- Week Two - With only a week left before school starts, Kelly and I decided to book a (very) last-minute trip to Dublin, Ireland for three nights. Our spontaneous getaway gifted us with stunning city architectures, an adorable fishing village and a beautiful quaint countryside. THE FLIGHT Being college students, our goal for this trip was to find a cheap (but safe) flight. There are a few budget airlines that operate in Europe, with the most popular being easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 to name a few. We decided to book with Ryanair because they offered the cheapest tickets flying out of Gatwick Airport. Something to keep in mind for Ryanair: it is required to check-in online and print out your boarding pass prior to arriving to the airport, or access it through your mobile device. If you do not check-in beforehand, Ryanair will charge you a check-in fee of £55. In addition, be mindful of the bag policies since budget airlines tend to have smaller cabin bag allowances. The flight itself only took around 2.5 hours, so the compact seats and mediocre service did not really bother us. **Remember to purchase a Leap Card at the airport to use for transportation across Ireland (good for train, tram and bus). You can grab one at the convenience store in the airport before you leave. THE ACCOMMODATION Located around a 15 minutes walk away from Temple Bar, we decided to stay in a hostel called Generator. Dublin is one of many branches Generator has across various European countries. In particular, they pride themselves on creating an aesthetic, hip and social environment for travelers to enjoy. Although they have some private rooms, we unfortunately had to share a mixed dorm with four strangers due to our last-minute booking. Hostels are great for saving money, but also take out the comfort of having a private bathroom and independent living. If a dormitory-like accommodation is not your style, I would suggest booking an Airbnb or hotel in advance! **Tip: Exchange some euros prior to leaving Hawaii so you have some on hand for traveling around the rest of Europe THE ITINERARY Dublin is a bustling city filled with a ton of pubs, quirky boutiques and is home to one of the most famous beer companies, Guinness. Here are some fantastic places to visit while on a trip to Dublin: 1. TEMPLE BAR This busy area is located on the riverside and is crowded with pubs, restaurants and cafes. Being a popular tourist spot, you'll always find something to do at any time of day. We enjoyed a delicious scoop of ice cream at a shop called Cloud Nine. 2. ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL Founded in 1191, this cathedral is the tallest and largest church in Ireland. The entrance fee is €7.00 for students and €8.00 for adults. Enjoy views of the beautiful stained-glass windows, while learning more about artifacts used two centuries ago. 3. CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL Being a close walk from Temple Bar, this church is perfect to visit on your way t0 St. Patrick's Cathedral. The entrance fee is €5.50 for students and €7.00 for adults. Although we didn't go inside, the building architecture was truly something to admire. 4. DUBLIN CASTLE This castle is a major government complex and tourist attraction. The entrance fee is €10 for students and €12 for adults. Rather than going inside, we looked around the courtyard and explored City Hall across the street. 5. NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS This botanic garden is located north-west from city center and has free admission! Their plant collection holds over 15,000 plant species from around the world. Along with their amazing planted glasshouses, they also have features such as the rose garden, alpine yard, rock garden and arboretum to enjoy. 6. TRINITY COLLEGE Founded in 1592, this college holds a lot of history and extremely prevalent libraries. In particular, Trinity College is well-known for holding the Book of Kells, a rare manuscript containing the four Gospels of the New Testament. In order to tour the Hogwarts-like Old Library, you would need to pay an entrance fee of around €11 - 14. 7. HOWTH Howth is a small fishing village located east of central Dublin. It's a great escape from the busy city and only takes around 40 minutes via train. There, you can have some of the best seafood in Ireland (I'd recommend the seafood chowder). If you have more time to roam, Howth Pier has wonderful views of the coastline while Howth Cliff Walk will give you panoramic views of the village. While Dublin has a ton of fun things to do and see, we also took a day-trip to a rural city on the west coast called Galway. You can read more about our experiences in Galway here.
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AKI'm truly grateful for this opportunity to study abroad and would like to share my experiences with all of you! Ranging from pre-departure tips to recommended travel destinations, I hope this blog will serve as a inspiration and reminder to always explore. Archives
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