One day in Dublin? Should we go for it?
 

Greetings,

We have a trip scheduled for September to Italy and are looking at a Boston-Dublin-Venice flight. We are toying with the idea of leaving one day earlier, arriving in Dublin at about 8 am, spending the day there, and then leaving in the am for Venice. Any thoughts on whether a whirlwind look at Dublin is worth the stop? If so, what are the don't miss experiences that we could cram into a day? Thanks...

Dublin would be worth a stop but you won't fit much into a day. maybe the hopper bus tour and a couple of sights maybe Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham gaol If you had 2 days fine but for a day don't bother.

One day in Dublin would not be worth the runing around to me. I would add any extra days to one of the stops in Italy, and do a day trip to someplace nearby.

First: can you break your journey for a day? Aer Lingus doesn't fly Dublin-Venice daily, and switching to the Ryanair flight to Treviso is a very different experience from a seamless one-airline connection to an airport in the Venetian lagoon you can get a boat into town from.

Second (and this may upset a few blinkered Irish patriots). Dublin might possibly make into the list of the 10 most interesting British provincial cities, behind Liverpool and Edinburgh, just about ahead of Manchester and about on a level with Glasgow. Or it might not. Rural Ireland, on the other hand, is fabulous in parts.

There's a real risk a day in a boring, staggeringly badly looked after and horrendously congested minor town will make you think you've had your Irish experience and put you off Ireland for life (which would be a tragedy). You're also deciding to waste a day of your life looking at a brewery you could use discovering Trieste or Verona.

Unless you've got a personal need to do genealogical research or a specific interest in mediaeval or early Christian manuscripts (of which Dublin has an extraordinary collection), use your airport stopover for a pint of properly poured draught Guinness (morning drinking was part of the culture when Arthur Guinness invented it, and is a terrific antidote to jet lag) and get right on to Venice.

Then lash out on a launch straight to your hotel.

Flanneruk "You're also deciding to waste a day of your life looking at a brewery you could use discovering Trieste or Verona."

My sentiments exactly. Add Paduva or Vicenza to those.

Most "blinkered Irish patriots" know Dublin is more British than Irish There is Dublin and then the rest of Ireland, even most parts of the North are more Irish than Dublin. That's why all us outside Dublin city boundaries are Culchies.. Having laid my head in a few of the older parts of the other cities named I'm not sure about the recommendation though.

I do enjoy Dublin, but I agree - unless you have a FULL day in the city (i.e., without having to be back at the airport by, say, late afternoon), I wouldn't think it was really worth it. Yes, there are lovely things to see. A Hop-on/Hop-off bus ride would be the way to go if you do this. Time may allow you to hop off on perhaps 2 of the stops - Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, Kilmainham Gaol, Book of Kells, etc. If you want to, go for it - but be prepared for a rather rushed day.

I loved Dublin - it's a small city and you can easily see quite a bit in one day. I think we did a city tour in the morning as well as a tour of the university. We spent the afternoon walking about in the shops, & had lunch in a great pub. I would certainly go for it!

Without knowing all of the details of your trip it's hard ot advise.

But Dublin is a charming small city and you can see quite a bit if you have an entire day - esp Book of Kells at Trinity College, a couple of museums, Dublin Castle (pre-british in parts) and a play in the evening. Try for a local - Wilde or Shaw if you can.