{"id":2791,"date":"2019-02-17T19:37:31","date_gmt":"2019-02-17T19:37:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/overinireland.com\/?p=2791"},"modified":"2019-07-25T09:05:05","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T09:05:05","slug":"how-to-make-the-most-of-your-layover-in-dublin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/overinireland.com\/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-layover-in-dublin\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make the Most of Your Layover in Dublin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Any traveler can do a lot worse than have a layover in\nDublin. Actually, Dublin layovers happen often because Dublin is a hub for\ncross-Atlantic travel. For people traveling from the United State or Canada, Dublin\nis often the place where their feet touch European soil first. Thanks to\nRyanair, they can travel from Dublin affordably to most European countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how to make the most of a layover in Dublin? It mostly depends on how much time you\nhave. You\u2019ll need at least five hours of free time if you want to experience a\nbit of Dublin. Anything less, and you probably won\u2019t want to go to Dublin\nproper because, let\u2019s face it, spending an hour in Dublin might not be worth the\ntime spent getting to the city in heavy traffic. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the more time you have on your hands, the more\nthings you can do during a layover in Dublin. If you\u2019re want to how to\nprioritize sightseeing, experiencing the real Dublin, and enjoying the local\ncharm, keep reading. We\u2019ll help you figure out how to cram as much of it in the\ntime you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What to Do with a Short Layover in Dublin?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you only have a couple of hours between two\nflights, and you\u2019re not sure whether you\u2019ll be able to get to Dublin and back\nin time for check-in. In that case,\nyou\u2019re probably wondering what\u2019s the minimum time you need between flights to\nhave a good shot at enjoying a layover in the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The math is easy. One of Dublin Airport\u2019s top tips for air travel is to be at the check-in at least ninety minutes before the scheduled departure time for European flights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For flights to the United States, check-in opens three hours before the flight. And then you should factor in the time you need to get out of the transit area and into Ireland, which can take up to half an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, passengers who have two hours between flights shouldn\u2019t expect to spend any time in Dublin. However, even if they would have an extra hour, or even two, Dublin might still be out of their reach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airport is located seven miles north of the city center, and a round trip can take an hour by car, or an hour and a half by bus. If the traffic is bad, add a half of an hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best place to spend a three- or four-hour layover in\nDublin is to avoid going to the city center. Instead of heading south, head\nnortheast to Malahide. It\u2019s a suburb on the coast with a pretty marina, nice\nplaces to grab a delicious quick bite, and a castle to visit. Plenty of charm\nthere for a relaxing layover and all of\nthat is only a fifteen-minute drive away from the airport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Spend a Longer Layover in Dublin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have five hours or more, you can start thinking about\nvisiting Dublin. Check the traffic first, though, because a serious traffic jam\ncan leave you spending the layover on a\nbus on your way to the city. If you\u2019re lucky enough, a five-hour layover will\ngive you, at best, two hours to spend in Dublin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the best way to spend two hours in Dublin? Well, it\ncan depend on the time of the day, whether you\u2019re visiting at the peak of the\nseason, and how much money you want to invest in your layover. It\u2019s safe to\nsay, however, that you won\u2019t have enough time to taste Dublin\u2019s cultural offer,\nespecially the places that tend to have queues for getting in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want the touristy type of enjoyment, there\u2019s only one\naddress for you \u2014 the Temple Bar District. However, because Dublin\u2019s premier\ntourist spot tends to have plenty of tourists wandering\naround it, it\u2019s possible you\u2019ll spend more time finding your way through the\ncrowd than doing anything worthwhile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But don\u2019t let that bring you down. You can, instead, visit Dublin\u2019s and maybe even Ireland\u2019s<\/a> oldest pub, the Brazen Head, and grab a plate of mussels if there\u2019s a free spot. Or, you can stroll along the River Liffey, or walk around the St. Stephen\u2019s Green, or even have a picknick if the weather is nice. Dublin has heavily regulated its busking scene, but you can still hear amazing music on Grafton Street. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plan well, you can spend even a short layover in\nDublin and still do the quintessential things. Hang out with the locals in a\npub over a pint? Check. Eat a quick plate of a local specialty? Check. Take a\nwalk and experience the Irish weather? Check. Listen to local musicians? Check.\nWhat else do you need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do if You Have More Time?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re wondering how big of a layover you need to fully\nexperience Dublin, the answer is \u2014 too big. Technically speaking, a layover can\nonly last around 24 hours for international flights, and significantly less for\ndomestic flights. And because it would take you a couple of whole days to fully\nexperience Dublin, a layover wouldn\u2019t cut it. You\u2019d need a stopover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the good news is that, no matter how long your layover\ngets, there will always be a way to use the time you have. The more time you\nhave, for example, the more attractive the Temple Bar District will look for spending some of it. Instead of a quick\nmeal, you can have a full lunch or dinner in one of the fine establishments\nDublin has in spades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to approach is to make a list of things you\u2019d\nlike to see beforehand, and then map a route that will allow you to see everything.\nSome of the things that could find their way into that list are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n