🇮🇪 Dublin · Living here

Weekend getaways in Dublin

Places within easy reach of Dublin, with how long they take, how to get there and what a weekend costs. Filter by time and mode.

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10 getaways from Dublin

  • Howth

    30 min · Train, Bus

    A fishing harbour, fish and chips on the pier and the cliff path round the head, with seals in the harbour.

    Stay
    Day trip
    Per person
    €10–€80
    DART north to the end of the line
    All year; clear days for the cliff walk

  • Bray to Greystones

    40 min · Train

    A seven-kilometre cliff walk between two seaside towns. Check first that the path is open; sections close after landslips.

    Stay
    Day trip
    Per person
    €10–€60
    DART south to Bray, walk the cliff path, DART back from Greystones
    Spring to autumn

  • Brú na Bóinne

    50 min · Car, Bus

    Newgrange and Knowth, passage tombs older than the pyramids. Entry is by guided tour from the visitor centre only.

    Stay
    Day trip
    Per person
    €30–€100
    Car up the M1, or a tour bus from the city
    All year; the winter solstice draws a lottery

  • Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains

    1 h 10 min · Car, Bus

    A monastic site between two lakes, with marked trails up the valley sides. The Sally Gap road on the way is the scenery.

    Stay
    Day trip / 1 night
    Per person
    €25–€220
    Car through the mountains, or the daily St Kevin's bus
    All year; go early at weekends

  • Kilkenny

    1 h 35 min · Train, Bus, Car

    A medieval city with a castle, a cathedral, small breweries and a strong arts festival in August.

    Stay
    1–2 nights
    Per person
    €130–€330
    Train from Heuston
    All year

  • Belfast

    2 h 10 min · Train, Bus, Car

    Victorian streets, the Titanic quarter, the murals and a lively food and music scene. The Causeway Coast is an hour beyond.

    Stay
    1–2 nights
    Per person
    €140–€360
    Enterprise train from Connolly, roughly hourly
    All year

  • Galway

    2 h 20 min · Train, Bus, Car

    Live music in the pubs, the Latin Quarter and the Atlantic at Salthill. A good base for the Burren and Connemara.

    Stay
    1–2 nights
    Per person
    €150–€380
    Train from Heuston, or a motorway coach
    Late spring to autumn; July has the arts festival

  • Cork and Kinsale

    2 h 30 min · Train, Car

    The English Market, a city with its own humour, and Kinsale's harbour restaurants half an hour south.

    Stay
    2–3 nights
    Per person
    €200–€480
    Train from Heuston to Cork, then bus to Kinsale
    All year; summer for Kinsale

  • Connemara

    3 h 20 min · Car, Bus

    Bogland, mountains and white beaches on the Atlantic edge, and some of the best walking in Ireland.

    Stay
    2–3 nights
    Per person
    €220–€520
    Car west through Galway; buses are thin beyond Clifden
    May to September

  • Dingle Peninsula

    4 h 30 min · Car

    Slea Head drive, beehive huts, pubs with music most nights and Irish spoken in the shops.

    Stay
    2–3 nights
    Per person
    €250–€600
    Car via Limerick and Tralee; a long drive best split over a weekend
    May to September

Budgets are per person for the whole trip: return travel, a mid-range double room shared, and food.