I have 4 days to spend in/around Dublin in late December. I really want to say I have experience all of Dublin, hence spending 4 days there. My husband doesn't like cities as much as I, so I was looking into the possibility of staying at one of the Dun Laoghaire places Rick Steves mentions.

My questions are - will it be too much of a hassle to get to/from Dublin each day? I know the DART system is not $$, but is it reliable? It only runs till 11:30PM, are there pubs in Dun Laoghaire to hang out in at night instead of staying in Dublin? Would I be better off just staying in Dublin?

Please and thanks! Kristy

We stayed in Dun Laoghaire this summer. The DART was cheap and reliable getting in and out of Dublin. I think it took about a half hour and there seemed to be at least two trains per hour. Dun Laoghaire was a nice little town, there were several pubs. But if your intent is to "experience Dublin" as you say, I think it would make more sense to just stay there. We stayed in DunLaoghaire because we wanted to pick up our rental car at the airport, and were heading south after that so staying at a B&B in Dun Laogharie where we could park the car made sense (instead of taking public transportation back to the airport to get the car). Dun Laoghaire was also cheaper (hotel) than Dublin proper. But except for those two reasons, I wouldn't think it would make that much sense.

If you want to experience a "small town" Ireland, take the DART one stop south of Dun Laughaire to Dalkey. It's a nice town with some great restaurants, little shops, winding streets, the shell of an old castle in the center of town and some friendly pubs. It's also home to Bono.

Hi Kirsty,

Before you book your vacation please note that due to "necessary upgrades" all DART services will NOT be operational at weekends through mid next year. For more information check out: http://www.irishrail.ie/dart/home/

Regardless of where you base yourself please enjoy Dublin!

We stayed in DunLaoghaire one night before turning in our rental car at the end of our trip. Then we stayed in Dublin 2 nights before flying out. (It was in June during the Special Olympics and we couldn't find a room that weekend, in our price range, for all 3 days}. While pleasant enough, I would not recommend staying in DunLaoghaire. Not worth the time or hassle. I felt rushed with only 2 days in Dublin. You could always check into a day trip. Don't know about December, but in June we loved Trim, Newgrange, Powerscourt, and Glendelaugh (all not too far from Dublin)

Dun Laoghaire is a good compromise, as your husband should feel quite comfortable in this small harbor town where he could take walks and enjoy the views. I stayed at the Portview Hotel about 3mins from the DART and it could not have been more convenient. A short trip by train drops you off in the center of DUblin. One sidenote is what your husband considers a big town to be. Dublin is not comparable to NY or LA or London. It is very comfortable feeling, although there will be lots of people milling about. BTW, there are a few very nice, authentic pubs in Dun Laoghaire. Enjoy your trip

There is also a intercity bus that runs from Dun Loaghaire right into downtown Dublin and you can get off almost right at Trinity College if you wanted to see the Book of Kells.

About 40 minutes ride. Sorry, forgot the bus number. (#46?)

Can't comment on lodgings as stayed with friends.

When in Dublin take the hop on, hop off bus tour. It'll take you around to all the major sights in Dublin, supposedly in an hour and a half, if you ride completely around. But our first trip took 2 and 1/2 hours because of the downtown traffic.

You can hop off at any stop, tour the historic site, then hop back on the next bus and continue around and around.

Great city, Dublin! Wonderful people, the Irish! Have fun!

easytraveler

We stayed in DunLaoghaire a few years ago. It was our first day in Ireland on this particular trip. Our teenaged son was exhausted from the flight, so while he snoozed, my husband and I thoroughly explored the town (he had lived there for several months as a 12 yr old while his dad was on sabbatical at Trinity College). We took the DART into Dublin in the evening, it was about a 5 minute walk from our B&B (Windsor Lodge) and about half an hour on the train to Parnell Station (I think!) I would certainly do it again if the chance arose, although we much prefer the small towns on the west coast.