Dublin
Travel Guide > Europe > Ireland > Leinster > Dublin
Introduction
Ireland's capital since medieval times, Dublin continues to entice visitors with its blend of Irish hospitality and lively night-life. Pubs and beer are seemingly at the centre of life in this city, whose most popular attraction is the Guinness Storehouse and most popular area is Temple Bar, primarily due to its many pubs, although its medieval cobbled streets do add immensely to its appeal.
Located in the province of Leinster, Dublin currently holds a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants and is the largest city in Ireland. Built upon the River Liffey, it has become one of the fastest growing capital cities in Europe in recent years - both economically and population wise.
Once a city all too familiar with its inhabitants emigrating to foreign shores, the capital (as well as the rest of the country) has since gone through a major economic boom (The Celtic Tiger) and has evolved from a city of emigration to a thriving city of immigration. Now a proud multicultural city, Dublin is home to a large number of foreign nationals - most notably from Poland, United Kingdom, China, Lithuania, Russia and Nigeria.
Indeed Dublin has grown up a lot from its infantile status into a thriving, modern, multicultural and powerful city in Europe.
For budget minded visitors there's a local website called Free Dublin www.freedublin.com with some handy tips.
When in Dublin... do as the Dubs do. Enjoy your days taking in the sites on the streets and head out at night to enjoy the 'craic agus ceol'!!!
Céad míle fáilte romhat (A hundred thousand welcomes).
Neighbourhoods
Dublin is divided into three counties - Fingal, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin. Though when talking about Ireland it is still common to talk about the 26 counties, keeping the three new ones as 'Dublin' . Fingal comprises of 28 towns, and has its head office in Swords, the third largest town in Ireland. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown comprises of 30 towns, and has its head office in Dun Laoghaire. South Dublin is made up of 17 towns and has its head office in Tallaght
Sights and Activities
Events and Festivals
- Bloomsday - A celebration of the life of James Joyce and a walk through of the events in Ulysses. This event is held on 16 June every year. Some of the activities include readings of the novel, people dressed in the clothes of 1904, walks and pub crawls.
- Festival of World Cultures, Dun Laoghaire - The festival celebrates world music with concerts, cafes, fairs, markets, workshops and discussions. In 2008, it is held from 22 to 24 August.
Weather
Getting There
By Air
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (airport code: DUB) is located 10km north of Dublin city centre. For terminal information and options for getting from the airport to Dublin city, see the detailed Dublin Airport page.
By Plane
By Train
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
Getting Around
Public Transport
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is run by CIE (Córas Iompair Éireann) and operates public bus services throughout Dublin City as well as to a number of adjoining areas. Generally the fares range from €1.00 to €1.90 depending on how far you are travelling. It is important to note that Dublin Bus services only accept coins as payment and no change is given if you have more than the exact fare. However, prepaid tickets may be purchased from a large number of shops in the city and used when boarding the bus.
A full list of routes and timetables can be found on the Dublin Bus website.
LUAS - Tram System
The LUAS tram system is operated by Veolia Transport Ireland Ltd. There are currently only two LUAS routes in operation - The Red Line running from Connolly Station to Tallaght and the Green Line running from St. Stephen’s Green to Sandyford.
With approximately 80,000 people choosing to use the LUAS service on a daily basis, it has become a popular way to travel in recent years.
The LUAS routes currently operates:
Monday to Friday from 05.30am to 00.30am
Saturday from 06.30am to 00.30am
Sunday from 07.00am to 23.30pm
Bank Holidays from 07.00am to 00.30am
Further information can be found on the LUAS website.
Taxis
Unlike a number of other cities around the world, taxis in Dublin are not of the same vehicle make or colour. Taxis can be of any car design or colour. However, they are easily identified by the taxi plate located on the roof of the vehicle. They can be found at taxi rank or hailed off the street.
Taxis in Dublin use a meter to calculate the rate to be paid. The meter uses distance to determine the rate, however, if the speed drops below 21km/h a time rate is used instead of distance. There are currently two rates used to determine the final charge (depending on when you are travelling):
Standard Rate (08.00h - 20.00h)
- Initial Charge (includes 1km or 170 seconds)......€3.80
- Next 14km or 40mins (to max €17.20)................€0.95/km or €0.34/min
- Next 15km or 43mins (to max €36.00)................€1.25/km or €0.44/min
- Over 30km or 86mins (over €36.00)...................€1.63/km or €0.58/min
Premium Rate (20.00h - 08.00h & Sundays and Public Holidays)
- Initial Charge (includes 1km or 170 seconds)......€4.10
- Next 14km or 40mins (to max €21.70)................€1.25/km or €0.44/min
- Next 15km or 43mins (to max €43.50)................€1.45/km or €0.51/min
- Over 30km or 86mins (over €43.50)...................€1.63/km or €0.58/min
Additional Charges
- Booking Fee....................€2.00
- Additional passengers....€1.00 each
Tipping taxi drivers is not required however it will not be refused if offered.
Walking
Of course, probably the best way to travel around the city centre of Dublin is to hit the streets on foot. The most popular tourist areas in the city are reasonably close together and well within walking distance.
Strolling through the various areas you will soon witness how old Dublin meets the new modern developments and neither backdrop will seem out of place.
During the day the streets will be bustling with shoppers and workers running out to grab lunch. Even at night the streets are relatively safe. However, as is with all cities, it is best to keep to well lit and busy areas.
By Car
By Public Transport
By Foot
By Bike
Nightlife
Being the Irish capital, the first thing most travellers think of upon their arrival in Dublin is where can they get a decent pint! And for sure the city is not one to disappoint. The River Liffey creates a divide through the city between the Northside and the Southside - both of which offer a multitude of variously themed pubs and clubs. Some of the bigger places are quite obvious to the passerby, however a little venturing down winding streets and narrow lanes can provide satisfying rewards in the form of small, but homely pubs and bars. It's also not unusual to find larger clubs hidden away in obscure locations.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
Mid-Range
Upscale
The Burlington Hotel
A 4 Star Hotel in Ballsbridge, minutes walk from the Dublin city centre. It's a Dublin institution and it's recently been newly decorated and renovated. There's a newly renovated bar and lobby, renowned ballroom, modern conference facilities and opulent bedrooms, spacious restaurants and expert chefs.
Work
Learn
Emergency Services
The police service (An Garda Síochána) and fire services can be contacted by dialling 999 or 112 on any phone or mobile phone throughout the country.
National Police Service - An Garda Síochána
The police force in Ireland are called An Garda Síochána - more commonly referred to as "the Gardaí" or just simply "the Guards". Members of the force can be identified on the street usually by the green florescent jackets they wear with the word "GARDA" written on the back and front.
The Gardaí in Dublin police an area known as The Dublin Metropolitan Region which incorporates the city and County of Dublin as well as small portions of adjescent counties - Kildare (to the west) and Wicklow (to the South).
The current headquarters of An Garda Síochána is located in the Phoenix Park - one of the largest municipal parks in Europe, to the west of Dublin City.
Keep Connected
Internet
Dublin City is littered with Internet Cafes where you can gain access to the internet and make international calls for reasonable rates. However, most of them can be easily missed due to their small size or obscure locations off side streets. Most notable locations would be along O'Connell street and around the Temple Bar area.
Phone
Mobile Phone Networks:
There are currently four main mobile phone operators dominating the Irish market:
- Vodafone (prefix 087 - GSM900/1800 - 3G 2100)
- O2 (prefix 086 - GSM900/1800 - 3G 2100)
- Meteor (prefix 085 - GSM900/1800)
- Three (prefix 083 - GSM900/1800 - 3G 2100)
Most European phones and operators will allow you to roam on Irish networks, however you should ensure before arrival that your phone can operate on the GSM900/1800 network and that your service provider has set you up to allow roaming. This is especially true for visitors from outside the Eurozone.
Phone Boxes:
Due to the large take up of mobile phone use in Ireland in recent years, there has been somewhat of a decline in public phone boxes on the streets. But there still is a reasonable number of them around and these will accept coins or prepaid cards.
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This is version 38. Last edited at 3:13 on Jul 1, 08 by Hien (+204). 7 articles link to this page.
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