Hello – my name’s Ben and I work on the travel team here at PayingTooMuch.com. Last week I had the crazy idea to take my girlfriend to Dublin for 24 hours. Lots of people asked me “is it worth it for 1 night?” well YES – and here’s why….
Thursday Afternoon Flight
Dublin is located on Ireland’s east coast – only 288 miles from London and 166 miles from Manchester. We flew on the 18:20 Flybe flight from Southampton on Thursday evening, which landed at 19:40. There are numorous flight options from mainland Britain to Dublin, and prices can be cheap if booked far enough ahead.
After landing, there’s a short walk to the coach which will take you directly into Dublin city centre. A taxi will cost about €30, but the coach is just as convenient and costs only €7/person. The journey time is approximately 25-30 minutes.
The Best Steak EVER
We decided to stay in Dublin’s notorious night-life centre – Temple Bar. But don’t worry – Temple Bar is nothing like Magaluf. It’s full of rich Irish culture and lays home to some fantastic Irish musicians, but more on that later!
Consulting TripAdvisor, we saw that the #15th ranked restaurant was just around the corner. RESULT. F.X.Buckley Steakhouse was packed, but the manager found us a table, and I’m so glad he did. The meat was simply one of the best steaks I’ve ever had – and I consider myself a beef specialist! F.X.Buckley Steakhouse is an absolute must visit.
Traditional Irish Music
OK – at €7.50/pint the beer isn’t cheap, but it’s only 24 hours, right? Dublin has some excellent nightlife, and a visit to Temple Bar is a must. Located just a three minute walk from Dublin city centre, Temple Bar is a stretch of bars, restaurants and venues which radiate all that’s typically Irish. Think P.S. I Love You.
Most bars have live music from 3pm all the way through to 1am. We found a quieter pub which was perfect for a few post-dinner drinks. Be prepared for lots of Sham Rock and Wild Rover. But that’s exactly why you’d go, right?
Pulling The Perfect Guinness
After a late breakfast on Friday morning, we headed to Dublin’s #1 tourist attraction – The Guinness Storehouse. Arthur Guinness created the famous beer in Dublin in 1759, and St James’s Gate Brewery has been brewing Guinness ever since.
A 20 minute walk from the city centre, The Guinness Storehouse sits within the original Guinness brewery and guides visitors through the history and brewing of Guinness. There are tastings and interactive experiences along the way.
At the end of the tour your ticket gives you a free pint of Guinness! You can either take a lesson on how to pull the perfect pint of draught, as I did, or you can have someone pull your beer for you. And where better to enjoy your beer than in the Gravity bar at the top of the brewery, which offers uninterrupted 360-degree views over the whole of Dublin.
Neither myself nor my girlfriend are big Guinness drinkers, but we both really enjoyed the tour. Even if you don’t drink at all, you’ll find the interactive displays, distinctive smells and amazing views well worth the visit.
Homeward Bound
Our final few hours in Dublin were taken up with cafes, shopping and a quick bite to eat. We boarded the return coach to the airport at 6pm and were back in Southampton by 9pm.
24 hours definitely wasn’t too short, but we could easily have spent another night enjoying Temple Bar’s Irish music and beer. A quick trip to Dublin is definitely something you should consider if you fancy a weekend away with a difference. Dublin – we’ll be back!
