Cheaper airfare through Dublin worth it?

We all loved Dublin (kids are 11 and 8) so if your time budget allows, I would stay a couple of days

Connecting in the Dublin airport is not hard; it's not a behemoth like Heathrow or CDG. I just did this in September and it worked well. So, if you just want to fly Aer Lingus to save money, and don't want to see Ireland, go for it. Aer Lingus often has good prices, and unlike some other inexpensive options (like Turkish Air), doesn't take much longer (all Turkish Air flights go through Istanbul, so you have to "double back" for several hours to get to places like Paris or Rome).

On the other hand, if you have extra time, you can certainly visit Dublin on either the way there or the way back. Your choice.

Stay in Dublin a few days if you have time. Took the RS Ireland 14 day tour in 2014. Loved Dublin. I ran a half marathon there while we were there. Buswells on Molestreet is an awesome hotel.

Kim

Have you been to Ireland? Dublin airport is very modern and not huge.

Personally I'd stay a few days. Visit the Gaol, archeology museum and see the Book of Kells. If at all possible get out to Glendalough.

All excellent spots of interest and I suspect all of you will enjoy your brief visit.

Are you booked onward on one ticket or are you flying to Dublin, then picking up another flight booked separately. If so, I would fly to Dublin, then continue onward that day. I would come back to Dublin 2 or 3 days early to see Dublin and be there when you fly home. That way, if there is a problem, you are in Dublin already, not trying to get back to fly home.

I am flying into Dublin this year to get to England due to the cheap prices. Chicago to Dublin end of May $500 round trip from Chicago. I had no intention on going to Ireland, but this is such a great deal. I can easily use Ryan Air to Fly into my local airport in England for about $75.00 return. Dublin is an easy airport and Ireland is wonderful. I am excited to be going back again. In fact, I am planning on spending a few nights in Dublin, checking out the Titanic museum and Giant Causeway, then taking my internal flight to England. On the return, I think I will fly into Dublin the night before, spend a night in an airport hotel, and be ready for my flight back to the US the following day. This way if there are delays, I have a buffer either side. Cant beat these prices. London was almost $1900 for a return ticket.

We have flown Aer Lingus without stopping to see anything in Ireland except the interior of the airport for a few hours. It was fine. Good airline, and definitely worth the savings.

Be aware, when you return, Dublin and Shannon both have USA pre-clearance, which means you go through customs & passport control there and not upon landing in the US. It can take an extra hour or more. It's not optional (you cannot choose to skip it and clear customs on arrival in the US). In Shannon the staff had a friendly attitude and were very helpful in prioritizing passengers who needed to catch a certain flight ahead of others.

Paul,

Well, I booked a flight into Dublin from Chicago because it was cheap and the most direct for me. I am coming from St. Louis area. My plan is to catch a Ryan Air flight out of Dublin into Stansted which is 5 minutes from my sister's house. Being on two different connections, I need to give myself some buffer, so decided to spend a day or two in Dublin. I know the Giant Causeway and Titanic Museum are a long day out from Dublin, so will just pick up a bus tour. I have not seen either on my previous trips to Ireland and thought this would be an added bonus. On my return through Dublin, I will catch an evening flight back into Dublin, spend a night in a hotel, and be ready for my noon flight back to Chicago the following day. Its still a lot cheaper than going into Heathrow direct. Tickets from St. Louis to LHR are almost $1900.

We fly to Dublin all the time to get to Europe. You are doing a wise thing by saving over 700 dollars per person. We do the rail/sail option from Dublin to any station in UK and return. Nice ferry ride and interesting train ride for a change after being on a plane for 6 or more hours. See: http://www.raileasy.co.uk/info/rail-sail-to-ireland

If you're flying home to the states, then YES, do fly through Dublin. You can do your immigration and customs clearance there so that when you get to the states you are are just walking out of the airport. Lovely.

We are going on the RS Village of Southern England tour in May. Aer Lingus just started direct flights from our home airport (Hartford - BDL) to Dublin. The round trip flight from Hartford to Dublin is $500. We are staying in Dublin for a couple of days at the start of the trip and one night at the end. We thought it would be nice have a first stop in Europe that is familiar (my wife has been there) and where they speak English. This is an approach we use to mitigate the effects of the overnight flight from the US. As others have mentioned, it is also nice to be able to go through US Customs and Immigration in Dublin on the way home.