Dublin Travel Guide: How To Plan An Affordable Trip

This post will share my Dublin Travel Guide, including exploring Dublin on a budget.

In my previous post on How To Spend 24 Hours In Dublin, Ireland On A Budget, I mentioned how expensive Dublin is to visit as a tourist.

Still, I managed to spend just about £100 for 24 hours, which is costly by all standards.

Especially if you add an extra £50, you can stretch it for a couple more days on a European city break.

Anyway, I looked at my budget and decided to share everything I did to make the trip as affordable as possible.

Just in case someone out there wants to take a weekend city break to Dublin and needs to plan appropriately.

Everything still boils down to your taste.

But as a budget solo traveller, I try to experience as much as possible for less and spend money on certain things like souvenirs.

So, instead of eating out in a fancy restaurant, I go to the nearest grocery store for a meal deal.

It’s cheaper and more sustainable for me.

But enough of me rambling, let’s get down to business.

Here’s How To Budget An Affordable Trip To Dublin

I recently got a 9-5.

This means that my time is now limited compared to the previous years when I had flexible hours.

I hate to travel on the weekends, but I have no choice until the end of February.

In my head, I figured I wouldn’t have that many issues finding return flights from Friday to Sunday.

Believe me when I say that finding weekend flights has been such a stressful ordeal.

They’re either too expensive, or the timing isn’t right, and I can’t make the flight.

Flights

I got a Ryanair return ticket for £25, which would have been cheaper if I had purchased it just a day earlier.

But in these COVID times, I try not to book tickets too far in advance, especially from companies that don’t give refunds.

As always, I couldn’t find a Friday night flight, so I had to settle for an 8 am Saturday morning flight.

From the passengers’ looks on the flights to Dublin for the weekend, I wasn’t alone in the ordeal.

Fortunately, Ireland lifted their travel restrictions right before my trip, so the only thing required was a Passenger Locator Form and COVID Vaccination Pass.

Airport Transfer

An essential aspect of your Dublin Travel Guide that should not be missed is airport transfer.

I almost did because I’ve mostly travelled via trains in the last six months.

The Dublin Airport is about 30 minutes from the city centre, so you must plan to take your transport.

The cheapest option is the Dublin Express coach.

I got a return ticket, a deal that saved me money on an Uber ride for €10/£8.

You can buy your tickets online or in front of the Terminal before take-off.

Another option is the Air Coach.

Accommodation

I’m at the stage where I prefer to stay at hostels because I’m looking to make new friends as an adult.

Some people don’t like it, but I don’t mind it.

As a rule, I only stay in female dorms of six people.

Often, because of COVID, you only get two other roommates.

So, I head over to Booking.com to look for the cheapest hostel.

In Dublin, the most affordable hostel for one night (£41/€49) was the price of two to three nights in a non-expensive regular city.

Yep! That crazy.

Despite being the cheapest, I still wouldn’t recommend the hostel I stayed in because it was noisy.

Transportation

I typically like to walk around during my city breaks to get familiar with the city and burn calories.

I only take public transportation when it is unavoidable.

I’ve been to cities where I only took the train to arrive and depart.

Every other kind of transportation was done on foot.

So, imagine my surprise when I had to take a bus in Dublin and found out that you can’t use your card to pay for a bus ticket.

For someone like me who hasn’t touched cash in over six months and relies solely on Apple Pay, I felt dragged back ten years.

Luckily for me, the bus driver let me ride for free.

You can only get tickets via a pre-paid smart card called Leap Card or coins, which has to be the exact fare.

So, you’re advised to get a Leap Card.

You can get 24 hours, 72 hours and seven days.

You can get your passes at the Dublin Airport or order online before your trip.

This is a great way to spend it if you go around with many coins you don’t use.

Meals & Attractions

Still, regarding an affordable Dublin travel guide, some hostels I choose have excellent basic breakfasts.

So that saves me some money in the mornings.

But sometimes, especially in winter, I must buy extra coffee cups throughout the day.

This is where I buy from the cheapest coffee shop, which is usually Greggs or get 99p hot chocolate from McDonald’s.

If my hostel doesn’t offer complimentary breakfast, I settle for pastries, coffee, or an entire McDonald’s breakfast.

The latter is the most affordable thing in Dublin.

I honestly wished I drank because there was so much Guinness everywhere.

Unfortunately, I don’t, but a pint will run you about €3 – 4.

As for attractions, with a limited budget, I never pay for anything, especially entrance fees.

I admire a landmark, soak in the vibes, take my pictures and keep it moving.

As a blogger, I still have to research these places before writing.

The experience ends up being an immersive one for me.

Although, there are certain attractions that I wish I had paid for.

These are cities that give me a reason to go back.

Souvenirs

I never leave any city without a fridge magnet and a keyring.

These days, I’ve become a bit more obsessed with cashmere scarves.

But I’m settling for wool blends until I can afford the real thing.

I got a lovely wool blend scarf, fridge magnet, and keyring from Carrolls Irish Gifts, so look out for their stores.

Finally,

I hope you found this Dublin Travel Guide helpful.

There’s so much to do, and I honestly cannot wait to go back when I can figure out how to get affordable accommodation.