£3kish for 3 nights in Dublin. Really?

[namechangedyetagain]

That was on booking. Com. 2 adults 3 children October half term.
How the hell do normal people afford a couple of weeks away in the summer?

Our children have never been on a plane (oldest 15). Sounds daft but want to go somewhere cheap just so that we can take them on their first flight! Any ideas for a cheap long weekend, October half term?

Hallowe'en is big in Ireland and always has been. As others say Derry is the place to go for that celebration. But it is serious dressing up territory.

Belfast has the Titanic quarter and has access to many other attractions.

Dublin is or was a beautiful city. But it’s not cheap.

All the cities have vibrant nightlife. But it’s Ireland small villages have a vibrant nightlife.

Dublin is a perfectly nice city, but most of the really distinctive things that you can do there revolve around alcohol or an interest in the battles for Irish independence. There are a hundred European cities with more of a wow factor for teens (if only because they're so much more obviously different from the UK than Ireland is).

I love European cities, and do like Dublin, but it's not my favourite city. You could get cheaper flights and accommodation to many places, such as Budapest, Berlin, Bruges, Warsaw, Krakow, Barcelona, Rome, Madrid, Valencia. Even Paris would be cheaper.
My next two trips planned are Bucharest and Cologne.

Stop being so insulting. I am not born and bred Dublin, but I live here and it's nonsense.

I have no problem with people not liking a place - that's to be expected - but sheer ignorant commentary is another thing. For example, I love London, have friends who really don't like it and don't enjoy visiting.

Yes, there are stag and hen parties though I rarely see them - or at least the type you mean, loud and raucous. They'll be based in Temple Bar usually and it's absolutely possible to be out in Dublin and enjoy a great evening away from that.

It is expensive - but actually I think it is better value than other parts of Ireland as you often get meals etc that's worth paying the money (unlike e.g. West Cork where I also spend a lot of time, and love but often find staggeringly expensive for not wonderful cuisine). I don't think it's more expensive that other big cities.

No idea re: drugs or what part of Dublin you live in / visit - I have never seen drug taking or noticed it as a significant issue in 20+ years living here.

It did get run-down during Covid, was quite derelict looking and rough, lots of shops closed, it wasn't well-maintained. But it's absolutely picked up from that now, and when I was there a week or so ago, I would say it felt back to normal.

Google ‘dirty dublin’ even the Irish Times and it’s own politicians admit is grimy and over priced.

Amsterdam, book flights/ hotel separately, hand luggage only , great weekend away for young and old.

I'm going to Dublin in October. Harding hotel is €378 for two nights, BA flights from Heathrow £138.52. I will be visiting family, I think it's a nice place if you live there or you visit someone who does

Turkey is pretty cheap, due to the collapse of the lira.

I would love to go to Istanbul, but surely some resorts will be still open.

Croatia would also be good, again not peak season.

Unfortunately the prices seem to rise significantly with three DC compared to two.

God I feel like I am playing whack-a-mole here.

That's just not true. Again, I would agree teens might like to go somewhere else and agree too that north European cities might be more interesting - mainly because Dublin isn't anything vastly different to a typical big UK city!

The alcohol thing is bullshit - see my earlier post.

Battles for Irish independence - yes, plenty of history, if you like that. And equally easy to avoid, if you don't.

What is nice about Dublin for a short trip is that there are great attractions all close together e.g. National Gallery, National Museum and say, Trinity College are all literally beside each other. Easy to get a lunch to eat in several city parks, go to a bookshop, go shopping - and it's all within a short radius.

Really good theatre scene - again you can walk up to the Gate Theatre in 20 minutes from all of the above or the Abbey Theatre. Going to either of those you'll cross the Liffey and can visit the Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship as you walk there.

It's all a matter of what interests you.

I agree with this - if you are visiting someone they can take you to the recommended places to eat / visit, away from the 'touristy' element. I do think from a tourist perspective, Dublin is not well-promoted at times.

You are just being goady.

There are issues with Dublin, like any big city. Certainly it can be dirty, at least parts of it, and certain aspects of it (accommodation, car rental) are massively over-priced.

But that doesn't tell the whole story and you know it.

I live here. I've written several posts setting out ideas of what to do. It won't be everyone's cup of tea but it might be some people's.

no idea why posting rude rubbish is so important to you.

Dublin isn’t cheap but that’s insane. Me and DP are going in summer holidays for 3 nights, flights about £100 each and we found a cheap and cheerful but central double room for about 200 for 3 nights.
Did take a lot of shopping around but it’s doable

Wow - that's very expensive OP! If you search by price and date, rather than destination you'll get a much better deal and tbh if you're prepared to go to Dublin it sounds like you don't care if the weather is a bit shite, so cast your net wide and I'm sure you'll find a great deal to somewhere.

Go on skyscanner, put in your dates and your passengers, click 'direct flights only' and then try a range of destinations - Amsterdam, Lisbon, Malaga, Rome, Nice, Valencia, etc and see what you get.

It’s OK not to have been on a plane.
I find it odd when people talk about it like it’s a “must have” experience. There are plenty of better things to try for the first time than flying.
I’m not saying it’s not exciting idea for a kid… but it’s basically like sitting on a bus but with longer waiting around.
And it’s not time limited - they can fly when they’re older.

My husband worked in Dublin for 2 years so I've visited a few times. Quite nice but I didn't think there was loads to do relative to other city breaks.

I'd probably go for Amsterdam or Barcelona at that time of year. I like Edinburgh but would be a bit chilly in October.

Try North Africa, in Oct half term, it won't be stifling hot and it will be less busy. You can get package hols for 200-300 pp depending on where you want to go

OP, go to Lastminute.com. I just did a quick search based on what you've told us and found 3 nights, 2 rooms, hotel with B&B and flights to Amsterdam for 2 adults and 3 children for £302 pp at the Hotel Van Gogh. That's just one example of what is out there.

I live in Dublin and can honestly say that there are much nicer parts of Ireland to visit and it's ridiculously expensive.

Isle of Man is close and much cheaper.

@gabsdot45

It depends on what you are after though. I'm Munster born and reared, and still spend a lot of time in West Cork. There's no doubt somewhere like that is nothing like a city centre location like Dublin - you won't get that scenery and sense of difference that Irish locations like that have.

But parts of Dublin are glorious. One good thing about lockdown is that I appreciate them more - I like that it's easy to navigate and get places, due to the size and scale of things, I live in west Dublin, and I'm 30 minutes on a train into the city centre, but 20 minutes in the other direction to be on a beach (for some reason I barely visited beaches for 20 + years living here and then when I 'discovered' them in lockdown / post-lockdown couldn't believe I hadn't gone before. I go weekly or more now). I can be in the countryside in 10 minutes from my house. I really love that variety which you can't get if you live in other parts of the country - you get the good stuff you get and that's it!

Equally something like walking up Killiney Hill and seeing the amazing views, then heading into Dalkey to potter is simple and really enjoyable to do.

But absolutely if I was planning something with teens, I'd be looking at some of the other European cities suggested, as they are a bit more novel. As I say, Dublin city won't be much different really to parts of the UK.

You forgot all the junkies everywhere too @Ahgoonyegirlye Was in the city centre the other day and it’s such a shame how bad it’s gotten. I actually said to DH I feel sorry for any tourists coming over at the minute, ridiculous prices aside.

i would avoid too @namechangedyetagain

@EarringsandLipstick I live here too and I completely agree with @Ahgoonyegirlye have you been around Parnell street/ O’Connell street recently? It’s grim and feels unsafe in daylight. Such a shame but it’s really gone to the dogs since covid.

I live in Ireland and would not make a trip to Dublin in October as a holiday. Can be a bit grim but October weather would make it even worse.
Another one for saying go to Belfast. Easy for UK citizens, no need to change currency , good bus sightseeing routes and bargains. Derry is fab at Halloween if you like that sort of thing.
It is crazy expensive in Dublin at the moment, lots of complaints about hotel prices and car rentals .

It’s been that way for years. DH works off Parnell Street and it’s grim.

Even the south side isn’t immune. I remember walking to work one morning having to step over an actual human shit on Nassau Street from where some poor homeless person got caught short.

I wouldn’t be recommending the city as a mini break destination, with the costs etc it’s just not good value.