Pls advise me on a Dublin trip

[RestorativeTravel]

I'm thinking of visiting Dublin and anywhere reasonably accessible from Dublin on a day trip.

I have had some really difficult and sad times recently so this is a fresh start sort of trip. I am looking for a bit of a luxury splurge - 5 star hotel would be nice but only if it is worth it. No real budget as like I said this is a present for me.

Looking for advice about anything and everything - best places to go and what to do. Happy to travel out of Dublin if it can be done in a day or anywhere unmissiable close by. Will be travelling alone if that makes a difference.

What would you suggest?

Recommended hotels? Unmissable experiences? Things to avoid? Tourist traps?

Thought I would start here as likely to get more expert advice but if you think I should ask for this to be moved to travel, pls let me know.

Viking Splash tours are up and running.

Stayed here recently and loved it:

www.stauntonsonthegreen.ie

But if you're looking for something a bit more special, the Sherbourne is stunning.

thanks @Taytocrisps for taking the time to write all that - much appprecieated and thanks to everyone else.

Is the DART complicated? I mean in that way if you are a tourist and you arrive at a London tube station and new nothing about it, you would have a hell of a time standing at a maching trying to work out about Oysters, travel cards single journeys and what was the cheapest way to travel.

I haven't googled it yet and saw @LookItsMeAgain s post about buying a card from a Newsagent. Is it like the tube with tap in tap out sort of thing? is there anything else you need to know about DART? (I tend to find foreign public transport traumatising because half the time you don't know what you are doing and are being beared down on by a million time-poor angry locals furious you are obstructing their desire to get to work or home from work)

You can get a Leap visitor card in the airport, or lots of other places.
You can pay per journey on buses and trains as well but it's cheaper with a card.
If you are used to Oyster it's as easy as that (but not quite as easy as swiping your debit card).
Leap Visitor Card - Leap Card

I think the LEAP visitor card is more expensive than a regular Leap card which is why I didn't mention it.

A Leap card is very like a debit card to an extent. You buy the card and load it with credit (say €10). It will probably cost you €14 or so (as you're buying the card and it's yours). So you have €10 of possible trips you can make which would be 5 trips if you manage to get the journey done in 90 minutes as they are €2 per trip, even if you hop on a Dart, then a bus and then a Luas - all three will be only €2 if each part of the trip is within 90 mins of the start of your journey. You tap on at the start of your journey (on the luas or Dart) and tap off as you alight that mode of transport.

Don't get nervous using the public transport, just follow what the other passengers are doing or ask people before you set off.

The Dart is really quite an easy train journey. It goes along the coastline and in a lot of places is very picturesque. We don't have the network of rail/trams that you would have in London and we definitely don't have as many lines to negotiate.

Don't be daft 😂
it's as safe as anywhere else, certainly those places you've listed.

It absolutely isn’t. Unfortunately the city centre is in many parts a no go area. Tourists are routinely targetted. And so are random people going about their business. And it is not petty crime. It is stabbing and hospitalisation's,
The city is run by teenagers who are seemingly untouchable.
A laughing emoj is not appropriate at all and in fact is putting naive people in danger.

The DART is very easy to navigate. It's essentially one line running along part of the east coast. The northbound line runs to Malahide or Howth (make sure you get the right tram). The southbound line runs to Greystones in Wicklow. Bray is the second last stop on the southbound line. There are a few stations in the city centre. Your hotel receptionist will tell you where your nearest DART station is. I don't use the DART regularly, but I'd imagine it's packed at rush hour and quieter outside of rush hour.

There's a separate tram system called the LUAS. There are two LUAS lines - red and green. There are a lot of LUAS stops in the city centre. I can confirm that the LUAS is like a sardine tin packed at rush hour.

If you're nervous about trying to find your way around using public transport, you could use one of the hop on hop off buses like Big Bus Tours or City Sightseeing Dublin - you can buy 24 hour, 48 hour and 72 hour tickets. The buses stop at all of the major attractions.

If you pick a central hotel, you'll probably be within walking distance of a few attractions.

I never answered your question about the Guinness Storehouse. Most Dubliners take Guinness (the brewery) for granted. We roll our eyes when we see all the tourists walking around the city with their Guinness Storehouse bags. (How to spot a tourist? They're carrying Guinness or Trinity College gift bags.) We tend to do the tour only if we have friends or family visiting from abroad. Anyway, I did the tour about 30 years ago and then I did it again last year when my friend was over. It's a self-guided tour and you make your way up seven floors. It's not a tour of the factory - it's more like an exhibition of all things Guinness related. The tour is very impressive and I particularly liked the section with the advertising memorabilia. You can pose for photos with the iconic toucan or seal etc. I don't do Instagram or TikTok, but we had fun posing for photos. At the end of the tour, you get a free pint and you can enjoy some panoramic views from the Gravity Bar. We were exhausted by the time we'd got about half-way up and had to stop for a rest. In our defence, we'd been sightseeing all day. Wear very comfortable shoes. The Bar was very crowded and we had to wait a while to get a seat. As soon as one group of tourists vacate their seats, there's a bit of a scrum from the people who are standing waiting for seats. There's a large gift shop which sells a huge range of Guinness souvenirs - t-shirts, caps, keyrings, fridge magnets etc. etc. The shop was verrrry busy - I'd say they're raking it in. The Storehouse isn't right in the city centre - it's about a 20-25 minute walk from the city centre. If you don't fancy walking, you could take a taxi or use the Hop On Hop Off bus. If you're in this part of Dublin, you could also visit IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) or Kilmainham Gaol. They're not right beside each other, but they're in roughly the same area.

If you google Mark Sullivan Dublin Itineraries, he does an itinerary for two days in Dublin, three days in Dublin, four days in Dublin etc. He covers some of the attractions we've mentioned (and a lot more).

Have you been there recently? I was there last week and nothing untoward happened.

I mean, I am sure crime happens but thats the nature of the world.

Its true that south of the Liffey might be better than north, but of course criminals can go anywhere.

Yes I AM here. You were lucky.

The OP needs to listen to Joe Duffy podcasts called Liveline. They are broadcast on the national radio station (Radio 1). They are available on Spotify. They will give you a flavour of the ongoing social and crime issues Dublin has.

People skimming over the issues is doing a disservice to visitors to the city.

I am fairly sure that I could list the numbers of safety and security issues of many UK towns and cities if I were to listen to the radio from these towns and cities and also watch the BBC news. Knife crime has skyrocketed in the UK recently hasn't it? In the main touristy areas too.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/met-police-london-murders-gang-bbc-report-chris-kaba-b1211785.html

Anyway, I digress.

There have been crimes committed recently but no tourist has actually come to any harm. Every city has its crimes and criminals.

What areas in Dublin are you talking about @Anewyearanewday that the OP should stay clear of? It is far too general to say "the north side" or "the south side". Provide information on areas that you feel that the OP should stay away from.

I work in Rathmines, pretty close to the city centre. Really never felt unsafe.

I also like to take late night walks around Dublin (dublin 6 mostly). Also, never any bad experiences.

Here are some actual statistics. On the plus side sex based crimes are down. Others up slightly.

www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-rc/recordedcrimeq12024/keyfindings/

I would say be careful where you wander. I mean, I am sure the council flats near me are full of lovely law abiding citizens...but maybe not. (the other side of the road has houses costing €5 million)

@Anewyearanewday do you stay away from cars and aeroplanes? There have been a lot of aeroplane accidents recently and people die in car accidents every day. 174 people died in car accidents last year in ROI, and lots more injured.

LookItsMeAgain

i don’t see the value in comparing crime rates in London V Dublin. You may as well conclude that Dublin is safer than Jo’burg for all the good that will do.

There is a problem in Dublin to the extent where people who live in the suburbs won’t go to the city centre anymore.

A PP who lives in D8 said she felt safe. Considering D8 is well known for being a rough area itself (reflected in property prices and proximity to Thomas St and the canal being no go areas), I think it’s incredibly unfair to pretend that the city is safe to a lone female traveller.

O’Connell St, Parnell St, Talbot St, Store St, Westmoreland St, Connolly Station are terrible.

A man was killed in South Anne St last weekend.

There is a real possibility of walking on actual human faeces in the streets.

Pretend it’s just Dirty Old Dublin and grit and grime is harmless all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s not.

I appreciate if you listen to Joe Duffy you may feel unsafe. I don't listen to that radio show. I live in a Dublin suburb and have told you (twice) I feel very safe going into town. (including on some of the streets you mentioned) Just because some people 'feel' unsafe doesn't mean it is unsafe. There are plenty of people who feel its unsafe to vaccinate, does that mean they are correct?

It is very true that in Dublin you can wander from a gorgeous Georgian square to a less pleasant district very quickly. As I said, careful where you go. (and when) But in general its fine.

I guess this is who were referring to? As i said, careful when you wander around. I wouldn't recommend to a single women to hang around pubs or nightclubs late at night in any city in the world.

www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2025/02/16/man-34-killed-in-dublin-stabbing-is-named-as-asylum-seeker-from-nigeria/
He was fatally injured after an altercation in the early hours of Saturday on South Anne Street, off Grafton Street, having gone to a nightclub in Dublin city on Friday night.

@Anewyearanewday - Grafton Street, South Anne Street and St Stephen's Green and around by Trinity College would have been considered a safe location - are you saying it's now a no-go area because of one very terrible incident??

I'm sorry your thread has been derailed @RestorativeTravel , but many people who live in Dublin and love Dublin don't want posts on the internet that once they are posted stay there for ever and the negative publicity they can have.

Anyway - I hope you do come to visit and that you have a lovely time in the place I call home.

I visited Dublin last summer with my teenager and we stayed at the No.31 B&B. It was lovely and we felt very safe walking to visit museums, restaurants etc. Was v easy getting the airport coach to the hotel as well.

@Anewyearanewday you sound a wee bit hysterical. And please don't inflict Liveline/Whineline on the poor OP. The OP may encounter some homeless people or drug addicts as she makes her way around the city, but they tend not to frequent art galleries and museums and other tourist attractions. Or luxury hotels. So the OP will be in a bit of a tourist bubble. If she does encounter someone who looks a bit rough, I suggest she gives them a wide berth, like I do. To be honest, the chuggers are far more annoying than the odd person asking for spare change. The chuggers are a lot more persistent. But as I said in a previous post, there are a lot of ordinary, everyday people going about their business in Dublin. I see a lot of workers making their way to work - from barristers in wigs and gowns carrying briefcases, to construction workers in high vis jackets and hard hats. I see parents walking their primary school kids to school. I see secondary school pupils making their own way to and from school. Don't forget that a lot of people live in the city centre. I see women heading into the city centre for a shopping trip or to meet friends for coffee. I see students with their backpacks. I see a lot of tourists walking around consulting maps and chattering away in foreign languages.

If the OP wants to avoid the great unwashed, she can use the Hop On Hop Off buses. Or take a taxi back to the hotel after an evening out. Or book a taxi to collect her from the hotel. Or enjoy a quiet drink or two in her hotel bar.

When I went to Paris a few years back, I witnessed someone brandishing a knife at a Metro station. It didn't stop me enjoying my holiday or going back for future holidays.

When I went to London for the first time in '93, I was horrified at the amount of homeless people on the streets. I had never seen homelessness on that scale before.

I wouldn't tell anyone to steer clear of Paris or London. But I would tell them to keep their wits about them and watch out for pickpockets and not to have their cameras or mobile phones visible. So common sense stuff really.

Take a lot of fucking money.

I agree with the people saying to go somewhere else. Galway is about a 3 hour direct train journey from Dublin and is far nicer. I find Dublin below average compared to other European cities. Add to that the increased crime (yes there are definitely cities in Europe that are less safe than Dublin but it is getting worse) and how notoriously expensive it is.... but if you are hell bent on Dublin, I loved the Guinness Storehouse! You could try book the Croke Park Skyline, or the tour of The Aviva Stadium. Eat in La Bouef if you like steak.

Can confirm this was brilliant, it was my favourite thing in Dublin.

I don't listen to that radio show. I live in a Dublin suburb and have told you (twice) I feel very safe going into town. (including on some of the streets you mentioned)

302,000 listen to him daily. Considering he is on in the middle of the day and that is not a prime time morning/afternoon slot, don’t knock his programme unless you have listened to it.
And I don’t care if you have repeated twice or twenty times how you feel safe. You are just one person. Don’t dismiss the radio shows discussing a topic because you don’t like the topic.

This has come up on MN before. OP check out a thread from August 2023 called ‘Does anyone else not like Dublin’. It is very long (eleven pages) but has loads of info. I’m not sure if it is against the rules to link a thread but it is easy to find. HTH.

I'm c

I'm conflicted. I have lived in Dublin for 20 years so I'm no newbie (D6) but I wouldn't walk in parts of if it where I'd have had no problem doing so even 5 years ago. My parents, for good reasons, don't visit Dublin anymore. A pity; it has so much to offer. Perhaps affluent seaside suburbs remain unchanged, but now random male violence in general is off the charts. We have our own homegrown invincible scrotes. We aren't allowed to say that mass migration of unvetted convicted rapist males from countries that don't think women are people might be a problem, so I won't. The current malevolence and danger of a city centre I used to be proud of is deeply saddening.

I'm really shocked by some of the things people have posted on here about Dublin and safety. I'd just assumed it would be like a normal capital city - like London or New York - as in there are some bad areas, it's not a good idea to be wandering around alone late at night off the beaten track or in poor areas, but if you stay in central areas and use your common sense it's ok.

Walking at night - in London for example I wouldn't think twice about going to the theatre in the West End and walking from Trafalgar Square to Covent Garden for example after the show at night post- 10pm. Or going for dinner and walking to another area to a bar. Same in New York if you stay on main roads that are well lit it isn't really a big deal walking back to a hotel from a show or dinner.

Where are these areas the people are talking about?

Would you walk at night from say the Gate Theatre to the Westbury hotel or to the Intercontinental (or is that too far to walk)? Or please give me an example of a route safe to walk at night and areas to avoid?

It is safe or as safe as the places you've mentioned @RestorativeTravel .

Just a thought, if you're thinking of coming during the summer, you could stay in the student accommodation in Trinity College which is very central and you'd be in close proximity to loads of tourist locations and galleries.

https://www.visittrinity.ie/stay/