Flying to Dublin...

Phil W · 3 Mar 2009 at 12:04

Hi all,

We're planning a trip to Dublin for a night out (Fly Saturday morning, return Sunday evening) and theres a couple of things we (well, my friends) need to know...

1. Wheres the cheapest place/airline to get flights with? Any silly cheap offers on at the moment?

2. Do you need a passport to go to Ireland? (Might sound daft, but i have a passport so i don't need to worry, i think a couple of mates planning to go dont have Passports however...)

3. We don't need to worry about accomodation as we can get rooms at the Holiday Inn at a good rate, but are there any *good* places worth going to? (Sites to see during the day, bars/clubs at night?)

Grouch · 3 Mar 2009 at 12:13

1. The cheapest airline is nearly always Ryanair, although Aer Lingus occasionally have good deals, depends where you're flying from

2. You need to use official photo ID, which in the UK is a passport or a full driving licence.

3. As far as bars and clubs go try and steer clear of Temple Bar, it's a tourist trap and you'll only meet other tourists.

Rich_L · 3 Mar 2009 at 12:16

I did this

We flew Ryanair for cheap as chips, stayed in a cheap Holiday Inn about 4-5 miles away, taxi cost €20 back from Temple Bar.

Went out in Temple Bar on the weekend of the Ireland/Wales match last year, was a great atmosphere, tons of people but everyone having a good time, drank many many many Guinesses and had an awesome time

Irish lasses are very friendly too

Adsta · 3 Mar 2009 at 12:20

Grouch said:
3. As far as bars and clubs go try and steer clear of Temple Bar, it's a tourist trap and you'll only meet other tourists.

wow someone that knows what they are on about ! :eek:

The amount of ppl that ive heard talking about how great the temple bar is..... meh

Explore a bit more there are loads of great pubs. Temple Bar is a rip. I would deffo go there once because it does look quite nice inside but I wouldnt have a whole night there.

ringo747 · 3 Mar 2009 at 12:25

Adsta said:
wow someone that knows what they are on about !

The amount of ppl that ive heard talking about how great the temple bar is..... me

Explore a bit more there are loads of great pubs. Temple Bar is a rip. I would deffo go there once because it does look quite nice inside but I wouldnt have a whole night there.

Exactly right, full of Italians and Spanish students smoking their heads off. Tis quite stinking at times with the foreign numptys! Plenty of other nice spots around the city though!

Phil W · 3 Mar 2009 at 15:48

Hmm, flights don't really seem that cheap, return trips are coming in around £55.

Bes · 3 Mar 2009 at 16:08

Bloody is cheap....

And AFAIK as Dublin is not part of the UK, you need a passport.

Vixen · 3 Mar 2009 at 16:11

Phil W said:
Hmm, flights don't really seem that cheap, return trips are coming in around £55.

Is that per person? I booked flights with Ryanair to Dublin last week and paid £32 for two people return. I think you need to book at the right time though - two weeks ago the same flights were £60 and now they're £112!

pingwing · 3 Mar 2009 at 16:16

Bes said:
Bloody is cheap....

And AFAIK as Dublin is not part of the UK, you need a passport.

Common travel arrangement with the UK and the Republic allow you to travel with just photo ID eg. provisional driving lisence, through port entry. The land boarder between north and south is effectivly open and free to pass through too though garda patrols do sometimes stop bus' to check for slightly more dubious entry from non EU states).

So yeah you only need some photo id. What the airlines require is a different matter, Ryanair always demand a passport but easy jet let you on with just a driving lisence or something similar.

drizzy · 3 Mar 2009 at 16:34

I'm Australian and had to show my passport and get it stamped at Irish immigration on the way into Dublin, though obviously you blokes will have slightly different rules. On the way back to London it was treated as a domestic flight and I couldn't have got my passport stamped if I wanted to, it was bloody bizarre.

Surely some dodgy sort could fly to Dublin, convince the Irish authorities that they're just there for a holiday, then fly into London and the UK would never know that that person was even in the country?

Arguably they could just convince the british chaps of the same thing that they're there for a holiday too, but at least they'd have a record of the passport/landing card ********.

Welshy · 3 Mar 2009 at 16:34

Temple Bar is a good night out, but don't be surprised if you get charged ridiculous amounts for your drinks. I went there myself last September time, and it cost just over £11 for a pint of Carlsberg and a tiny vodka and lemonade...

pingwing · 3 Mar 2009 at 16:40

drizzy said:
I'm Australian and had to show my passport and get it stamped at Irish immigration on the way into Dublin, though obviously you blokes will have slightly different rules. On the way back to London it was treated as a domestic flight and I couldn't have got my passport stamped if I wanted to, it was bloody bizarre.

Surely some dodgy sort could fly to Dublin, convince the Irish authorities that they're just there for a holiday, then fly into London and the UK would never know that that person was even in the country?

Arguably they could just convince the british chaps of the same thing that they're there for a holiday too, but at least they'd have a record of the passport/landing card ********.

Yep pretty much how it works. UK to the Republic (and back) is fairly loose if your from either (and Europe to a degree) same with traveling in and about the EU. For non Europeans its a bit hit n miss of how dogey you lock n so on. Just how it works.

Bes · 3 Mar 2009 at 16:42

drizzy said:
I'm Australian

More to the point, why on earth did you leave that glorious aussie weather for this rubbish?

Phil W · 3 Mar 2009 at 17:03

Vixen said:
Is that per person? I booked flights with Ryanair to Dublin last week and paid £32 for two people return. I think you need to book at the right time though - two weeks ago the same flights were £60 and now they're £112!

That is per person, yes.

Could be when we are wanting to fly, Friday depart and return on the Sunday.

I've done a few searches and ryanair is the cheapest.

Phil W · 3 Mar 2009 at 20:13

Just done some reading up and it seems you can travel to Dublin with a Photo ID such as Driving Licence. Probably a good job considering a couple of mates have never stepped foot out of England before!

Now just to find some cheaper flights....