The main tourist area in Dublin is relatively compact. On the south side of the Liffey River, you can walk from Trinity College to the Guinness Storehouse in about 30 minutes. On the north side of the river, the LUAS tram is a fast and easy way to go from east to west.

If you plan to get around mostly on foot, stay on the south side. If someone in your family wants to ride a tram every day just for the fun of it, stay north. Either way, if you’re close to the river and near one tourist site that interests you, you’re in a central enough location.

If you like to sleep, don’t stay in the Temple Bar area. The nightlife is loud and the party goes past midnight every night.

We found a very comfortable 2 bedroom apartment with StayCity Aparthotel on Augustine Street in the Liberties. It was about two thirds of the way from Trinity to Guinness Storehouse and a block from the the Brazenhead. The brand is comparable to Residence Inn here in the US.

We chose to stay at this particular property because each apartment has an all-in-one unit washer/dryer combo. We love being able to put our dirty (and in Ireland, often wet) clothes in at bedtime and wake up to clean, dry laundry each the morning. It helps us travel light and ensures that G can wear her favorite shirt every single day if she wants to!

Public transport in plentiful, cheap, and accessible, but if you’re staying in a central location, you’ll probably do a lot of walking. We really appreciated that there were signposts everywhere, pointing tourists in the right direction to popular sites. It’s much easier to keep your eyes on kids if you’re not trying to read Google maps on the phone!

The LUAS tram runs from east to west on the north side of the river. For single rides, or a one day pass, you can buy tickets from the machine at each stop. If you want a multi-day ticket, or if you plan to use commuter rail services to visit nearby towns, the Leap Visitor Card is your best option.

An Irish Trap is what we Americans would call a horse and buggy. The steady rhythm of hoofbeats and the light jostling of the carriage are soothing to the senses. It’s a great way sneak in an extra activity at the end of a busy day! Horse and Trap drivers usually park at the St. Stephen’s Green, Trinity College Gate and the Guinness Storehouse. You can take one of their set routes, or ask the driver to quote a price to bring you (almost) anywhere.

Dublin is a generally safe city with a very low rate of violent crime. Use the same level of caution that you would use in a large US city and all will go well.

Pickpocketing is a serious problem in crowded tourist areas, especially around Temple Bar in the evenings when people are too busy enjoying their pints to watch their belongings.

At night, the Liffey River Boardwalk is a favorite spot for drug dealers and addicts. The sidewalk across the street from the boardwalk is sketchy north of the river, but reasonably safe on the south side.

The main train stations are safe at all times, but the surrounding side streets attract the wrong sorts of people after dark.

Summers in Dublin are mild, with the high temperatures usually in the high 60’s. In spring and fall, expect daytime temps in the 50’s, and 40’s in the winter. Dublin gets measurable rain about 140 days out of the year, so plan accordingly!

What to Bring