Hello, we're taking our son to Dublin for a week to celebrate his tenth birthday. He's never been out of the UK before and wants to use his new passport (even though he doesn't strictly need it to travel to Ireland)!
We're travelling out Aer Lingus from Southampton on the morning of Sunday 15/02; back Friday 20/02 evening. We're staying at the Premier Inn on Gloucester Road, and relying on public transport to get around, other than for a day on a hop-on/off city tourbus. It looks like visitor Leap cards would be good for getting around the city?
In terms of getting to the hotel, the Dublin Express to George's Quay/Ulster Back looks good (€21.50 for all three of us), but might a taxi be cheaper?
We've pencilled in a handful of places to visit already. Our son is a Star Wars nerd and we're going to book to visit Trinity College, both for the Book of Kells and the Library "borrowed" (allegedly) for the Jedi Temple archive. Also the Zoo/Phoenix Park; Dublin Castle.
Other attractions which are on the shortlist: The Ark; Dublinia; Viking Splash Tour. Plus the standards: Grafton St; Stephen's Green; O'Connell Street.
Any other suggestions or opinions on the above would be most welcome. Good bookshops always a handy option!
Our son would like to visit a nice beach during our stay for reasons known only to himself. I realise we could have almost any weather conditions possible in February, but might that be possible without a multi-hour coach excursion?
Whilst the hotel does have a restaurant which we'll likely make use of for some breakfasts, we'd appreciate any recommendations for other places to pick up a light bite in the morning or at lunchtime, and also for family-friendly resturants with decent veggie options.
Sorry, that's a lot of questions to ask, but any comments would be very helpful, and we want our son to have a memorable trip for all the right reasons! Thanks.
Taxi will be more expensive.
Weather likely tough enough in feb.
You might catch a Leinster rugby match as something to do. You’re near the bord Gais theatre which often has family friendly shows on. A bus to glendalough would also be a nice day trip (scenic historic mountains and lakes)
Lots of food options nearby. Google it and pick the high rated ones.
Get a dart (coastal commuter train) to howth and dun laoghaire (oldest train line in the world I think) for fun days out. Beaches to north of clontarf or south of dun laoghaire closest city centre.
Be prepared to spend a bit Dublin’s expensive.
Also area between Grafton st and georges st best area of town imho- best pubs and food options (temple bar is a tourist trap and expensive
Leinster games are great fun for kids and families.
If you don’t live near a Forbidden Planet store in the UK your son would enjoy that. It’s near Temple Bar on Crampton Quay. If you’ve been to the original London branch the Dublin one will be underwhelming!
The Disney store on Grafton street has Star Wars gear downstairs. Lego shop opposite has Star Wars Lego, but nothing unique.
You’ll see more by walking than going on the hop on hop off bus. Dublin is small and if you’ll see it on foot or as you take the regular bus around the city.
Thanks for the excellent shopping recommendations. WIll need to mind that we need to fit anything in luggage for the return trip!
I know what you mean about hop on/off buses, but they are good for an establishing overview. We'll certainly be doing our share of walking on other days though.
Definitely check out the National Museums (which are free in!) There is one on kildare St that has the really ancient stuff and one near smithfield that has more modern things and also has a portion of the collection of the natural history museum
Re beaches, Dalkey is a very pretty village about half hour away by train from the city centre and there is a very pretty little beach called white rock about a 25 min walk from the station. You could also climb killiney hill - it's not a difficult climb and the view can be really nice on a clear day
It’s would second that. A wonderful thing to do is get the DART train from Connolly Station southwards to Dalkey and wander around the coastal area, which is really very special with all those beautiful villas overlooking the sea, owned by the rich & famous, including Bono. There are famous swimming spots you can google on maps, Vico, the setting is like somewhere exotic like the Amalfi coast in Italy! There’s beautiful scenery here and pretty harbours like Colliemore & Bullock, more swimming places at Fortyfoot & Sandycove, the latter having some sand. All very picturesque and you will see people swimming even in February! Plenty of places to have lunch or coffee.
You could go to Wrights shop (terminal 1) or Spar (terminal 2) in the airport and get Leap Visitor Cards, which allows you unlimited public transport travel for 7 days, for €24
It’s not much longer to get the public bus than the coach and you will have the cards for travel around Dublin and return journey to the airport
A taxi won't be cheaper from the airport than the coach. It will probably be around +€40 from the airport. If your son is happy seeing the sea rather than a beach then getting the Dart to Howth (using the Leap card) would be good. A good selection of seafood fish and chip places and if the weather is good you can do some of the walks.
You’ll have a ball! Wrap up warm. Dublinia is quite good and also can include a visit to the crypts of Christ Church Cathedral. All of the national museums are free which is great for younger people as you can just pop in for a short while while you’re out and about and don’t lose money if they lose interest after a while. Ask them for activity sheets-they often have great activities for children, like trails and exhibit hunts or ask chat GPT to create one for you and let the off to see how many of the things they can find. For food I recommend Sano Pizza, Captain Americas for the little lad and Thunder road Cafe, The Saucy Cow is a fully vegan junk food place with great burgers etc. Most pubs even offer a veggie option of some kind (The Brazen Head does a nice Irish veggie dish also). There are so many great restaurants it’s hard to go too wrong. Sprezzatura is a nice Italian which is affordable and does veggie and vegan mince dishes. The Ark does great shows for children and the Phoenix Park is nice for seeing the deer/squirrels and a hot chocolate (bit cold for a picnic but don’t let me stop you, you can also rent bikes!). Dart out to Bray (has some amusements)/Howth/Sutton/Dalkey will have you on a beach in a short walk. The Gutter Bookshop and Chapters are both favorites of the little people in my life. Hope you have a great time!
Fantastic recommendations and ideas. Thanks so much!
A ten year old will LOVE the Viking splash tour.
We just stayed at that Premier Inn. It's an easy walk to Trinity and other parts of town. There's a cafe around the corner called POG. We were going stop there for lunch but it was quite busy. It's worth a look.
We love Kilmainhaim Gaol. You need to book ahead but it's worth checking out.
Came here to say Kilmainham. Amazing and super cheap but you have to book in advance as it sells out. If you’re near POG you’re also near bread 41. Delicious pastries and coffees. Highly recommend.
i would also recommend the national museum, the bog bodies are very interesting. You could get the dart to Bray for a beach trip, the journey on the train is beautiful and Bray has a nice seafront
Second explorium, perfect for a 10 year old. Could easily spend the day there, urban climb and VR is extra but both excellent
Got you for kid-friendly pubs, my 11 yo is a big fan of the food at all the Galway Bay spots (and they do have veggie options, though there's better food around, too - she is just very into their mac & cheese). Dublinia is absolutely a big hit for that age group. If you're looking for more of a neighbourhood pub vibe that's very family-friendly, The Bald Eagle in Phibsborough is great and has lots of nerdy memorabilia around the pub, both Star Wars and other fandoms.
We did the Viking Splash Tour in the autumn and loved it. You will definitely need your passports also. They will be checked before boarding.
Tell the airline staff it’s his birthday they may make an announcement on the flight . Start his trip off . Buy him a Camera and have him take pics of the City . Have him wear a birthday hat he will get a lot of attention while in Dublin. Grafton Street always bustling and Buskers always entertaining . The hop on hop off bus is great drivers entertaining and the top of the bus the best view . Definitely recommended . Be careful of pick pockets never leave down your bags or phone . Have a lovely time :)
Those are some super ideas, especially the camera one. Thanks!
Museum of archaeology is a must! The bog bodies are v cool. You can get leap cards in the shop coming out of T1 in the airport, get the 41 or 16 bus into the city, it’s 2.60 I’m pretty sure! Beaches just get the Dart to Howth it’s lovely or you can get the Dart south to Bray or Greystones, it goes right along the coast you can hop off anywhere you’ll be on a beach
For bookstores, I recommend Hoggish & Figgis, Chapters, Upstairs Downstairs.
For a coastal town, I'd recommend Howth or Dun Laoghaire. You can take the Dart (train) out and it's only about half an hour. For a beach maybe Portmarnock. I'm not sure if the dart goes out there.
Explorium is well worth a visit. Its a bit out of town though, but not far from a bus stop.
The cheapest way from the airport is the regular bus, not sure what number, 2e per adult.
The 16 bus stops about 10 mins walk from the hotel but takes about 20 mins longer than the express.
There’s plenty of nice beaches on the dart line, just wrap up warmly 😂
I personally enjoyed the hop on hop off bus as a way to get familiar with the layout of the city so that when you do start walking about, you know what things are in certain areas. We also used Dublin Express to get from the airport into the city, but used a taxi on the return trip to the airport since we were flying out super early in the morning. Dublin Express was a bit cheaper, but both were easy to use and convenient. We got visitor leap cards in the mail prior to arriving and they were also easy to use and inexpensive.
Once you do start walking you will find that there are book shops all over Dublin. Book Upstairs is pretty close to where you are staying, but I don't think you'll have too much trouble finding many others. Here's a short blog on a few that are very well known https://www.takewalks.com/blog/bookstores-in-dublin
Lastly, you can access lots of seaside towns by taking the DART up or down the coast. If your son is wanting to see a lovely beach, I would recommend Killiney Beach. It is a short ride down from the city, the train station is very close to the beach so you don't have to walk to far to enjoy the view. (Which means if it is very chilly, you won't have a long walk back to the train either). Enjoy your trip!
Check out explorium it's outside of the city but id imagine your child would love it book in advance sells out fast
The leprechaun museum is surprisingly good! And there are beaches within easy reach-Portmarnock on the Dart would be nice
When I moved to Dublin some months ago, that’s exactly where I lived temporarily. Uber was around €30 so if you’re three I highly recommend checking the price when you land before deciding for the bus. It’ll be hassle-free. Within a 2 min walk, there is bread 41 for coffee and desserts. there’s also xi’an street food a 20 minute walk away which I absolutely love! You can take the dart from pearse street station (a few minutes walk) and go to Bray or killiney strand (in the south). You can also hike around those places, the killiney hill one is pretty chill.
Thanks. The Xian recommendation has sent me down a whole Asian "street food" rabbit hole! Lots of options there.
Book Shops! Chapters on Parnell St - also Books Upstairs and there's a decent Hodges and Figgs
Check out viking splash tours, it's a fun trip.
Needful Things antiques on 3 Aungier street has some star was memrobillia. Good luck
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The explorium is great for this age. Science museum type of place for kids. Up in the mountains too with a lovely view.
Definitely skip O Connel street. Full of crackheads and pickpockets