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Advance tickets purchase for Book of Kells & Titanic Belfast

Is it necessary?

Posted by
317 posts

Hi Kathy, greetings from Ireland.
The good news is its not at all necessary to buy advance tickets for these two attractions and in the case of the Book of Kells, it cant be done anyway, you still have to line up with everyone else.
Enjoy both attractions, they're great.
Slainte/Good health
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland Tour-Guide
Dingle and Derry

Posted by
177 posts

Stephen I hate to say this but I just purchased 2 tickets for the Book of Kells exhibit for this Saturday at 9:30. It says immediate access and No queues. I hope I have not done wrong. It was thru ticketmaster I think. Being Easter weekend I thought it might be a good idea to get tickets online and avoid a line. Who knows since I have never been to Dublin.

Posted by
5311 posts

Yes advance tickets these days are sold by by TCD via Ticketmaster. You pay an extra €3 for the privilege,

The other alternative is to take the guided tour of TCD which includes immediate access to the Book of Kells / Old Library at the end bypassing the ticket queue there. This now costs €13 and can't be pre-booked. Tour itself is roughly half an hour long.

Posted by
317 posts

Hi Richard, dont 'hate to say it', thats great news they now offer that! :)
Its a cause for celebration! Thanks for the info
I was there just last week and wasn't aware of the advance tickets through ticketmaster. Will come in very handy in future!
Hope to bump into you on Sunday on O'Connell street for the Easter Rising 100th Anniversary commemoration parade!
go raibh math agat/thank you

Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves ireland Tour-Guide
Dingle and Derry

Posted by
317 posts

Ps Richard, do give us an update here if you are able to skip the lines/queues with your pre-purchased tickets. We Rick Steves guides always pre-purchase our tickets for our groups, but then still have to line up with all the masses to actually get access. If this new system allows us to skip the lines, which on some summer days are of biblical proportions, then you are my new hero!

Posted by
317 posts

Ps Richard, do give us an update here if you are able to skip the lines/queues with your pre-purchased tickets. We Rick Steves guides always pre-purchase our tickets for our groups, but then still have to line up with all the masses to actually get access. If this new system allows us to skip the lines, which on some summer days are of biblical proportions, then you are my new hero!

Posted by
177 posts

Thanks Stephen and Marco. I'll let you know how it goes. I had just yesterday heard about the commemoration parade. We had planned to leave Dublin after Easter services at Christ Cathedral for Cashel. We may stay around for this event. If so will look for you.
Richard

Posted by
5311 posts

I can confirm from personal experience that you bypass the queue with the tour-inclusive tickets as I did it a while back. It wasn't that clear how to do it then as it relied on brazenly walking past or through everyone and cutting in through the shop. If they are selling advance tickets on a larger scale maybe this access has been improved.

Posted by
317 posts

Thanks Marco, good to know, we shall continue our investigation, but sounds promising if Trinity College initiates that system en masse ;)
Stephen

Posted by
8566 posts

Been to the Titanic Museum twice. Both times in late fall. Minimal crowds each visit which was lovely. Could dawdle. I wouldn't pre book but arrive at opening. Nice walk along the river. Look for the Charlie Chaplin sculpture near the Titanic Quarter flats ( as in apartments). There's a small grocer on the bottom floor of the building if you need snacks. Its a stellar Museum and walking out on the backside and standing exactly where the ship was built is intriguing.