Anyone been to/live in Ireland?

[OREOSpeedwagon]

I posted earlier about how long it takes to get a passport (thanks for the help btw guys 🙂) and I think that my friends and I have narrowed it down to a few destinations for our spring break trip next year. We think Dublin, Ireland sounds really cool (plus 18 is the legal drinking age, nice plus 😉) but the whole atmosphere sounds awesome. We figure we'll probably stay in one of the cheap hostels (that are like $20/person/night). I'd really like to hear some comments about Ireland from people who have been there or live there. Would it make for a sweet spring break trip? 😀

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

bump, too early for one i know but i'm about to go to sleep

 

[Kanalua]

lived there for a while...if you're going to party/pub scene, Dublin is your bet...

Personally I would recomend Cork, Cliff of Moher, Ring of Kerry, Tralee, Mulingar, Cavan....in order...cool places...watch out while in Dublin, some places are ghettos, drug ghettos, really bad. Above all else, take a trip in the country...

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

We agreed that we want to see a lot of scenery and not just the city. We'll probably stay in Dublin a few nights and go to Cork for a few nights also and I'm sure we'll take trains to see the other parts of the country.

BTW how is the Temple Bar area in Dublin? There are a lot of hostels in that area that don't seem very expensive and look like decent places to stay.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
We agreed that we want to see a lot of scenery and not just the city. We'll probably stay in Dublin a few nights and go to Cork for a few nights also and I'm sure we'll take trains to see the other parts of the country.

BTW how is the Temple Bar area in Dublin? There are a lot of hostels in that area that don't seem very expensive and look like decent places to stay.

how much is "expensive" to you? When i was there, the hostels and hotels in Dublin were really high priced, and not very nice. I don't consider sleeping in a common room with 12 beds and one shower a decent place. I think we paid like $35 for a hostel that had four beds in one room (smaller than a college dorm room) and 3 community showers for like 40 people. No locks either.

Anyway...spend more time out of Dublin than in it.

 

[elektrolokomotive]

Went to Dublin once. Very cool place. Although it will be pretty wet and cool around spring break time. I was there in May, and it was moderately warm... and kind of wet.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

My fiancee was born and raised in Cork, and her parents still live there. We try to go visit at least once or twice a year. Dublin is nice, but I'm in love with Cork. Beamish Brewery...mmmmmm.

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
We agreed that we want to see a lot of scenery and not just the city. We'll probably stay in Dublin a few nights and go to Cork for a few nights also and I'm sure we'll take trains to see the other parts of the country.

BTW how is the Temple Bar area in Dublin? There are a lot of hostels in that area that don't seem very expensive and look like decent places to stay.

how much is "expensive" to you? When i was there, the hostels and hotels in Dublin were really high priced, and not very nice. I don't consider sleeping in a common room with 12 beds and one shower a decent place. I think we paid like $35 for a hostel that had four beds in one room (smaller than a college dorm room) and 3 community showers for like 40 people. No locks either.

Anyway...spend more time out of Dublin than in it.

I've looked at a few that are $25/person/night that look alright. One is about a block away from the Temple Bar and has 4 beds to a room with a shower for each 4 bed room.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
We agreed that we want to see a lot of scenery and not just the city. We'll probably stay in Dublin a few nights and go to Cork for a few nights also and I'm sure we'll take trains to see the other parts of the country.

BTW how is the Temple Bar area in Dublin? There are a lot of hostels in that area that don't seem very expensive and look like decent places to stay.

how much is "expensive" to you? When i was there, the hostels and hotels in Dublin were really high priced, and not very nice. I don't consider sleeping in a common room with 12 beds and one shower a decent place. I think we paid like $35 for a hostel that had four beds in one room (smaller than a college dorm room) and 3 community showers for like 40 people. No locks either.

Anyway...spend more time out of Dublin than in it.

I've looked at a few that are $25/person/night that look alright. One is about a block away from the Temple Bar and has 4 beds to a room with a shower for each 4 bed room.

That's not bad. I'd jump on it. Find somewhere to store you belongings though. None of the hostels have locking doors. (none that I saw or stayed at anyway) Some do have lockers that you can rent though.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
We agreed that we want to see a lot of scenery and not just the city. We'll probably stay in Dublin a few nights and go to Cork for a few nights also and I'm sure we'll take trains to see the other parts of the country.

BTW how is the Temple Bar area in Dublin? There are a lot of hostels in that area that don't seem very expensive and look like decent places to stay.

how much is "expensive" to you? When i was there, the hostels and hotels in Dublin were really high priced, and not very nice. I don't consider sleeping in a common room with 12 beds and one shower a decent place. I think we paid like $35 for a hostel that had four beds in one room (smaller than a college dorm room) and 3 community showers for like 40 people. No locks either.

Anyway...spend more time out of Dublin than in it.

Ditto ^ 1000000000x

Dublin IS NOT CHEAP by ANY stretch of the word. In fact it is downright filthy expensive. Between already high prices, a piss poor exchange rate, and a vat tax you get freaking screwed over in food and drink. Expect to spend a small fortune on food and drink and especially cab fare. Hell, the fare from the airport to downtown was close to $75USD alone. It is not a place to go if you want to go on the cheap.

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
We agreed that we want to see a lot of scenery and not just the city. We'll probably stay in Dublin a few nights and go to Cork for a few nights also and I'm sure we'll take trains to see the other parts of the country.

BTW how is the Temple Bar area in Dublin? There are a lot of hostels in that area that don't seem very expensive and look like decent places to stay.

how much is "expensive" to you? When i was there, the hostels and hotels in Dublin were really high priced, and not very nice. I don't consider sleeping in a common room with 12 beds and one shower a decent place. I think we paid like $35 for a hostel that had four beds in one room (smaller than a college dorm room) and 3 community showers for like 40 people. No locks either.

Anyway...spend more time out of Dublin than in it.

Ditto ^ 1000000000x

Dublin IS NOT CHEAP by ANY stretch of the word. In fact it is downright filthy expensive. Between already high prices, a piss poor exchange rate, and a vat tax you get freaking screwed over in food and drink. Expect to spend a small fortune on food and drink and especially cab fare. Hell, the fare from the airport to downtown was close to $75USD alone. It is not a place to go if you want to go on the cheap.

ouch, $75 is rediculous. From the way it sounds flying into Cork would be a better plan than flying into Dublin.

 

[vi edit]

ouch, $75 is rediculous. From the way it sounds flying into Cork would be a better plan than flying into Dublin.

If you really do plan on spending a lot of time in Dublin, your best bet is to grab the bus & train pass. You can get a week long pass for like $50 or something like that. Gives you free use of the DART train that goes all the way north and south of Dublin and a little ways across it. Between the train and buses you can hit most major places easily. It just takes longer. I don't suggest trying to decifer the bus routes while drunk though 😛

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

ouch, $75 is rediculous. From the way it sounds flying into Cork would be a better plan than flying into Dublin.

If you really do plan on spending a lot of time in Dublin, your best bet is to grab the bus & train pass. You can get a week long pass for like $50 or something like that. Gives you free use of the DART train that goes all the way north and south of Dublin and a little ways across it. Between the train and buses you can hit most major places easily. It just takes longer. I don't suggest trying to decifer the bus routes while drunk though 😛

LOL...you'll end up walking...and asking a Garda for directions...and find out the next morning that you walked through one of the more dangerous parts of Dublin...at 3am.

😱