I'm bookending a tour of Scotland with some days in London and three days in Ireland on my way back home to the US. I've never been to the British Isles so this will be my first time in these countries. I was planning on going to Dublin but then thought maybe Belfast might be a better option. I'm not fond of the big touristy things but rather smaller places that I can better explore and experience on a more personal level.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2262 posts
There is plenty to see in Dublin for 2-3 days, and a day trip to Belfast on one of the days is an easy train ride, about 75 minutes each way, if memory serves. We did this, leaving Dublin 9 a.m. or so and returning early evening, it worked out great. You can do a Black Taxi tour of some of The Troubles areas, tour Belfast City Hall-highly recommended-and enjoy a good lunch. There are also other good good day trips from Dublin.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32350 posts
My suggestion would be Dublin as there's lots more to see there, including some interesting historic sites. Visiting the Temple Bar area is a lot of fun and of course always nice to have a pint in one of the Pubs. There are also some excellent restaurants in Dublin. You could certainly take a day trip to Belfast to see the Titanic Museum or other sights.
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
If your preference is for smaller places and you aren't fond of touristy things, I would say skip Dublin - fly into Shannon and stay in a smaller city, like Galway, where you can base yourself and do day trips to various areas in the surrounding countryside (Burren, Connemara, ferry to one of the smaller Aran Islands - not Inishmore which is the largest and most touristy). While there are certainly worthwhile things to do there, Dublin (particularly around the Temple Bar and Grafton Street areas where most 1st time visitors flock) is about as touristy as you will get in Ireland.
Belfast is an interesting city, but you might prefer to stay overnight in Derry - do Belfast as a day trip along with exploring along the Antrim Coast.
Posted by
Orlando, FL
185 posts
While Dublin is a bigger city, I don't think you would have any problem exploring and experiencing things on a personal level. I enjoyed both cities immensely when I went, but I would choose Dublin. As was previously mentioned, there is plenty to do to keep you busy and you can do any number of day trips from there. One that I would suggest is over to the Cliffs of Moher and the burren. I hope you enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
You've only got 3 days in Ireland if you go. I would not use Dublin as a base and take a day trip to Cliffs of Moher/Burren. If you base in Galway or Kinvara, sure - great day trip from there. But for Dublin? It takes over 3 hours with no traffic each way to drive to the Cliffs from Dublin - and even if there is no traffic, you still might find yourself stuck in the car longer than you hoped if you end up stuck behind some farmer on a tractor or a flock of sheep blocking the road once you hit the smaller, narrower roads.
With limited time, I would not want to waste 6+ hours of one of my 3 days just driving in the car.