Dublin Short Breaks Guide

Dublin has been a city of huge influence over the years. Founded by the Vikings, it became the capital of Ireland under the Normans to then become the second city of the British Empire. These days Dublin has become the European home for US-owned companies like Google and Facebook, but has suffered badly after the credit crunch and the young Irish are leaving in their droves to Australia and North America. It’s now a cosmopolitan city just like many UK regional cities so you have to dig that little bit deeper to find the Dublin of old, but it’s definitely worth looking for and a joy to behold when it’s found.

It’s no longer the destination of choice for rowdy stag and hen parties now that Eastern Europe has stolen them away making central Dublin much more bearable for those who want to enjoy the finer aspects of Dublin culture and nightlife. Dublin has a superb selection of luxury hotels situated on the margins of the city, and a number of currently under used-restaurants worthy of far more mention than they’re getting.

Getting to Dublin
Dublin is the home of Ryanair, so you can fly with them if you want – it’s just not much of a holiday is it? So from London take BA or BMI from Heathrow or even good old Aer Lingus. You can make your own choice using our Ireland flights guide.

If you live in the north of England we strongly recommend considering taking the Irish Ferries Dublin Swift service from Holyhead to Dublin Port. It’s fast, just 1.5 hours, convenient if you want to get to an out-of-town hotel like the Radisson SAS St. Helens Hotel and the first class section is excellent value for money. There are a number of alternative ferry routes to try if you are travelling from other parts of the UK to use our ferry price comparison page to get a one-stop overview of what is on offer.