Dublin Mini Guide
Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and is a great place to go out and enjoy yourself. Dublin Airport is a single terminal airport which has connections to other airports all over the world. The main carrier is Aer Lingus, Ireland’s national airline, which has its home in Dublin. However, there is also the Irish airline Aer Arann which has domestic flights within the country to places like
Cork. Furthermore Ryanair has a large presence at Dublin Airport so you can get flights to and from Paris, London and Madrid, to name but a few destinations.
Dublin Airport has many car rental companies and their best offers can all be booked through Rhino Car Hire. Driving into Dublin city you are likely to use the M50, a ring road which orbits Dublin city and connects to the M1 (heading to
Belfast and Northern Ireland) and the M11 (to head south).
Dublin, like many other cities in the United Kingdom, is best accessed by taking advantage of park and ride facilities. If you are coming from the south you could use the Sandyford Luas park and ride by taking junction 15 of the M50 on the Blackthorn Road. If you are coming from the west you should stop at the Red Cow park and ride by taking junction 10 from the M50. Coming from the north east your best bet is the park and ride at Howth. Another park and ride is at Bray Dart on Bray Road, and all these options are inexpensive.
Once you have arrived one good tour to take is at the Guinness Storehouse to find out the history behind this bitter, black drink. Of course the price of entry includes a pint. You can even finish up the evening in style by taking a horse drawn carriage when you leave but beware as this can be very expensive. The area around Temple Bar is a popular destination at night for party animals. You'll find dozens of Irish bars, many offering live Irish music and the atmosphere is friendly, safe and welcoming.
A similar tour can be taken around the Old Jameson whiskey distillery where you might be called on to volunteer for some taste testing. Other tours which are offered are guided bus rides around the whole city and you can make this more fun for the kids by choosing the ghost bus with storytellers and a haunted theme.
For an overview of Dublin’s wild past try the rock and roll writer’s tour which provides information on famous Irish sons such as Oscar Wilde, Van Morrison and the band U2.