Dublin ideas

We are doing the exact same thing! We originally saw the 34 hour layover in Dublin going LAX-Paris and Rome-LAX but the cost was $1,056.00 and we loved the idea of spending some time in Dublin. So we thought lets do LAX-Dublin and Rome-LAX, all on Air Lingus and book a separate flight Dublin to Paris (also Air Lingus) and saved some money and spend two days in Dublin! Our trip is still 6 months away so no flights booked yet. I like some of your ideas, the HOHO and the Pub crawl.

The Rick Steves Ireland guide lists Dublin sights & activities in order of priority for a 2- or 3-day stay. We followed that and felt quite happy with what we were able to see & do in a short time. The only disappointment was the traditional music pub evening, which was fully booked when we tried to get tickets.

I'm not sure you can book a time for the Book of Kells - at least you couldn't the last time I was there. The most expedient way to see our was too line up before they opened in the morning so you could go in with the first group. You might enjoy seeing the Archaeology museum, which is free.

Letitia. How great is that to save money and extend your vacation! Have a wonderful time

Epldt. I'll have to buy another guidebook. Money well spent. I was trying to get some free advice first.

Nancy. I think I can buy a skip the line ticket for the library and the Book of Kells. The college tour I think are buy on the spot. But I can be there before the library opens. Beat the long lines either way.

You can definitely buy a timed/skip the line ticket for the Book of Kells... we did this summer and were happy we did :)

My wife and I did the same trip/layover three years ago. The literary pub crawl is fun; Book of Kells is ok and Trinity College tour was interesting; we did the Guinness tour which is self guided and ends up in a modern bar on top the building with a most delicious pint and great views of Dublin. St Patricks Cathedral is worth a stop and the night life in Temple Bar and near St Stephen's Green is pretty good with decent pubs for food and beverages.

Loved the Literary Pub Crawl, but first night - depends on how you handle jetlag and whether you get much sleep on the plane over. The best part is listening to the guides, if you are half asleep, it won't be nearly as enjoyable. You could just wander through Temple Bar, sampling the music and having a pint or two (don't commit to a drink until you've decided you like the ambience and the music!). Speaking of pubs, the best lunches are there. You can get a big bowl of thick soup with brown soda bread and butter for about €5. That and a pint are all you need until dinner . . . at another pub.

Dublinia is great fun and I learned a lot about the Vikings. There's a combined ticket with Christ Church Cathedral and you get to walk through the archway from the museum to the church. I wasn't really impressed by the brief look at a page of the Book of Kells under glass in dim lighting. For me the best part was seeing the library, but I wouldn't rank that as one of the top sights, especially when I take into account the rather long wait in line, even though I was with a group. The National Archaelogy Museum so enthralled me that I went back for a second visit (and it's free).

On your last night, if you can't find a musical event, consider going to the theatre. The quality is as good as London and the tickets are a lot cheaper at both theatres, the Abbey and the Gate.

Yep we got a booked time/skip the line for Book of Kells also.
Glad we did and I think worth seeing though I agree the library is even better.
The Goal is definitely worth seeing ~ very moving and interesting.

Sharon, Geoff and Alex... Pubs will definitely be my places for meals. I'm looking forward to the atmosphere and fun with my meal. So far the Book of Kells has been underwhelming but I still want to see it. The Goal looks very interesting.

Chaini.. I'm flying from Rome to Dublin about 2 hours. Then flying back to the states from Dublin three days later. I watched a YouTube clip of the crawl and its me for sure. Thanks for your other suggestions. I've got time for it all. I'm glad I chose to just explore Dublin. There's so much to do.