Dublin is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go back to, and it’s a place my friend, Arielle, always wanted to visit so we decided to fly here after our week in England. I’d actually spend four days in Dublin seven years ago, and wrote this post about it, so I re-read it to remind myself what to do here, like visiting Howth cliffs!

We had a few things on our agenda: find an Airbnb in a good location, sightsee and visit the Guinness Storehouse, try afternoon tea, have a nice dinner, and go on a day trip to the coast.

Transportation and Lodging in Dublin

We really had just 2.5 days, but it was plenty of time to do everything we wanted. Our goal was to spend day one sightseeing, day two at the coast and come back to Dublin for a nice dinner, then the half day we had on day three visiting the Guinness factory before our evening flight.

We stayed at this Airbnb which was my first time doing a shared house (a room in someone else’s house) since my Couchsurfing days. I think it was around $70/night which is a steal for Dublin. We were on the river near the Guinness Storehouse. Key things about this spot are that the Airlink (shuttle from the airport) stops right outside their apartment and the sightseeing bus also does!

The Airlink 747 bus is a big green bus outside Dublin airport that goes all over town. It was 12 Euro for a return ticket. It is slow but way cheaper than a taxi, especially in traffic so I wouldn’t take it again this far.

The Sightseeing bus is the same one I used years ago! I wrote back then about how it saves money on transportation because you can use it from your hotel/Airbnb to town and back so the hop on hop off part within the town is kind of like a bonus. These are the big red open top buses. It’s 19 Euro for an adult ticket. If you plan to see the Guinness Storehouse and sightsee near Temple Bar all in one day, this bus will be a great deal for you.

Sightseeing in Dublin

Dublin has some key sites like the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Castle, St Stephen’s Green, Temple Bar, and Trinity College to name a few. Dublin is nothing like London where you need all day walking a million miles to see everything; you can just wander slowly and see a lot of the key attractions.

One of the best things about revisiting a city is that there’s less pressure to “see it all” and Arielle isn’t that into crazy sightseeing so we just kept it casual and checked out the places I mentioned above, skipping out on some smaller places. We ate at the Brazenhead which was near our Airbnb, and it was really tasty. They say it’s the oldest pub in Dublin!

The Guinness Storehouse was 11 Euro when I went years back and is 25 Euro now. Honestly, I think it’s way too much money to tour how they make Guinness and the Gravity bar up top is too crowded to even enjoy it. I don’t like Guinness, but I guess if you do then you might think it’s worth the cash. I’d also been here before, so maybe it just wasn’t as “wow” the second time around.

Rocking my airport clothes, haha, we headed there after this

Cheers to my bestie since I was 5!

Afternoon Tea at the Westin

One of Arielle’s things she wanted to do was afternoon tea. In Ireland, that involves gin apparently! I had no idea the Irish liked gin so much. We went for afternoon tea at the Westin and didn’t have tea at all, but a gin cocktail served in a teapot. Yumz!

We tried everything on the platter from the pork to crab cones, but we aren’t fancy people (haha, far from it!) so the salmon and caviar weren’t really our thing. It was so funny because the waitress came over and was like “do you not eat fish?” and we said oh not really raw stuff, and she’s like well what did you like most and I’ll bring it out – we’re like the turkey wrap! haha, the most basic thing of them all, but it was so tasty!

The banana bread and desserts were so good. I highly recommend having an afternoon tea in Dublin! Sightseeing can be tiring and around the Temple Bar it seems like the other thing to “do” is stop in for a beer in a crowded bar. So, doing the tea was a really nice kind of different thing to do. The Westin’s was great.

Dinner at Conrad Coburg Brasserie

Arielle and I went for a fancy dinner for our last meal in Ireland at the Coburg Brasserie inside the Conrad Hotel. The hotel invited us, and it was a complimentary meal in case I wanted to feature it on the blog. I never write about stuff I don’t like, and this was really yummy and a nice treat for us.

We both had tomato soup to start then I got a burger and Arielle had the steak. The food was delicious, but the drinks were the best part. They have a menu based on travel (hence inviting me to come try!) and it’s a menu that tells the story of Gulliver’s Travels through the drinks. Did you know the author, Jonathon Swift, was an Irish writer!?

The drinks are a work of art! My first one had the ingredients listed then it said: “and a touch of magic”. It came out with a lid that when I lifted it, smoke came out and it was a smokey flavored drink. Another said “and a fact” and there was a little scroll on it with a fact about the author.

The dessert platter was delicious. Their take on banoffee pie was so tasty and Arielle’s favorite dessert of the trip! Mine too!

Day Trip to the Coast: Howth

If you go to Dublin, you must take half a day at least to go to Howth! The photos will talk you into it more than I ever could so, check these out.

Getting to Howth Cliffs:

Just take a taxi to Connelly train station in Dublin and there are trains every 10 minutes or so to Howth. Tickets were about 6 Euro round trip. The last train leaves Howth back to Dublin at 11 pm, so don’t miss it. It’s just a 25-minute journey!

What to do in Howth:

The Dog House is next to the train station and is pretty popular so we popped in here for a coffee to take to the harbor. The market (food and souvenirs) is across the street from the train station but didn’t open until a little later in the day.

The Dog House

When you get to Howth, you’ll be right near the Harbor, so you can go check that out first and see the seals and fishing boats. Some of the most famous restaurants are right here.

After hanging out and people (and seal) watching by the harbor, we started our walk up Howth Cliffs. I recommend doing the walk first and saving lunch for after because it’s pretty hard and would be impossible in a fish n chips food coma.

There are four walk options, we did the shortest which was about two hours.

We played around taking lots of photos, so I guess you could try to do this in an hour and a half, but it’s so beautiful I bet you’ll want to stop for lots of pics, too!

The flowers were so pretty all along the cliffs and the water was so BLUE!

How stunning is this! Even though I had been here, it was just as beautiful (maybe even more so) this time and I’m glad I came back.

We were exhausted after and went for lunch at The Brass Monkey where Arielle had a huge greasy delicious burger and I had greasy fish n chips with some potato and leak soup. Oh yeah, we had the calamari too because why not!? I am the worst over-ordering on the planet.

I think you’d be crazy to go to Dublin and not take time for the coast! This is 10x better than exploring the buildings in Dublin for me. Arielle liked this the most of her whole time abroad. It’s less than 30 minutes from Dublin and 6 Euro to get there and back, so it’s really worth it.

That’s our trip to Dublin and Howth in just under 3 days! Pin it for later:

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Call me a hopeless romantic, but I just love the Rom-com, P.S. I Love You.

The movie by itself is sweet and heartfelt, but the scenes based in Ireland seriously had me itching to grab an umbrella and run away to the Emerald Isle.

So while planning my trip to Ireland, I must confess, I must have watched the movie at least 3 times and was determined to visit all the lovely spots highlighted in the movie. I drooled over the beautiful scenery and couldn’t wait to explore all of the lakes, misty mountains, and quaint villages featured.

The PS I Love You Guide to Ireland

If you’re like me and found yourself daydreaming about Ireland; casually boating around beautiful lakes by day, and being serenaded at the local pub by night…then this post is for you.

Dublin

Naturally, you just can’t film a movie in Ireland without incorporating Dublin.

The romantic and fun loving pub scene where Gerry finds Holly in the crowd and sings Galway Girl to her was actually filmed at Whelan’s pub on Wexford Street. True to the film, Whelan’s is a venue for live music and is an outstanding traditional Irish pub.

A post shared by Whelan’s Bar (@whelanslive) on Dec 14, 2015 at 9:16am PST

If you’re looking for other popular areas for traditional pubs in Ireland, Temple Bar is the place to go. Although it caters to the tourists, it’s the spot for Dublin’s pub scene and nightlife.

County Wicklow

Take a deep breath and inhale that cool mountain air…you are now in County Wicklow.

About an hour’s drive south of Dublin, you enter into Ireland’s gorgeous countryside where the majority of the Ireland scenes from P.S. I Love You were filmed.

Rugged and romantic, it’s not much of a surprise why Wicklow was chosen. County Wicklow is known as the Garden of Ireland, and it’s rich in history and folklore.

But P.S. I Love You isn’t the first movie filmed in this part of Ireland. Wicklow seems to be Hollywood’s filming location of choice with Braveheart also being filmed here.

The Sally Gap

In the heart of the Wicklow Mountains National Park, you will find Sally Gap.

This location is special because it is the spot where Holly and Gerry first meet (and later kiss!). This scenic mountain pass is the perfect location for a romantic meeting place.

The landscape has a serene and peaceful feel to it with miles of greenery speckled with the most adorable cotton-balled sheep.

Lacken Village

As Holly and Gerry walk through the Wicklow countryside, they are in fact walking towards the small village of Lacken.

Most noted for its scenic views of the Blessington Lakes, this quaint village is worth a stop, even if only for the photos.

Blessington Lakes

One of my favorite scenes from the movie was filmed on Blessington Lake.

Gerry surprises Holly by sending her and her closest girlfriends to Ireland. While spending the day fishing on the lake, the gals manage to get stuck, and have to be rescued by a ruggedly handsome Irishman (yes, because this happens all the time…).

Glendalough

Although not featured in the film, you simply can’t come to County Wicklow without visiting Glendalough.

With dark and mysterious lakes tucked in between deep glacial valleys, this spot is one of the most beautiful gems in the entire country. While walking through the valley, you’ll find it has a tranquil and almost spiritual feel to it.

For more Western Europe Travel Guides:

• Sample Backpacking Western Europe Itinerary
• London Packing List for the Fall
• 10 Backpacking Europe Experiences

Pin the PS I Love You guide to Ireland for later:

Tiffany is the founder behind the faith-based travel blog, Lavender Vines. What began as a year abroad to “get travel out of her system” before entering the real world, has transpired into a non-stop love affair with…the real world. 54 countries later, she shares her adventures from around the world and back to inspire others to do the same. Follow her journey on her blog, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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After my first time to Europe and visiting only the popular cities in the West, I was dreaming of Eastern Europe the whole next year in University waiting for summer to come around. It took ages to plan my sample Eastern Europe itinerary – and I’m going to detail it all here for you now that it’s said and done.

I’ve written about all these cities before so there will be links throughout with proper guides. As I mentioned in my sample western Europe itinerary, I didn’t have the funds at the time to go to Ireland and Spain as they would have required flying with my time constraints. Therefore, I made sure to hit those up first before heading East.

I mentioned Ireland and Spain in my Western Europe itinerary and as I said you could do Ireland first, then the Western Itinerary I wrote about, ending in Spain, then flying to Greece so start this “Eastern Europe” itinerary. So, I will start with Greece now!

Sample Eastern Europe Itinerary for Backpackers

1. Athens, Greece. Flying into Athens was exciting, but nerve-wrecking as my backpack didn’t make it and I didn’t have anything but almonds and my journal in my carry-on. First thing to know about Athens, is in July and hot months no one is there. They are on vacation because it’s so hot! The city was a little dirty and desolate to be honest, but interesting and of course seeing the ancient ruins at Acropolis was very cool. Tips for travel to Athens.

2. Mykonos, Greece. Mykonos is a party island. From Athens, you need to take a ferry to the closest port and you’ll want to find a travel agent in town to book your ferry tickets. They’re a little pricey if you’re comparing to Thailand islands. Mykonos was gorgeous, expensive, had delicious food, and there are quiet areas if you know where to look; we found a cute apartment in a secluded area. Read more: The Best of Mykonos Greece

3. Santorini, Greece. In terms or partying and gorgeousness, Santorini takes the cake. There’s no question as to why this is the most tourist island. It’s stunning. You have the famous sunsets and that white on blue rounded architecture everywhere you look. Food was a little pricey but scrumptious and the shops were full of the cutest stuff. I couchsurfed here mainly to save money and also because we hadn’t experienced Greece like a local. We stayed with a model/scuba instructor and had a blast club hopping the whole time and exploring the island on bikes. Read on for tips: What I love about Santorini Greece: Scuba and the Gods

4. Corfu, Greece. Corfu is the “green” island. The water is so clear, but with lush green forests in the background. Actually, it looks a lot like Thailand. We stayed at popular party hostel the Pink Palace, which is retrospect was a mistake as they trap you a bit from seeing the local parts of the island.

5. Tirana, Albania. So Albania was a bit of an accident. We pretty much were stuck in Santorini and told we had to go to Italy in order to get to our next city (Dubrovnik). The only other option was taking a ferry to the southern bit of Albania and going via taxi north, as local buses are hit and miss. We did take local buses / hitchhike through Albania through Montenegro to Croatia. We started via local bus to Tirana and met a cool chick, Bena, who shared all the secret local hotspots of Albania with us, from beaches and bars to UNESCO sites.

6. Dubrovnik, Croatia. After a couple of days of unplanned travel, we made it to Dubrovnik and I was overwhelmed with how much I loved this city. If there was one place I wanted to go back to and take Ben, it would be this town. I know it’s become more touristy partially with help from Game of Thrones filming on the castle. It’s a medieval wonderful town. Fabulous food and so gorgeous overlooking the sea that I didn’t mind the small crowds. We stayed at a Sobe in the Old Town which I 100% recommend. They will find you at the bus station.

7. Sarajevo, Bosnia. Sarajevo was a bit of a culture shock after being in beach party towns, not to say we didn’t party in Sarajevo (I was only 20 after all). A place not so long ago destroyed by war, you can still see the destruction today and learning about the history of that war is very important. This was the first place I’d been that had a call to prayer, but was interesting in that there were also Christian churches and Synagogues in the same intersection. Also, the food was incredible as well as the coffee! Definitely buy a coffee set here.

8. Belgrade, Serbia. Not only interesting, but affordable. It’s a cool town to see but I was there only a short time. There was a beer festival in Belgrade happening so you can only imagine what I was up to. We found a hotel online and it was 3 bucks a night with breakfast. How is that possible!?

9. Budapest, Hungary. The first thing I learned about Budapest is that one side of the river is Buda and one side is called pest. I recommend doing a walking tour of the city to learn, and I also couchsurfed here. Mostly, we learned about what happened there during world war 2, which has always interested me. Make sure to visit the famous Szechyeni baths, which is a highlight of a trip to Budapest.

10. Krakow, Poland. Although I liked the walking tour and learned a lot, I found the city a bit boring. Perhaps the weather had something to do with it. I did enjoy the town fair and markets. I’m sure it was a fluke that I didn’t have a blast, but I would go back. Read more tips for visiting Krakow.

11. Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is incredible! Spend as much time here as you can. Affordable, great food, amazing history and architecture, and a fun nightlife. I couchsurfed here and loved seeing the city from a locals view. Read for some tips on Prague.

12. Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. This place is about 4 hours from Prague by a cheap bus that offers hot chocolate and a movie! The town is the “last bohemian town” with a castle uniquely hand-painted to look like it’s more fancy architecture than it really is. There is a moat with beers, lots of little homey bars, and your hostel will possibly offer you a joint fix on arrival.

So, there you have it, my sample Eastern Europe itinerary based on my own trip. All in all I started the trip flying into Irelend, then flying to Spain, then onward via flight to Greece. The rest is as you read, then after Cesky, we took a bus back to Prague to fly to Ireland to catch the roundtrip flight home.

I had more fun on my trip to Eastern Europe than Western Europe, and although some people think it’s not as easy to travel, I found that wasn’t true except lack of buses in Northern Albania and Montenegro. It was very affordable and I learned a lot.

I hope you found this Eastern European backpacking itinerary helpful! Remember to find a cheap flight using my tips and get some travel insurance that covers adventure sports. If you’re planning a trip, check out my tips on how to plan a trip from scratch.

Pin this sample Eastern Europe itinerary for later:

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So many backpackers don’t make it to Ireland because they don’t want to add an additional flight. That was why I didn’t go my first time to Europe. Even with budget airlines, sometimes flights seem out of the question. I absolutely loved Dublin, although I was there only 4 days. I hope that anyone who is counting Ireland out on their list, pinches a few pennies and gets there! Dublin has old cobblestone streets, vintage pubs, little shops instead of massive malls, and extremely nice people.

7 travel tips you shouldn’t miss in and around Dublin, Ireland.

1. Take the double decker sightseeing bus. Not just for sightseeing, but to save money! I’m aware how lame it sounds. Dublin isn’t the only city where I’ve found this is the case. It was cheaper for us to get a 2 day “student” Dublin Bus Tour pass, at 14 euro, which stops at 23 places, than it would have been to pay for a 2 day metro pass, plus the extra cabs we’d have to take. You can get on and off the tour bus as you like and pick up the next one when you’re ready. It saved money, showed us places we hadn’t realized were worth seeing, and we didn’t have to use as many brain cells staring at maps. Remember to check the tour bus cost in cities you visit to see if a pass can save you transport money! Some of the more memorable places in Dublin on the tour were Trinity College (Oscar Wilde is an Alumni of, and students will give you tours), St. Stephen’s Green, and Kilmainham Gaol, a museum and former prison.

2. Check out the “secret” Dubh Linn gardens where many locals go to have lunch. This is where Dublin gets its name; Dubh Linn meaning Dark Lake. These are located just behind the Dublin Castle, which you can wander around for free. Like most castles, you’ll have to pay to go inside (I didn’t due to budgeting, but will when I go back).

3. Learn to pour the perfect pint of Guinness. To save money, go to the Guinness Storehouse right before it closes and use those free pints as a little pre-game for your night out. After an afternoon nap, the tour bus took us to the Storehouse. Next a tour through the factory learning about hops and other beer related terms, we went to the rooftop at Gravity Bar for a free pint and an amazing view. We actually ended up for a few extra tickets somehow and chugged down as much free Guinness as we could, considering that’s a hard beer to drink fast! We’re told over 10,000,000 glasses are drank a day all over the world! It was only 11 euro to get into the Storehouse.

4. After learning to put the perfect shamrock in the foam of your beer, head to Temple bar, the main area for nightlife, food, and entertainment. But don’t go to Temple Bar neighborhood only at night, it’s full of activity during the day. Wash down your Irish potatoes or stew with a glass of Carlsburg beer and then head out to a pub. We got lucky, there was a Gaelic football game and people were celebrating. So many guys tried to explain what Gaelic Football is and what I got from it is, it’s like American football, except with your feet? You don’t have to stay in Temple bar area to have a good time. Some great pubs include: Temple Bar Pub, the Long Hall, the Porterhouse, Kehoe’s, or Stag’s Head.

5. Do some shopping! Near St. Stephen’s Green (the tour bus goes here) is a large mall. Or get some very Irish-looking tweed at Kevin & Howlin. The Loft Market has loads of new designers as well as vintage pieces of jewelry and clothing. Also, the last Sunday of every month is a flea market. My favorite place to shop was a local handicraft market outside of Dublin, in Howth. Which brings me to my next point…

6. Get out of Dublin! There are so many little coastal towns you can take the train to for a day trip. Glendalough is very popular, but we chose Howth, a small fishing town. The market in Howth had one of my favorite markets full of breads, cupcakes, jewelry, fudge, nuts, gyros… you name it! The vendors also offered samples. At Howth, we took a long hike up the coastline. Everyone says Ireland is so green, and it did not disappoint! Although it rained, the views were spectacular and the grass was so green and fresh you wanted to roll in it. We saw seals, horses, and a very vintage looking lighthouse. Its so picturesque it’s hard to imagine the people who live there. On the way back from Howth, we stopped at Bray, another coastal town that was having a festival.

7. I did not get a chance to do this in Dublin, but like most cities they offer pub crawls, bike tours, and free walking tours. Our hostel was full of information about these, as most hostels will be.

For me, the joys in Ireland were outside of Dublin center.

I think it’s like that in a lot of cities because I enjoy the countryside so much more than seeing buildings.  I have barely even touched on all Dublin has to offer, but it’s a huge city and I only had 4 days to wander around. There is SO much more to see, and definitely the kind of place you can’t go to only once. Even if you’re only 5% Irish, you’ll feel just like you belong there! You won’t run out of things to do in Dublin!

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