Lets Go To Dublin!

 

Lets take a quick trip to Ireland!

 

So, you have been following the blog, reading the tips, saving your miles and you are thinking about your first trip to Europe! Maybe its not your first trip but Ireland is an easy fun trip with lots to see and do.  Ireland can be a budget trip and we will talk about how and why Ireland should be on your list.

I always kind of wanted to visit Ireland but the actual reason I ended up there was a little more involved. When I was a young man, my grandfather told me about my family history. My family was from the Isle Of Man, a small island in the North Irish sea surrounded by Ireland, Scotland and England. He told me our family cam to America in the 1700’s and no one had ever gone back. For years I joked with him that I was going back!  In November 2022, I made that happen!

While researching my trip and searching for flights to IOM, I found the average cost of that flight was between $1800 and $3600. I did not know then what I know now! The other thing I noticed was that roundtrip flights fro Cincinnati to Dublin were between $400 and $800…..so I looked up the cost of a flight from Dublin to IOM and it was less than $100!!!! So, just by luck, I figured out how to get there for $800 instead of $1800.

I have never been to Dublin Ireland so lets make it worthwhile, I added two days to my trip to see a little Dublin. I had a great time, by myself seeing the sights and experiencing the Irish culture. This “trick” to lower my international airfare held true for my next three or four trips to Europe so Dublin became my roundtrip hub for European travel. I have now been through Dublin 5 times and wouldn’t hesitate to return. I am going to share the tings I’ve learned and seen as we go forward.

First, one great reason to use Dublin (DUB) as a hub is that it is one of the shortest flights across the Atlantic to Europe, if you plan your trip from CVG to Boston, New York, Washington   BOS, JFK, EWR, IAD your flights will be 6 ½ -7 ½ hours. That seems long but its no where near the 11-12 hours to Rome! If you are sitting in economy or premium economy, your body will thank you for the shorter flight time.  Second, DUB is a very easy airport to navigate, nearly impossible to get lost. You just follow the signs to passport control and grab your luggage. Once you have your luggage you walk a very short distance to one of three places and they are all the same direction….Taxi Stand, Bus Stop or Rental Car counter. I primarily utilize a taxi when Im in Dublin. The cost of the cab ride is about 30 Eur or $34. This is an average to go anywhere downtown. You can take a bus for 10 EUR each or rent a car but that’s a whole other paragraph for later. My wife and I would be $20 EUR for the bus and it takes longer because of the stops so we opt for the taxi.

I just got here! How do I get Euro’s????? Well, the simple answer is that I don’t. My Capital One Venture X does all the conversions for me, I don’t worry about conversion rates and I have yet to find anywhere that didn’t accept it. There are also no foreign transaction fees. When asked if you would like to be charged in Euros or Dollars, always choose Euros….this means that Capital One Bank will do the conversion and not the entity that is responsible for the POS you are using.

I’m at the cab stand!, the temperature is a balmy 54 degrees and overcast as I wait for the concierge to get my cab, I’m second guessing my decision to fly here in shorts! My wife is wishing she had brought a winter coat.  Remember to check the weather for your trip and pack accordingly…..Ireland is a cool and damp climate.

The cab pulls up and as the cabby puts my bag into the trunk I show him the hotel address on my phone. He nods his head and away we go. It takes nearly 30 minutes to get to the heart of Dublin and my chosen hotel. Its often a good idea to make sure he is okay with the credit card before departing the airport because if he’s not there are 30 other cabs waiting for you.

I have stayed at three hotels in Dublin and I will rate each one of them. As each served a separate purpose for me. The third is my favorite, I have stayed there three times and have reservations there for two nights in September 2024.

First, The only thing I knew about Dublin in 2022 was “The Temple Bar” so since I was travelling by myself, my standards were a little lower and I chose a relatively inexpensive hotel in the Temple Bar district.

 

This hotel met my needs as a solo traveler and was relatively low cost for the area…..also it just happens to be about three doors away from Temple Bar! The room was average to slightly above, very small but that’s common in the UK, everything worked and I felt comfortable and safe. I did have some bar noise on Saturday night but no more than expected. I also remember the seagulls waking me up a few times throughout the night. Over all a 6 on Average Guys 1-10 scale. But a good value.

After I spent my five days on the Isle Of Man, I returned to Dublin and stayed at

 

The Academy Plaza Hotel was a much nicer hotel, considered a four-star accommodation. The price was about $250 a night and it came with breakfast. The Academy Plaza was a 7.5 on the Average Guy scale of 1-10. The cost was about 250 EUR per night  and It also would have been an acceptable accommodation if I was travelling with my wife on this particular trip. There was a McDonalds about a two minute walk away allowing me to get up and go for a short walk to retrieve my coffee.

 

Finally, on one of the trips with my wife, I booked a stay at Stay City Aparthotels Dublin City Center. This booking turned out to be my favorite and I have at this point spent 5 nights there with two more scheduled for September of 2024. The rooms are clean and spacious. They appear to be relatively new and offer all the amenities. Last trip we were upgraded to a suite and all the amenities of a 1 bedroom apartment with a true king sized bed. This hotel is within a block of the major downtown shopping area of Dublin and about a ten minute walk over to the Temple Bar district. The area seemed safe and the rooms were quiet. USB plugs were available in the rooms and my universal charger added to my charging ability. This hotel is an 8.5 on the Average Guy scale of 1-10 and averages about $200 Eur a night. As an added bonus, they have always had a cab at the front door to pick me up for the airport at the time I request.

 

 

Now, on two separate occasions I have rented a car from the Dublin Airport and driven myself to the hotels or to my destinations. Both occasions I have found Europcar to be the cheapest option. Now, a couple of very important things to know about renting cars in the UK, first, they are little! Second, they are stick shift, unless you specifically request an automatic! Third, the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car! And Finally , you are expected to drive on the wrong side of the road!

I’ve rented a car hundreds of times in the United States and I know for a fact my auto insurance covers me in a rental vehicle and my Capital One Venture X offers me secondary coverage as long as I use the card to book and pay for the rental. However both times, I have been forced to purchase a $100 insurance policy to cover me in Ireland. I was told I could avoid it in the future if I bring a written document proving my coverage. I have never been asked for any documents other than my US drivers license.

Driving in the UK is quite a challenge for about two days until your brain figures out what direction to turn and what direction oncoming traffic is coming from. So if you are not confident in your driving abilities, don’t do it.

Something to keep in mind is that almost every international flight from the United States arrives in Dublin before 10 AM, this means you are exhausted because you flew overnight and did not sleep well but unfortunately, the earliest you will get into a hotel for a nap is about 1 PM. The car allowed us to tour a little to occupy time. But being sleepy made the driving even harder.

On this years trip, June 2024, we decided we would rent a car and immediately drive across the country 2.5 hours to Galway Ireland. We wanted to visit the Cliffs of Moher, the countryside and the wets coast of Ireland. We planned for two nights and three days. I made reservations at Maldron Hotel Sandy Road Galway

 

This was a very nice hotel with onsite parking spacious rooms(by UK standards) very clean friendly staff and close to the entertainment district in Galway. This hotel was also an 8.5 on the Average Guy scale of 1-10. The breakfast was very expensive and they try to upsell you when checking in. There is a SPAR directly next to the hotel that has delicious food, coffee and pastry selections.

On day two, we set out for the Cliffs of Moher, a UNESCO world heritage site. My GPS said 74 Km so off we went!  This was a long drive, none of it was highway and very curvy through numerous small populated areas. It took us about 90 minutes and when we arrived at the Cliffs we were so excited to see them! But before we could park the car and walk over to them, the clouds rolled in and when I say clouds, I mean West Coast of Ireland cloudy!!!! The wind picked up to about 40MPH and the windchill dropped to about 35 degrees! If it wasn’t challenging, it would have been hilarious. Lisa and I have learned to take it all as part of the adventure! We made the most of it and as we were preparing to leave it cleared a little.

We spent one more night in Galway and enjoyed some great Irish fare!

 

Drive back to DUB and a quick flight to Milan, Italy!

 

Next installment Milan Italy