Infamous for its trendy, funky nightlife and of course its special brew — Guinness, Dublin is one of Europe’s top tourist destinations and its popularity is still rising. Travellers love the Irish craic (fun), its literary heritage, its atmospheric pubs, nightlife, museums and clean beaches.
Weatherwise, the sun comes out in July and August and the streets are alive with cafés and blooms. But if you don’t mind a spot of rain, Dublin offers year round festivals and sporting events.
Dublin is divided by the river Liffey separating Northsiders from Southsiders connected by the O'Connel Bridge. The area is often thought of as the spiritual heart of the city.
One of the joys of Dublin is that it is a wonderfully compact city and easy to get around on foot. Check out the sights or ramble down Grafton Street, Dublin’s finest shopping street, and flash some cash in Dublin’s sexiest department store, Brown Thomas on number 88 or relax at Bewley’s, at 78/7, the city’s best known café.
1. Take a Tour of the City
First timers, or short-of-timers should take a tour. Here are three ways to see the city:
Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
It lasts around 1 hour and 15 minutes and takes in 33 stops where you can hop off and back on and you even get a running commentary. This includes stops for Dublin Zoo, St Stephen’s Green, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle and Guinness Storehouse. There’s a bus every 15 minutes so you won’t have to wait long to hop back on to get to your next destination.
The ticket lasts 24 hours so you can start the tour one day and finish the next. When you buy your ticket you will get a complimentary city map and a book of discounts on admission fees for many attractions.
Copyright © 2014 by The Travel Magazine. This article was written by Sharron Livingston and originally published at The Travel Magazine
