Ever wondered what it was like to book a flight with a long layover? This guide showcases how to maximize your travel days and where to have fun during a quick stopover.
This guide includes a personal experience of a 17-hour layover in Dublin, Ireland. Details contain where we stayed, things to see, where to eat, and other local downtown highlights. Since we arrived in the late afternoon, we could not book a trip to Northern Ireland to see Giants Causeway (this is on our list for the next time we visit!)
The best part of a long layover is having your checked bags sent to your final destination. With no large bags to drag around, it frees up your time and your hands to start exploring sooner.
Check out this guide for a detailed trip recap that we hope inspires you to book a long layover on your next flight.
I recently flew, with my sister, from London to the USA with a lengthy, 17-hour layover in Dublin. We, both, love to visit new places, and Ireland happened to be one we had not explored just yet. This extended layover was the perfect chance to get a taste of Dublin while on our journey home.
International Airport located just north of the city center. Relatively easy to navigate from the airport to downtown.
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I've had plenty of layovers during my travels, but this was my first one long enough to leave the airport and explore the local region. If you have a long layover in Dublin, you're in luck! It is remarkably convenient to head downtown to check out the city life before flying off to your next destination.
The best part about our long layover, was not having to deal with checked bags. Since we originally departed in London, our bags were checked through to our final U.S. Destination. We had carry-on backpacks with essential items for our night out in the city. Since we were here overnight, we booked a hotel accommodation to rest up and shower ahead of our early morning departure.
How To Get Around
Take a bus to downtown from the airport on the Dublin Express
Bus stop is right along the main river and within walking distance of most places in the central downtown area. All stops are named after the Quay or "block" that they are on. This was stop 4 on our bus route.
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First thing was to figure out how to cheaply get from the airport to downtown and in reasonable amount of time. We booked a ticket with the DublinExpress bus for 10 euros round trip. Make sure you book online to get this deal. If you book in person at the airport, round trip is 14 euros a person. Our ride from the airport to Merchants Quay (stop 4 on the route) took about 25 minutes.Â
The DublinExpress has two main bus routes and a wide variety of stops all over downtown, including the train station. The bus has comfy seats, wifi onboard, charging ports, and space for luggage if needed. There are local city busses that also run from the airport to downtown but these take about 1 hour to reach the main area with all of their stops.Â
Since we had our carry on backpacks, we wanted to drop these off before exploring the city more. First stop, our hotel.Â
Where We Stayed
Dublin offers a variety of hotel, Airbnb and hostel accommodations for overnight travelers. As young travelers not trying to break the bank, our focus was comfort at a cheap price. The Destiny Student - Tannery location was the perfect option. Hotels were around $300 USD a night while we were in town and that was outside our preferred budget range.Â
The Tannery offered a simple and basic sleeping accommodation with a private room and bathroom. It was clean and located in a safe area within walking distance to the main downtown areas and bus stops. In total, it was around $109 USD for us to stay the night here. There were other special amenities included like a gym facility, a game room, and each floor had a shared kitchen that could be used as well.Â
Cheaper and reasonable accommodation for an overnight layover. We picked here due to all other hotels and Airbnb options ranging in the $300+ range. Hostels are another option in downtown to explore if that fits your travel needs.
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Explore Downtown Dublin
Next up on the agenda, explore! We had a few ideas in mind that we wanted to see during our evening in Dublin. We mainly wanted to take in the local culture and just enjoy the evening without rushing around. Listed below are all of the stops we had time for while visiting. If you have more time we definitely recommend doing the full tours.
First stop on our walk, the Dublin Castle. It was free to explore the main outdoor sections and provided a great place to take some photos. They offer both self guided and guided tours of the interior state apartments for those wanting a bit more history.Â
Self guided tours cost 8 euros for an adult ticket. Reduced prices for seniors, students and children.
Guided ticket tours are also available for purchase the day of. We opted to walk around the grounds and enjoy the architecture without doing an official tour.
Located just outside the Dublin castle walls, the Dubh Linn Garden is a free walking activity to enjoy gorgeous greens, lots of flowers and a few art sculptures.
Absolutely gorgeous college campus rooted with so much history and old architecture. Spent the evening walking around and enjoying the green spaces on campus too.
As most know, the Temple Bar is extremely famous and is always packed with visitors. Great beer offerings here and the atmosphere is upbeat and fun. Almost all pubs in Dublin we noticed had live music to enjoy each evening. Plan ahead and make reservations if you want a table, especially on holiday weeks and weekends.
Since the Temple Bar was packed when we arrived we opted to try the Merchants Arch. We were drawn inside by the incredible live music that night and the scent of good food. We enjoyed dinner and a drink while listening to live music.
Cute bridge to walk over and connect both parts of the central downtown area. We definitely rechecking out things on both sides of the bridge as there are more food places there too. Standing on the bridge makes for nice photos.
Super cute store with yummy gelato. Lots of flavor options and you can enjoy it in a cup or a cone. We recommend taking some to go to enjoy by the river.
Stunning cathedral about a half mile from the main downtown area filled with history and large stained glass windows. They offers tours inside during the week as well.
Quaint little park next to St. Patrick cathedral. Has a nice walking path around it, a playground, tons of flowers in the spring and summer months as well as a coffee shop. Best part, it’s totally free to enjoy.
Extremely famous and one of the most popular attractions in town, the storehouse tour is a staple for any Guiness lover. Open every day of the week, but always check about ticket availability ahead of time.
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There were so many cute, local coffee shops located around town that we would have loved to enjoy but did not work with our time frame. Other great options include visiting a museum, a local concert or performance, a sporting event, the beach along the coast or spend the day shopping in the popular store area.Â
This was everything we did during our long layover in Dublin. The next morning, we walked to the bus stop to head back to the airport to check back in and head home to the U.S.Â
Honorable Mentions - Additional Places to Check Out
There is only so much one can see in a short 17 hours while visiting a city for the first time. Here are a few of our honorable mentions that we wanted to check out but they did not quite fit into our schedule this time. Always a great reason to plan another trip to check them out next time.Â
Popular swimming hole with many of the locals especially in the warm summer months. A bit away from downtown, creating the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle.
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Loved Dublin and ready to start planning your next trip? Check out a few other recommendations below:
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Michigander at heart but currently traveling the world one week at a time for work. When not on the road and living out of my suitcase, I am down to spend the day exploring the local city scene or out hiking in nature. I am an adventurous spirit and try to maximize my free time exploring the hidden corners of whatever city I am in. I've been traveling all over the U.S. and Europe for nine years and crave authentic experiences at local hot spots (and sometimes the touristy faves). As a young and avid traveler (16 Countries, 45 U.S. States, 24 U.S. National Parks & numerous cities) my goal is to help you reach your travel goals - no matter the destination.
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