Travelling to Other Countries from Ireland

10 Great Destinations You Can Get to from Dublin

Dublin is a lovely city to live in and one great thing about it is that it is very easy, and nowadays relatively cheap to get to other European destinations from Dublin.

When looking for flights, check out Skyscanner http://www.skyscanner.ie, a global search engine that allows you to compare prices for flight and accommodation and then directs you to the airline or hotel to make the booking.
Here are 10 popular travel destinations from Dublin (in alphabetical order):
1. Amsterdam, Holland
2. Barcelona, Spain
3. Bruges, Belgium
4. Budapest, Hungary
5. Florence, Italy
6. London, England
7. Madrid, Spain
8. Paris, France
9. Prague, Czech Republic
10. Rome, Italy

Amsterdam, Holland

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, famous for its canals and gable-fronted houses from the city’s Golden Age in the 17th Century. It is home to works by Rembrandt, Vermeer and other very famous painters, both classical and modern. Important museums to visit while there are the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. For modern art go to the Stedelijk museum, and for an insight into wartime Amsterdam, the Ann Frank museum. The best way to get around is by bicycle. There’s a network of 400km cycle paths in the city.
Getting to Amsterdam from Dublin: You can fly direct from Dublin to Amsterdam, Schiphol.
Where to stay: See Tripadvisor www.bedandbreakfast.com/amsterdam-netherlands.html and Lonely Planet www.lonelyplanet.com/the-netherlands/amsterdam/hotels/bargain-beds-in-amsterdam

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is the vibrant and prosperous capital of Catalonia in the north of Spain. It is the largest city on the Mediterranean coast and is highly distinctive in many ways. It is home to the headquarters of the Union of the Mediterranean and one of the world’s leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural centres. Barcelona is closely identified with the architecture of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènch i Montaner, whose buildings have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Getting to Barcelona from Dublin: You can fly direct from Dublin.
Where to stay: http://www.budgetplaces.com/barcelona
See also Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ie/HotelsList-Barcelona-Cheap-Hostels-zfp20156.html and Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/barcelona/hotels

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges is the capital of West Flanders in northwest Belgium. Its canals, cobbled streets and 17th century buildings are reminiscent of Amsterdam. Horse-drawn carriage rides are a popular way to see the city centre. Burges was one of the most important centres of lace-making in Europe and the Kantcentrum lace museum, ‘displays a collection of lace in a row of interlinked old cottages. The centre’s main attraction is that in the afternoons (2pm to 5pm) you can watch bobbin lace being made by informal gatherings of experienced lace-makers and their students who gather to chat and work here. Once you’ve seen how mind-bendingly fiddly the process is, you’ll swiftly understand why handmade lace is so very expensive; a small piece costs €10.’
Read more here: www.lonelyplanet.com/belgium/flanders/bruges/sights/museums-galleries/kantcentrum#ixzz3zTtxada2
Getting to Bruges from Dublin: Take a direct flight to Brussels and train from Brussels Airport to Bruges.
Where to stay: See Tripadvisor www.tripadvisor.ie/HotelsList-Bruges-Cheap-Hostels-zfp20172.html and Lonely Planet: www.lonelyplanet.com/belgium/flanders/bruges/hotels

Florence, Italy

Florence is the capital of Tuscany and the birthplace of the Renaissance.
Getting to Florence from Dublin: Get a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Pisa and a train or coach to Florence.
Where to stay: for budget accommodation see Tripadvisor www.tripadvisor.ie/HotelsList-Florence-Cheap-Hotels-zfp5839.html and Lonely Planet https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/florence/hotels/hostels-and-budget-hotels

London, England

The comment of 18th century writer, Samuel Johnson, is often quoted, ‘If a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.’ We’re lucky to have this amazing world capital so close by and so easy to get to. If you look out for budget flights and book in advance, you can even go in the morning and come back in the evening.
Getting to London from Dublin: There are direct flights from Dublin.
Where to stay: http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/10-best-cheap-hotels-london-5510245 See Tripadvisor https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Hotels-g186338-c2-London_England-Hotels.html and Lonely Planet http://www.lonelyplanet.com/england/london/hotels

Madrid, Spain

This European capital has all the beautiful parks, museums and impressive buildings you would expect, but also amazing weekend markets – flea markets, farmers markets, markets for vintage décor, and a vibrant night life.
Getting to Madrid from Dublin: There are direct flights from Dublin.
Where to stay: See Tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/HotelsList-Madrid-Cheap-Hostels-zfp20218.html and Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/madrid/hotels

Paris, France

Paris, one of the most important capitals of the world, is a global centre for food, fashion and art. The vast, elegant 19th century boulevards and avenues constructed under the prefecture of Baron Haussmann dominate the city, but in contrast there is also the Latin Quarter, the old university quarter, which retains its medieval character. It gets its name from the fact that Latin was the language spoken by the students there in the middle ages. It is also called ‘the left bank’ as it is on the left bank of the Seine. For ideas of what to do in Paris,
see http://aparisguide.com/
Getting to Paris from Dublin: There are direct flights from Dublin.
Where to stay: http://www.budgetplaces.com/paris/ Also see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/parisandaround/9588897/Paris-on-a-budget-the-best-cheap-hotels-and-restaurants.html

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague, ‘the City of a Hundred Spires,’ is a stunning fairy-tale city with magnificent, baroque, pastel-coloured houses and Gothic churches. A medieval Astronomical Clock is to be found in The Old Town Square. One of the most characteristic sights in Prague is the Charles Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that is lined with wonderful statues and dates from 1402.
Getting to Prague from Dublin: There are direct flights from Dublin.
Where to stay: See Lonely Planet https://www.lonelyplanet.com/czech-republic/prague/hotels/hostels-and-budget-hotels. If your budget will allow you to stay in a hotel instead of a hostel, you should consider The Three Ostriches, a small hotel that has existed since the middle ages. It is full of atmosphere. Most of the bedrooms have their original painted wooden ceilings, and if your bedroom is in the front of the building, your window will be overlooking Charles Bridge. http://www.utripstrosu.cz/en

Rome, Italy

Because Rome is a quintessential European capital, it’s easy to forget how far south it is, and how much warmer it is than Dublin. There is so much history from antiquity onwards, and so much art, that sometimes it can feel overwhelming. But there’s something else: a kind of familiar, almost village feeling bars and cafés and in the way that people relate to each other – an antidote to the grandeur.
Getting to Rome from Dublin: There are direct flights from Dublin.
Where to stay: http://www.budgetplaces.com/rome. See also Tripadvisor https://www.tripadvisor.ie/HotelsList-Rome-Cheap-Hostels-zfp20303.html and Lonely Planet https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome/hotels/hostels-and-budget-hotels