Hi! my fiance' and I are planning to spend about a week Dublin for our honeymoon. Neither of us have traveled outside of the US and we are wondering what suggestions you have for us. Best places to eat and things to do? Any good day trips out of Dublin. What we absolutely have to do, and what to skip? Great shopping? We are planning to stay at The Camdon Court hotel- good choice or bad choice? any advice??? thanks!!!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15582 posts
The hotel looks like a good location on the map, central, walking distance to most sights. The best place for lunches is a pub. Try a bowl of soup - it's usually a thick vegetable soup, made fresh every day and served with brown soda bread and butter. The price is around €5 and is tasty and filling. Speaking of pubs, one of the best things I did was the Literary Pub Crawl. You should book a few days in advance as it is very popular and fills up quickly. It goes every evening and is good even in the rain. If you want to tour the Kilmainham Gaol (recommended), you should get there early. There are a limited number of tickets (it's by guided tour only) and they are timed and sell out during the day. It's a bit out of the center, so you don't want to have to wait a couple of hours for your tour. The Archaeology Museum is fascinating and free. Dublinia is a fun way to learn a lot about the Vikings and medieval Dublin, lots of hands-on exhibits. Plan to spend at least a few hours in Temple Bar visiting the various pubs and enjoying the variety of live music, afternoon and/or evening.
There are several day trips you can take with an organized tour. On your own, it's not so easy without a car. You can take the train to Belfast for the day. Just be aware that since it's part of the UK, they use the pound sterling.
Posted by
Atlanta
4829 posts
In Dublin, Book of Kells at Trinity College & walking the Grafton St. market. Outside Dublin (tours can be had) New Grange and Glendalough. Google them and see if they hold any interest. TC
Posted by
Land of La
8668 posts
Personally I think a week in Dublin a bit too long. If I had a full 7 days in Eire I'd see a bit more of the island than the city. However, this is your honeymoon. Day trips from Dublin. Glendalough. Newgrange. There are a variety of tours so check on line for both. Agree a visit to see the Book of Kells is a Dublin must. The Crypt at St. Michan's. I enjoyed wandering along the Royal canal. Stags Head and The Long Haul for pubs.
You might consider an overnight or two in Belfast. That way you can say you honeymooned in two countries on one island. There's a Premiere Inn at the Titanic Quarter that's nice. Travel from Dublin by bus or train. In Belfast the Titanic Museum is fantastic. Seafood chowder at Mourne's an absolute MUST.. Black cab tour of Shankill Road and an overview of Troubles. Visit to Crumlin Road Gaol. Pint at the Spaniard or Kelly's Cellar which shares a wall with Mournes.
Posted by
Gaston, Oregon, USA
931 posts
Got to agree with Claudia. My brother is going for the first time this April/May and we told him not to spend any more than two days in Dublin.. IMHO two nites is good enough....but: Dublin could be a good base from which to take day trips; i.e. you can take the train to Galway, visit, and be back the same day. Better yet, spend some time in Dublin, and alot two days to Galway, and two to Belfast, and you will be on your way to experiencing a little more of a wonderful country. The train is really and easy and fun way to explore a little of Ireland.
Posted by
KS, USA
676 posts
Congrats on your wedding, honeymoon and first trip out of the States! :)
My husband and I stayed at the Camden Court hotel this spring and had no issues with it. Not as charming as the Irish B&Bs that we stayed at in other cities, but it was fairly priced and in a decent location. We walked everywhere and didn't use any city transportation.
We did the Guinness tour, which was fun and informative. I would also recommend catching a pint down at the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin. It's fun to be able to say you've been at the oldest pub. Just make sure you go to the right location -- google maps sent us almost 3 miles in the wrong direction -- which made for a long and cranky walk back! When we finally made it to the Brazen Head the next day, the bartender said it wasn't the first time that has happened and he's tried to get google maps to fix it but with no luck so far.
We flew into Shannon and drove around southern Ireland, finally making our way to our last stop in Dublin. We did a few things there but it was the end of our trip and we mostly walked around and hung out in pubs with locals, which was a lot of fun, but it means I can't recommend a lot for you to do...I would agree that you should take the opportunity to get out of town and see some of the sights in the rest of Ireland.
Avoca is a super cute store that I would recommend. I thought there was a Kilkenny Design Centre in Dublin that carried a lot of the same products that the Kilkenny store had, but I'm not 100% sure.