On our last trip to Europe we decided to take advantage of our connecting stop and stayed there for a few days. (Seattle via Paris to Chania). This trip we are headed to Italy, starting in Milan. One of our possible connecting cities is Dublin. I'm wondering how many days we would need in Dublin to make it worth staying in. Is 3 nights/2 full days enough? We will be spending 2 weeks in Italy. This would sort of be a bonus trip.
It really depends on what you want to do in Dublin. I stayed there 5 days a few years ago and it wasn't long enough. That being said, you could at least see a few sights in 2 full days. The national archeological museum is great, I strongly suggest seeing that. Take a walk through St. Stephen's Green and in the Temple Bar area, and you'll get a nice little taste of Dublin. Enjoy both Dublin and Italy!
I agree that two full days should be enough. I’ve stayed longer, but that has included day trips to Belfast and a few other places. I also enjoyed the archaeological museum- the bog people are fascinating!
Thanks for you recommendations! My guess is the little taste of Dublin will make us want to go back to see lots more of Ireland.
We did more or less what you're proposing (except our destination wasn't Milan) and it worked out great. The RS guide to Ireland has Dublin's sights ranked by priority, and we followed the top priorities with slight modifications for our personal preferences. We were lucky to have mild & sunny weather the entire time we were there, otherwise the walking tours probably wouldn't have been as much fun, but if we'd had to limit ourselves to indoor sights (museums, churches, etc.) we still would have had plenty to enjoy.
Thanks! Now I wish I didn't have to wait until July to go :)