jneely120

Me and a friend of mine are planning a trip to go to Dublin at the end of December, we want to spend New Year's Eve there. We will be spending about 8-9 days. Neither one of have ever been, so we really don't know what to expect. We know we want to do some sight seeing of the country side, castles and churches, then enjoy the night life as well. We have looked into staying in a hotel or a hostel, not sure which one would be better. I have looked at a few different website, there is just so much to see/do and unfortunately our time is pretty limited. Also, would it be worth it to get a rental car, or is everything pretty much within a decent walking distance? Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

irishface

First of all, if you plan to be in Dublin, you don't want or need a car. Parking is expensive and hard to come by. city center is compact and good city transportation for going farther afield. If you are going outside of the city, a rental car is a definite plus. Be aware that if you are under 25, there are fairly hefty young driver fees.

Daylight hours are pretty short that time of year. Think sunrise about 8:30 and sunset about 4:30. On a cloudy/rainy day the days can seem even shorter. Also many sights outside of the cities will be closed for the season. Some B&Bs close down for the week between Christmas and New Year.

Sorry to sound down because Ireland is truly a wonderful place anytime of year. Lots to see and do in Dublin--National Museums have good art and artifact collections, large enough to be interesting but not enough to overwhelm you. Visit Kilmainham Gaol and hear its hauntig story. St. Patrick's cathedral. Christ Church cathedral and the nearby Dublinia exhibit. GPO with its scars from the Easter Rising. Walk along the Liffey and over the ha'penny Bridge.

If you have a good weather day, take the DART (train) out to Howth (20 min from Dublin center), walk around the fishing harbor, have lunch and climb the hill for views out into the bay. Or take the DART south to one of the seaside villages and walk along the seafront at Brray or Dun Laoghaire (Pronounced dun leary)

Take the train for an overnight to Kilkenny and visit its castle, walk its medieval streets, see St. Canice's cathedral and its round tower. Have supper at Dame Kytlers Inn and here her story now nearly 600 years old. Kilkenny can also be done as a long day trip from Dublin, but with short winter hours, I'd stay over.

irishface

If you want to rent a car, drive to Kilkenny via Glendalough, an 8th century monastic site. Good visitor center with short film and exhibits to tell the history and geology of the area. Drive over the Wicklow Hills if the weather is deceent.
Spend the night in Kilkenny and have a look around the next day and then drive on to Cashel and explore its castle ruins. Cahir Castle is not far from here.

Or take the train from Dublin to Killarney for a few days. There are several companies that offer bus tours of the Ring of Kerry. Also visit Muckross House. Take a boat trip out to Ross Castle. Either rent a car in Killarney or take bus tour and use local tours for other sights.

jneely120

Thank you so much, all of this was very very helpful and gave us a lot of ideas to add to our itinerary.

The next problem we are having is whether or not we should stay in a Hostel, hotel or bed and breakfast. I'm 25 and he's 26, we really just need a place to shower and sleep. I have heard mixed reviews about a hostel, some say that is the way to go and others say no because you don't really have any privacy.