I see posts recommending not driving in Dublin. I plan on 2 nights here and would like information on ease of public transportation from the airport and a good general area to stay in that is reasonable. Looking for some good nightlife with fantastic Irish music as one priority. Interesting day time activites too.

If you are visiting dublin for 2 nights it would be hard to imagine why you would need a car. In fact if you are staying in the city limits, I would advise against a caa. What is your budget level for accommodation? this will help pinpointing a good area to recommend. The transport from the airport to the city is genrally excellent.

Take the Dart to downtown Dublin and then use the public buses in the city. Also very good tour buses. If arriving in Ireland at ferry there is an excellent tourist info desk there.

I don't know the range of prices in Dublin but would be perfectly happy in a Motel 6 like hotel, or B&B etc. Location sounds like it will be important??

I'll be arriving via the airport.

Can you give me some daytime activities to consider, I like walking tours, history, the Irish music is a priority.

we stayed in a hotel we wouldn't recommend, but it was close to Jury's Christchurch...good location easy access to hop on off bus tour stop...we walked or got a taxi most places...taxi to an from airport/car rental drop off (fast/convenient/not too much $$)

we did both the music and literay pub crawls...enjoyed both

don't miss trinity colleg/book of kells and kilmainham jail

Your best bet would be to find a hotel in the city centre (if you give an idea of your budget we can recommend some hotel options). The city centre is easily accessible from the airport (it's about a 30 minute bus journey on the Aircoach). The city centre is small so everywhere is within walking distance.

For daytime activities, definitely visit Trinity College & the Book of Kells, perhaps take a hop-on-hop-off bus that will take you to all the major sights - Christchurch, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Guinness Storehouse, etc.

I believe some of the touristy pubs in Temple Bar do Irish music.

I have no idea of price ranges in Dublin, but I am looking for modest central lodging, shared baths are fine. Can someone, maybe give me a ball park price range for this city?? Are B&B's possible in the central area??

I have the B&B book on order, just haven't gotten it yet. Thank you for all your time.

Try http://www.lastampa.ie/about.shtml or http://www.graftonguesthouse.com

Thank you, the Grafton House looks perfect. Will have to pack light certainly with no elevators.

Another option is ABC Guest House. My husband and I stayed there in April, and would recommend it. We payed 70E per night for a double room, with en-suite bathroom.

www.abcguesthouse.com

It's located in the Drumcondra section of Dublin, so you'll take a bus to the city center. It's about a 10-minute ride, and there are several lines that stop there. We never waiting longer than 5-10 minutes for a bus.

Enjoy!

Tarheels- is this bus to the guest house available at night??? I'm not really a late nighter, but would like to experience some pubs and Irish music. Or would a cab be available?? Having a hard time with locations as they look ok on maps, but really want to choose the right area for ease of touring.

The best location for touring would most definitely be the city centre. Drumcondra is a fine area but you need to take transport everywhere. If you're in the city centre you'll be able to walk to most places.

I'll second Cailin. Drumcondra is o.k. but the city centre would be much more suitable.

Ceol is an Irish music museum located in the Smithfield Villege. It is extremely high tech and fascinating and a wonderful addition to listening in pubs. Highly recommended.

We stayed a total of 4 nights, and yes, the bus runs at all hours. It is less frequent in the late evening, but we came back around 11:00pm and had no trouble.

Agreed that city centre is most convenient- it really depends on your priority. For us, budget was the most important facotr, especially as Dublin is an expensive city. If you're willing to sacrifice a bit of convenience to save money, it will be just fine.