Ireland Questions

You are travelling to the UK, so you need an ETA; ETIAS doesn't exist.

Also trying to fit in the Game of Thrones site in Bainbridge(?).

It's at Banbridge.

After the Titanic you could take bus #238 from Belfast Grand Central every 30 minutes for the 40 minute journey to Banbridge bus station, then cab or town bus 330c hourly Monday to Friday, 2 hourly Saturday to the studio.
The 238 continues to Newry where the enterprise train stops, but bus and train stations at Newry are a distance apart from each other.

See translink to plan your journey- https://www.translink.co.uk/

Hi Josh,

I would recommend taking the bus from the Dublin airport on arrival and going directly to Galway. Then stay your 2-3 nights there first and finish the trip with 3-4 nights in Dublin. The bus is super easy from the airport and it would save you an extra hotel/city change which eats up precious time on a short trip!

Enjoy!

PQ

While in Belfast, take a Black Cab tour. Very, very good

If you're interested in Game of Thrones filming locations, maybe skip Galway and stay longer in Belfast and do a day tour of GoT and/or Giant's Causeway. This would give you time for a Black Cab tour, as well. Getting back to Dublin airport from Belfast likely wouldn't require an additional hotel move. Or you can go immediately to Belfast upon landing and visit Dublin second. This is a very short trip, so you want to be very strategic in your choices. Also, get on it because you might struggle to find accommodation at this late date.

Skip N. Ireland for this trip, instead visit south of Galway to the very scenic Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher.

Of course, do Guiness.

Hi josh and congratulations on your upcoming wedding/honeymoon!
I think your trip/activities look great. My only suggestion might be to take bus directly from DUB airport to Galway to start your trip there then head back to Dublin for the remainder (as another poster has already suggested.)
Doing Belfast for the day is easy from Dublin (yes, get your ETA from the official ETA app/site.) I haven't visited any of the Game of Thrones sights but the Titanic museum was very good. We did Belfast as a day trip from Letterkenny, which takes much longer than from Dublin, and we were able to see so many sights without feeling rushed.
Will you have a car? Or are you looking for day tour operators? There have been many day tour operators suggested on this forum so if that is what you are seeking, definitely do a search through.
Guiness Storehouse is really great! Originally I was not excited about going as so many people had said "it's too touristy!" But, honestly, it was super fun and I loved it! So glad we went.
Hope you have a great visit!

I’m in agreement that heading straight to Galway is probably the optimal choice. FWIW, while there was certainly a lot of live music going on in Dublin, it’s maybe not the best scene. Galway was head and shoulders above Dublin in this regard, and I would get your fill there then see how hard you want to work for it in Dublin. All the recommended trad places in Galway delivered, but The Crane was probably the most unique/best experience.

I don’t think you’ll have time to do a Black Cab tour and the Titanic Museum in Belfast, but spare some time to explore the city center. It’s a beautiful city. The Titanic Museum is awesome btw.

We stayed at Zanzibar Locke hotel in Dublin, and I’d generally recommend it. Just always found the room a bit stuffy. Terrific location if nothing else.

A second vote for Zanzibar Locke. Great location, and I like having a kitchen. For tours, take a look at AirBnB Experiences. Lots of options for walking tours and pub crawls.

The Guinness tour was very interesting. Self-guided, lots to see. Then a free beer on the top floor. After that, we took a horse drawn carriage to the oldest pub in Dublin, The Brazen Head. Had a very good pub meal. So much to see inside,

The Titanic Museum is excellent and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It's also next to the studios where they filmed a lot of Game of Thrones so there may be a few things to see around there- I would check. There used to be a big exhibition of all the costumes, props, etc, but it looks like that was temporary.

Regarding ETA, yes officially you will need it and you should get one. However, note there is a "soft" border between NI and the republic- meaning the border is completely open and no one will be checking passports or anything. If you are taking the Enterprise you will just board it like any other domestic train and you won't even know when you have crossed the border unless you are checking Google maps on your phone. Incidentally, if you are using something like an eSIM that only covers the republic you will lose service when you cross the border, so ensure you're also covered for the UK. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and hope you have a lovely honeymoon.

Congratulations Josh on your wedding. I just returned from Ireland (skipped Northern Ireland this time), staying in Dublin and Galway and then day trips. I agree with the recommendation to take the bus to Galway and start your trip there. It will save you time backtracking to Dublin to catch your flight home.

For Galway, we stayed at the Harbour Hotel. It is good location, about 8 minute walk from Eyre Square, has air conditioning which we needed in July and you may need in August and has parking (which is a bonus if you are driving). The place for trad music in Galway is the Crane and it typically starts around 9:30 p.m. The upstairs is a music venue with well known acts and usually needs to be booked in advance. The downstairs you can come and listen, just get there early to have a seat. Since you will be on the WestEnd of Galway, if you want to have a wonderful dinner before the performance, I can highly recommend Kai. This is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant run by a local chef Jess Murphy. All the ingredients are local, but there is a modern take on the cooking. It is a bit pricey, but the food is amazing, especially the seafood. Kirwan is also a great place for seafood and the famous Galway Oysters. Both places require reservations.

In Dublin, I can second the recommendation for the Brazen Head. If you don’t mind grabbing a taxi, the Gravediggers is also a fantastic pub situated right next to a cemetery. It is off the beaten path, but excellent. Also for trad music in Dublin, can recommend the Traditional Irish Music Pub Crawl hosted by two musicians. You visit two different bars and listen to great music and learn about the instruments and the songs. The other recommendation is Cobblestone pub. We learned about the pub from our friends whose family lives in Dublin and it is more traditional than some of the music we heard in Temple Bar.

For the Guinness Brewery, recommend that you get the experience with the Stoutie. They take your photo and print it on a head of Guinness and it is remarkably clear. You will still get your Guinness pour at the Gravity bar, but this experience is more fun and certainly less crowded.