it's the perfect way to take in the sights. We did around 30,000 steps so make sure you take some comfy shoes!
Where To Eat
Róco
13 Lord Edward Street
When we stepped off the coach in Dublin, the city centre was just waking up. This was at around 9:30am but it felt a lot later for us; we were in desperate need of a coffee. We stumbled across Róco on our way to find the Guinness Storehouse and the smell of freshly baked pastries pulled us straight in. We sat upstairs with our cappuccinos and pain au chocolat and talked about all the things we wanted to do with our day. It was the perfect little coffee spot; with cosy interior, reasonable prices and friendly staff, what's not to love!?
Hard Rock Cafe
12 Fleet Street
We probably could've been a little more adventurous when it came to our food choices in Dublin but we wanted something quick and reliable so that we could do as much sight seeing as possible, and that's exactly what we got. I think this is potentially one of my first times visiting a Hard Rock Cafe, and it didn't disappoint!
There was a good variety of food on the menu and it was reasonably priced too. I ordered the Tupelo Chicken Tenders and a Strawberry & Basil lemonade, both of which were absolutely delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by the portion size too, I was expecting it to be a lot smaller but it was more than enough. The meal came to around €25 which I thought was really good for what we got.
The whole place was filled with good energy, the staff were super friendly and there was no need to book which is always a perk. If you're heading to Dublin and looking for food to please everyone, then Hard Rock Cafe is the place to be!
What To Do
The Guinness Storehouse
St James's Gate
Have you even been to Dublin if you didn't have a pint of Guinness?
Visiting the Guinness Storehouse is a must when you're in Dublin, regardless of if you're a fan of the drink or not. Chloe and I booked the experience not really expecting much but let me tell you now, it was our favourite thing we did on the trip!
We pre-booked our tickets online via the Guinness Storehouse website which I would really recommend doing as the tours can sell out very quickly. We paid €20 for the standard experience which included our entry and a free pint of Guinness. There are other packages available where you can learn how to pull your own pint and even get a pint of Guinness with your photo on it but the standard experience was perfect for us.
Spread over seven floors, the Storehouse takes you on an immersive experience from brewing to advertising. Guinness is a brand that was a big part of my life growing up as my Dad used to work for them, so to be able to walk around the Storehouse and see how the timeless drink is made was truly fascinating. I particularly enjoyed seeing all the old advertisements and how they've changed and modernised over time. The whole tour was so informative and we learned so much, not only about the brand but their Irish heritage.
However, my favourite floor was the seventh floor which is the last stop on the tour and home to The Gravity Bar. Surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows, you can grab a pint of Guinness and take in the beautiful sights of the city. Chloe and I took advantage of our free pint and as someone who isn't the biggest fan of beer, I actually quite enjoyed it. Although we did add a hint of blackcurrant, just to make it taste a little sweeter.
Overall, it took us an hour to get round the tour and then we spent an hour in The Gravity Bar. There's absolutely no rush to leave so take your time and enjoy the experience; it's so worth it!
The Temple Bar
47-48 Temple Bar
Visiting The Temple Bar was at the top of my Dublin to-do list. It's been a dream of mine for years and I was so looking forward to visiting, but I was slightly disappointed.
Okay, let me explain.
Our first visit to Temple Bar was in the early afternoon and after we'd taken the obligatory photos outside, we decided to call in for a drink. I always perceived The Temple Bar to have an electric atmosphere and be buzzing all the time, and although it was busy the atmosphere just wasn't doing it for me. I expected everyone to be dancing and having a good time but there was none of that. We stayed for one drink and then left to do some more sightseeing.
Later in the evening we headed back to The Temple Bar and I'm pleased to say that it well and truly redeemed itself. There was a live band playing Irish Folk music, everyone was dancing and getting in the spirit and although I lost my glasses, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I heard Tell Me Ma played live in Temple Bar in Dublin, an absolute dream come true!
Moral of the story? Unless it's a Saturday then save your visit to The Temple Bar for the evening. Oh, and take plenty of euros because it's an expensive one!
Trinity College
College Green
Trinity College is a location famous for so many reasons and it's easy to see why, with its stunning architecture, gorgeous surroundings and fascinating history. It's free to go and have a look around and trust me, you'll feel as though you're in your own little film. Personally, I was channelling my inner Marianne from Normal People. There are guided tours of the college and you can also visit the Old Library and Book of Kells Exhibition which is something I would love to do next time I'm in Dublin.
Molly Malone Statue
Suffolk Street
A lot of Dublin's main tourist attractions are within walking distance from each other, plus most of them are free and don't take up much of your day. The Molly Malone statue is a must-see when you're in Dublin, although I hadn't heard much about her until I started telling people I was visiting the city. Apparently her story is based on a song telling the tale of a traditional fishwife who died of a fever when she was young. It's clearly a hit with tourists because there was quite a big crowd around her statue.
Ha'penny Bridge
Bachelors Walk
The Ha'penny Bridge is as much of a landmark in Dublin as the Coliseum in Rome. It's one of the most famous sights in the city so of course we had to walk across. One thing I found so strange about Dublin is the fact that little parts of history are placed in the middle of a fairly modernised city. It adds such a lovely feel to the place.
We did so much walking and sight-seeing in Dublin and I know it probably seems as though we did a lot, but towards the end of the day I think we found ourselves looking for things to do. This is why I'm glad we visited for the day, although if you were planning on having more of a bar crawl trip to Dublin then I'd definitely recommend staying over as there are some lovely hotels.
It's also important to remember that Dublin is a city so there are plenty of shops including a huge Primark, ZARA and a Disney Store. We tried to avoid doing any shopping due to Ryanair's baggage allowances because we knew we'd come back with quite a bit of stuff that we probably wouldn't be allowed to bring on the plane with us.
As you can probably tell, we had such a fun day in Dublin and it's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited. I'd definitely go back and visit for the day, I still can't believe it's the same amount of time to get from Liverpool to Dublin via plane as it is to get a train from my house to Liverpool!
I hope my little guide to our day in Dublin has given you some ideas of what you can do if you're visiting the city, or that this post has inspired you to book a day trip. I'd love to hear if you have any more recommendations so leave them in the comments!
Lots of Love,
Meg x
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