8 Important Tips for Visiting Dublin

Dublin is a city that sees millions of tourists walk through its streets every year. People from all over the world come to see what the Irish capital has to offer. They hear about its historical past, creamy pints, and friendly people. That’s travellers, I suppose, we’re curious.

Heading to a new city is an exciting but nerve-wrecking experience. The questions start to race through your mind, ‘Will I be okay?’ How will I get around? We’ve all been there; it’s normal. That’s why I’ve decided to put together a list of eight things to know before visiting Dublin. Some you may have heard of, while others may be new to you. Let’s get straight into it.

Dublin is one of my favorite cities in the world, so be sure to check out my ultimate list of things to do in Dublin as well as the Dublin City Card to check out the city while saving money!

You Can Drink The Tap Water

Tap water is perfectly safe to drink in Dublin. When you visit certain places in Europe, you’re not able to drink it, but thankfully in Dublin, you’re free to do so. The city’s taps are filled with hard water, which is known for its health benefits, so there’s no need to worry regardless of if you’re in a bar, at a hotel, or in a friend’s home. The only time you shouldn’t drink it is if it’s from the tap in the toilet, as it comes from the mains, which aren’t entirely clean.

There Are Some Amazing Viewpoints

When you hear of Dublin, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not viewpoints, but believe me, there are more than a handful. From some sneaky viewing spots in the city to hills with insane panoramic views. One that you can’t miss out on is the Hellfire Club, which is an abandoned haunted house that sits on top of Montpelier Hill that overlooks the whole of Dublin. It’s easily the best view in Dublin.

Dublin Is Safe

Dublin is absolutely safe for tourists to visit. Every capital city has good pockets and bad ones, but tourists rarely find themselves in the bad ones. Unfortunately, there are some pickpockets around the tourist areas that you should keep an eye out for, but by and large, there’s no need to be worried when you visit. It’s always important to know exactly where you’re going when walking at night. Avoid strolling down dark alleyways where you don’t have a clue where they lead to. It’s not common, but not unheard of that somebody walking alone at night is mugged or something along those lines. Better safe than sorry.

The Dublin Pass

You’ll find city passes in every city; some are worth it, others not so. The Dublin Pass is one that’s definitely worth considering. With it, you receive unlimited entry into 36 of the city’s top attractions, such as the Guinness Storehouse. Getting set up is easy peasy. All you have to do is head over to the Dublin Pass’s website select the number of days you want and activate your pass at the first attraction you go to. It’s that simple. Because the pass is priced on a daily basis, the more days you end up purchasing, the cheaper it is. For each day you get the pass for, a little bit of the price is knocked off, so it’s definitely worth it if you want to see lots of sights over a couple of days.

Transport

Transport in Dublin is developing constantly and plans to get even better in the future. The city has all that you need, such as connected bus routes, city trams, and nationwide train lines. Unfortunately, there’s no metro, but there are plans in place for one to be built in the future. The cheapest way of getting around is by taking the Dublin Bus. Use it when you can. That way, your pocket won’t be hurt too much. Trains, on the other hand, are a little bit more on the expensive side and should only be used if you want to get somewhere that little bit faster or there’s no bus running to the destination you’d like to go to.

The Weather

To put it lightly, the weather is pretty damn unpredictable most of the time in Dublin. One minute it could be lashing rain, and then all of a sudden you might catch a glimpse of sun. It’s up and down like a yo-yo. Packing for all types of weather is important, but if you do manage to forget something, there are plenty of shops around for all of your essentials. I’d advise you not to put too much emphasis on what the weather forecast says, as it can be incredibly inaccurate most of the time. People from Dublin always just assume that it’s going to rain, because then if it doesn’t, you’ve had a good day.

The Prices

Dublin isn’t a cheap city. In fact, it’s one of the most expensive cities in the whole of Europe. Whether you’re a traveler or just a local trying to get by, you’ll notice the prices hitting that wallet of yours. From dear pints to extortionate hotel prices, traveling to the Irish capital on a budget can be a tough one, but it’s doable. Use local supermarkets, use public transport and limit those experiences, or even take advantage of the ones that don’t cost a penny, like the many free museums, and you’ll be fine. Planning ahead for this in your budget is an important tip for visiting Dublin. Don’t forget to get your Dublin City Card to save money on attractions throughout the city!

Avoid Temple Bar

Temple Bar has long been a bit of a tourist trap in Dublin. While the media might portray it as the heart of Dublin, it’s not really all that. It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but it’s extremely expensive to buy anything there. As if Dublin wasn’t pricey enough? Plus, it’s not that big and A LOT of tourists head there throughout the day, so getting to see it in its purest form is quite rare, unless, of course, you go there at night, but even at that, you have people falling out of the pub. You’re better off heading down a couple of streets to the likes of George’s Street, where things are a little bit cheaper.

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This is a guest post written by fellow travel blogger (and Dublin-lover), Adam. Check out his site Where in Dublin for more about this fantastic city!

What do you wish you knew before visiting Dublin? Let me know in the comments!