Ireland August 2024
- chiannhager
- Sep 30, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 10, 2024
My Ireland adventure began in Dublin:
I spent four days at the Academy Plaza Hotel
US Visitors | Academy Plaza Hotel Dublin | 15% Advanced Purchase Discount | Rated Excellent Location
The hotel was in the perfect location off O'Connell Street city center.
This gives easy access to walk through the city to Trinity College, Temple Bar District, or just go to the many restaurants and shops along O'Connell street.
Day 1 - Dublin
Took the Hop On Hop Off Bus around Dublin
I reserved my tickets through Viator, so when I arrived all I had to do is go to the bus stop (a block from the hotel) and hop on the bus!
There are a couple different companies, I used DuDublin and they did great.
TIP: Taking the Hop on Hop off bus all the way around lets you see everything available on the route. Where the stops are and what is nearby. You can plan out your day or next few days depending on your schedule and how long you will be in Dublin.
Trinity College to see the Book of Kells
Hop on Hop off has a stop here, so it was easy to hop off here and go into the Trinity Library. The Book of Kells was a wonderful museum display. Filled with information and details from the four Gospels of the Bible. The book itself is kept under glass in a darker room protected from light. Pictures are not allowed in this room. However, I was able to take pictures of the displays and there is a mock Book of Kells in the Library, and I was able to get a picture of that.
Get your tickets for Trinity, Book of Kells, and more tours in Dublin:
Guiness Storehouse - A must do in Dublin:
You get a free pint of Guiness at the end of the tour. You can do a regular Experience tour or a VIP tour which will include a tour of Jameson Distillery. There are many different options, so you decide which fits you and your vacation the best.
Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe Dublin in the Temple Bar District:
This is my personal adventure! I try to go to every Hard Rock Cafe in cities and Countries whenever I can find them. :)
Atmosphere is pretty much the same at all Hard Rock Cafe's but the inside designs are always different and just a fun place to go.
HINT: There is a surcharge added to meals in the Temple Bar District. This makes the final bill a little higher. On a good note, the extra money goes toward keeping the Temple Bar area clean and safe.
Day 2:
Cliffs of Moher Tour Including Wild Atlantic Way and Galway City from Dublin
This was a full day tour. We saw so many beautiful sites and landscapes across Ireland.
I booked my tour on Viator and Used "Wild Rover Tours" - The tour guy and bus driver were fun and very familiar with the areas.
Day 3:
Walked around Dublin - Ate on O'Connel Street - Used the Luas Tram
The Luas Tram takes you all around Dublin. There are two stop right next to the Academy Plaza Hotel where I stayed.
I suggest you purchase a Leap Card at least 30 days before you leave home. There are a few options for the Leap Card and it depends on how long you plan on being in Dublin.
The Leap card is also valid to use on the Dublin Bus, so you can decide which is better for where you are going. The Tram or a Bus
I ordered a Visitor Leap card in advance, so when I arrived in Dublin, I was ready to go.
A ‘Leap Visitor Card’ is valid for 1, 3 or 7 days depending on how much you pay. The prices are as follows:
24 hours – €8.00
72 hours – €16.00
7 days – €32.00
It is super easy to use! When you get to the tram stop, just tap your Leap Card on the Post. Then when the tram comes, you just walk on.
****Important**** You MUST tap your card before every ride and on the Tram, you must tap again when you get off.
On Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland, touch the card against the Leap Card Validator on the right-hand side as you enter the bus.
On Luas (tram), Touch On at a Validator on the platform before you get on the tram and Touch Off when you get off the tram.
On DART and Commuter Rail, Touch On at the platform entry gate or Validator before your journey and Touch Off at the platform exit gate or Validator after your journey. The card can be used between stations within the Short Hop Zone.
Lunch on O'Connell Street:
Flannigan's Pub is in the center of O'Connell street, so I stopped in to have an Irish Pub experience. I ordered a simple burger and fries. They have regular condiments like ketchup and mustard on the table. However, it came with a mayo type sauce which was very good on both my burger and I dipped my fries too. :) The Pub has a good atmosphere with a mixture of locals and quite a few tourists which makes sense because O'Connell street is a very tourist part of the city.
Walking around and looking at all the historical buildings and statues on O'Connell street alone was fun. I also stepped into a McDonalds to use the restroom and bought a smoothy.
I have added some pictures below of different things I saw while walking around. There is so much to see and do in Dublin and I took hundreds of pictures, but I can't show you everything on this page, so here are a few highlights to give you an idea. :)
Evening in the Hotel:
After three full days of touring and sightseeing, we had a relaxing evening in the hotel. There is a very nice lounge area and a good restaurant with a large breakfast buffet and a sit-down dinner menu.
Europe breakfast always includes beans, stewed tomatoes, Sausage, potatoes, and blood sausage (I tried it, because you need to try it at least once) and of course always a cup of tea!
Dinner was simple on this last night in Dublin - We had pizza and Fish & Chips
Next stop on my Ireland Adventure is the city of Waterford:
Day 1 - I reserved a car from Daytrip to pick us up at the Academy Plaza hotel and drive us to Waterford Castle. This was about a 2 1/2 hour drive.
Our driver was great! Friendly, personable, talked to us about the area. He had bottles of water and snacks in the car for us. Very comfortable Mercedes Benz Sadan with plenty of room for a relaxing ride.
Waterford Castle is on an island in Waterford and can only be reached by a ferry:
Waterford Castle is beautiful inside the lobby and the grounds surrounding it:
I was here for a wedding and stayed in the Castle Lodges on the property. These are three-bedroom, two story town houses, which include fully functional kitchens, and laundry facilities in each unit. These are very reasonably priced and our great for family vacations or friends get togethers.
The only point I will make is the castle does not offer transportation around the island or to your lodge, so if you do not have a car, you can expect a little walk to the castle. There are walking trails, and the grounds are beautiful so if you are able to walk a mile or so, you won't have any problems. Rain can however be a problem (remember you are in Ireland).
NOTE: If you or anyone in your party has difficulty walking and needs special assistance, make sure you have a car to use for transportation. There are no special facilities or options. Also keep in mind, the bedrooms in the Lodges, are on the second floor, so if you are not able to climb stairs the Lodge is not going to be a good fit.
UBER is available in Ireland, it is actually a taxi service but you use the UBER App.
I ordered an UBER to go to the local grocery store to get food for the two days in the Lodge. UBER showed up in a taxi cab and took me to an Aldi and then back to the Lodge. It all worked perfectly with no issues at all. The drivers were great and talked about Ireland and the Waterford area.
I would love to go back and spend time in Waterford to see the Waterford Crystal factory and visit the town. This was a short two day stay for attending a wedding.
Used Daytrip again for a ride back to Dublin airport. We got the same driver that brought us to Waterford, so that was great!
Last night in Ireland was spent at the Crown Plaza Hotel Dublin Airport
They offered airport transportation - Had a restaurant and lounge - the rooms were larger than some of the European hotels.
It was a nice finish to a wonderful Ireland vacation!
Start planning your Ireland vacation
Be sure to see a week in Scotland!
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