Hi Friends!
Last October I went and met Dustin in Amsterdam while he was there for work and when I was on my way there I saw a flight where I could spend about 6 hours in Dublin before my flight to Amsterdam and I decided to go for it and see what I could check off my to do list before I needed to head back to the airport! I landed in Dublin at about 9:00AM and I had to leave Dublin at 6:20PM. So I had well over 6 hours to explore but exhaustion and some flight anxiety is why I headed back to the airport probably before I needed to! It was also my first time leaving the airport and taking advantage of a long layover in a new city so I wasn’t sure what to expect! I do think though if you have a long layover in Dublin, it is absolutely worth it to take advantage of leaving the airport and going to explore a new place!
Happy reading!
First Stop: Storing My Luggage
When I landed in Dublin I was in Terminal 2 but it was such a short walk to Terminal 1 which is where I stored my luggage for the afternoon! I chose to store my suitcase and backpack with Smart Cart and it was so easy to do so and quick which was nice for my shorter timeline! This was a lifesaver and made my day so much easier because I didn’t have to drag my bags all over the city. I think it was like 16 euros for the day to store both bags, totally worth it! When I got back from my day exploring I just gave them my ticket and they brought my luggage out to me. They told me to leave about 15 minutes for getting my bag but there were two people in front of me and I don’t think I even waited 5 minutes to get my luggage back from them!
Getting Into The City Centre
The man working at the Smart Cart desk was actually super helpful and gave me a few tips for getting around the city. He told me that it would be a good idea to take a bus and I was able to purchase the bus ticket directly with him. I got a Dublin Express bus ticket and he gave me directions out of the airport, told me what the bus would look like and helped me just understand the process a bit more! The bus ticket was 9 euros for a one way ticket or 12 euros for a round trip ticket. There was probably a map available but I just noted where they dropped me off and went back to the same spot when I was ready to get picked up later on in the afternoon. I should also note that it took about 45 minutes to get to and from the city center because there were more than one stops but I just factored that into my timeline for the day and planned accordingly! Being on the bus also let me see parts of the city that I didn’t get to walk to while I was there!
eSim For The Day
I had originally planned to try to get an eSim for the day while I was here but when I was talking to the man at the Smart Cart desk he shared a little bit about eSims in Dublin (which I appreciated was his honesty), but he mentioned that for such a short trip they can sometimes be more trouble than they are worth getting. Instead, he suggested just using Wi-Fi at restaurants and coffee shops throughout the city would be okay and it honestly worked out perfectly for me. I didn’t have much trouble using my phone when I needed it and it helped to download a map of the city on Google Maps before I left the airport because I didn’t need Wi-Fi for it to work at all but I could still use the map!
What to do and where to stop in Dublin
Option 1: Trinity College & The Book of Kells
If this is your first time in Dublin (like me), I think taking the bus toward Trinity College Dublin and getting off the bus near there is probably the best option. The campus itself was absolutely beautiful to walk through, especially if you love historic architecture! It was also fun to just be around a college campus in the fall because it was stunning! The main attraction here is the Book of Kells, which is one of Ireland’s most famous medieval manuscripts. If I knew that I needed tickets to actually see the book I would have booked them before the day of! But you can book tickets to actually see the Book of Kells here, it is about 25 euros per person! Like I said, I didn’t get tickets to it but I was happy to just spend time in the area around Trinity College wandering.
Option 2: Dublin Castle Area
I think it was because I didn’t do the Book of Kells tour so I had time to also go walk around the Dublin Castle! It was fun to walk through and there were a few museums that could have easily fit into my day. There was the Chester Beatty Library and the Revenue Museum that would have been cool to look through! I really loved walking through this part of the city, there was so much history and I also just liked people watching and taking in my surroundings!
Wander Through Temple Bar
Based on everything I heard from suggestions from other people before my trip is that no trip to Dublin would feel complete without at least walking through the Temple Bar district. It is a touristy area but it is also just something cool to experience. There are usually musicians playing outside pubs, people wandering through the streets, and there are so many little spots to stop and grab food or a drink. I think that even if you only spend 20 to 30 minutes here, it would be worth experiencing the atmosphere!
Shopping Stops
If shopping is more your thing, which I really enjoyed you could easily spend your layover exploring Grafton Street or Henry Street. I tried to find more vintage type shops and used book stores which I was able to find but there is really shopping in every direction and all types of shopping as well! There are tons of shops, cafes, and places to stop for a quick coffee break. I think it is also a great way to experience the city without needing a super structured itinerary! I liked getting souvenirs that were more unexpected from my day in Dublin! I got coffee from Bear MRKT and it was delicious!
Grab a Pint at Dublin’s Oldest Pub
Another stop that was recommended to me was The Brazen Head, which I was told that it is often called Dublin’s oldest pub. I think even if you don’t drink beer, it’s worth a visit to check it out! It feels historic in the best way possible and would be such a fun place to relax for a bit before heading back to the airport!
Tips for a Dublin Layover
Go into the day with a plan or at least a timeline of leaving the airport, seeing a couple of things and leaving yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and pick up your bags if you choose to do that!
Store your luggage as soon as you land, I can’t express enough how much easier that made my day!
Buy your bus ticket at the airport, if you are storing your bag you can buy a ticket at the Smart Cart counter!
Skip the eSim for a short layover and use free Wi-Fi instead and download a map of the city in Google Maps.
Pick one main area to explore rather than trying to rush across the city! You can make secondary plans if the first plan is quicker than expected, but just don’t try to plan too much!
Wear comfortable walking shoes, I was so thankful that I had on sneakers because I didn’t even think about the walking I might be doing during my layover in Dublin!
A six hour layover might not sound like it would be enough time to explore a new city, but I was surprised at how easy it was to see so much in Dublin in the short 6 hours that I had there! There was so much to see and take in from the historic streets, all of the fun pubs, the museums, and just the lively atmosphere that was there, it felt like I was able to squeeze a tiny Irish vacation into a single afternoon which was so nice! I would say if you have a longer layover in Dublin and want to take advantage of it, you absolutely should do it! As always, let me know if you have any questions at all, you can comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to your questions as soon as possible!
Much Love,
Emma
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