travel

Weekend in Dublin

September 4, 2018

One of the reasons we moved to London was that it enabled us to travel to nearby European cities on weekends instead of taking a massive European holiday. We have been truly inspired by the Travel Man, Richard Ayoade. Richard hosts a TV show that take him and a guest to a city travelable from London for 48 hours. He maximises some of the world’s most popular destinations in a bite size time frame by fitting as much of the city into 48 hours i.e. a weekend. We love his catch phrase – “We’re here but should we have come!” and have been pronouncing it every time we land in a city just like he does in his show.

Dublin

Dublin is the largest city and the capital of Ireland. It is a city rich in history originating from the Celtic speaking people to the Vikings, Norman Invasion and was under the British Empire until 1922. Today it is a sovereign state and independent country that is part of the European Union as is separate to Northern Ireland (which is part of the United Kingdom). It has adopted the use of the European Currency as of 2002.

Things to See and do

  • Dublin Castle
  • St Stephens Green
  • Temple Bar
  • The Happy Pear at Greystone
  • Chester Beatty Library Collection
  • Free Walking Tour

Interesting coloured buildings

Yield – This was amusing because we commonly know this sign as Give Way.

The Happy Pear at Greystones!

Delicious all vegan breakfast. The best vegan scone and it comes with a chia seed jam, a must try!

Delicious Flat White using Oatly Barista.

Fresh organic produce outside

Health foods inside the grocery section of The Happy Pear.

Birds scavenging the leftovers in the outside dining area. Top tip if you are sitting in the outside dining area – protect your food!

and we came back for lunch..

I met one of the brothers when we got back for lunch. Julieanne was so star struck. He was very welcoming and handing out treats to everyone in the long line.

Just 5 mins from The Happy Pear restuarant is the coast line in Greystones. The walk was just so relaxing and families with young children were attempting to swim in the freezing waters.

Transport

We flew into Dublin from Stansted, UK. It was a short and hassle-free plane ride. Upon landing we purchased Visitor travel cards (24, 72 and 7 day options) which allowed us to catch the Airlink express into the city and included unlimited public transport within the time period.

We believe this was great value as it included the Airport transfers and we were planning on travelling on the coast to Greystones.

Top Tip –

To get the biggest bang for buck for a weekend travel, we recommend you get 72 hour Visitor Leap card for 19.50 Euros. You can get this once you exit the terminal.

Accommodation

We stayed at an Airbnb on the outskirts of Dublin City. It technically is walking distance to the city centre (30min) and provided a quiet refuge outside the hustle and bustle.

The owners have renovated a garage at the back of their home and it is now a self-contained studio with private access from the rear of the property. It was well finished and has all the facilities you would require for a short stay.

Staying at an AirBnb on the fringe of the city was an obvious choice as the cost of accommodation within the city was very dear. Although we could walk (25min) to the city centre, we made use of our unlimited travel cards to head into the city centre.

Finally – “We’re here but should we have come?”

The good:

  • Interesting city with history
  • Lots of vegan options
  • Spending time on the coast
  • The Happy Pear!

The bad:

  • Public transport not as efficient with limited services on weekends

Total Cost Breakdown: £298.97

Transport: £166.99

Accommodation: £100.00

Food & Drinks: £31.98

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