What are the must see places and things to do in Dublin and London?
A good friend sent me an e-mail this afternoon asking for some advice.
I am headed to London & Dublin next week for a quick trip with my friend who's a pilot for US Airways. I am pretty sure you've visited these 2 places, let me know if you have any good advice or must see places or things to do, or even a good place to stay. We haven't booked any hotels yet but booked our flights.
I haven't been to Dublin since 1998 and I've never been to London - so I figured it might be a good question for readers of this blog. What are the must see places and things to do in Dublin and London? Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
Posted by 71.75.148.242 on January 25, 2008 at 03:28 PM MST #
Posted by Robin on January 25, 2008 at 03:46 PM MST #
- Brick Lane neighborhood was fun in the summer and you can get some British Indian food
- Camden Market and food stalls were interesting
- Red Lion Pub (2 Duke of York St) was a classic and depicted in a Manet painting too
- Wagamama's or Itsu for Asian cuisine.
I recommend Fullers, Meantime, and Old Speckled Hen for beers.Posted by Tim on January 25, 2008 at 04:13 PM MST #
I recommend getting out of London too. London is amazing, but there are great towns such as Bath, Brighton, Cambridge, etc. They are more like "England" instead of a global city.
In London:
And lots and lots of indian food as Tom says.
Cheers,
Posted by Dion Almaer on January 25, 2008 at 05:39 PM MST #
If you have more than a few days in Ireland you should consider visting other places around Ireland. Cork, Kerry, Galway be excellent places to visit and you take home some good memories... Dublin is just like any major city, lots of people/traffic etc.
have a look around Temple bar its interesting place for a beer.
I have stayed in this hotel before: http://www.camdencourthotel.com its nice and central.
Also: http://www.jurys-dublin-hotels.com
Over in London at the moment. I think imperial war museum, tower of london is pretty cool.St James park and bucks palace is really nice to.
Maybe catch a soccer game? there are games on Tuesday, Wednesday , Sat Sunday next week?
Slan
Redd
Posted by reddeagle on January 25, 2008 at 06:07 PM MST #
Also for getting tube etc in London:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk
Pick your self up an oyster card if you going to be getting the tube, much better value that paying for single journey tickets.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/oysteronline/2732.aspx
Posted by redd on January 25, 2008 at 06:16 PM MST #
Mussels. Fries. 100s of Belgian Beers. 'nuff said.
Posted by 161.215.18.51 on January 25, 2008 at 06:18 PM MST #
In Dublin, a visit to a good Irish pub will give you the best taste of the culture, the music, and the Guiness, all in one place. Even if you don't think you like Guiness, you *have* to try it in Dublin, because it doesn't taste the same anywhere else.
In London, Covent Garden is a fun place to visit, for the street musicians, the bars, and the restaurants. As someone else already suggested, get out of London, too. Cambridge is not far at all, and has so much more character than London does. While you're there, make sure you try a pint or three of Greene King's Abbot Ale.
Posted by Joe A on January 25, 2008 at 07:04 PM MST #
Dublin:
---------
A tour of Kilmainham Jail is very entertaining and informative and should provide with a good overview of recent Irish history, or at the very least, an explanation of why we hate the English :)
In terms of drinking, I would say DON'T go to Temple Bar, which IMO is a tourist trap selling overpriced beer and phoney Oirish culture. Instead here are some 'genuine' Irish bars in the city centre. Any seasoned Dublin drinker will be able to provide directions based on the name alone:
To hear some authentic Irish music, check out The Cobblestones pub in Stoneybatter, it's a 3 minute tram-ride, or a 15 min walk from the city centre.
Posted by 74.56.148.212 on January 25, 2008 at 07:08 PM MST #
Posted by Dave Hodson on January 25, 2008 at 09:06 PM MST #
London: fast saturday day /night tour
start at: waterloo / south bank
of course this omits sooo much: gigs/theatre/palaces/shopping/proper hedonism etc.
sunday:
Posted by tourist-trap on January 26, 2008 at 09:58 AM MST #
Posted by stephen o'grady on January 27, 2008 at 02:24 PM MST #
Posted by Howie on January 28, 2008 at 04:36 AM MST #
This is one of those questions that people often ask me that always elicit a qualfied answer: "It depends on what you're interested in".
If you're into Art, you have a lot of choices in London. If you like Pre-Raphaelites and Impressionists take a look at the Tate (not to be confused with the Tate Modern). There's also the National Portrait Gallery.
The Sherlock Holmes Pub is around the corner from Trafalgar square (and the Portrait Gallery). Also if you want to hear choral music, then you can stop by St. Martin-in-the-Fields and listen to evensong. There are a number of theatres that are within a short walk of the church as well.
If you like antiques, go to Portobello Road on a Saturday.
If you like shopping try Harrods and Selfridges. Just walking around Knightsbridge can be fun.
The Nottinghill Area is fun to walk around in as well.
You can take a boat trip down the Thames to Greenwich and see the Cutty Sark.
Catty corner from the Houses of Parliament is the Marriott London County Hall. You can have tea there and listen to Big Ben in the comfort of leather armchairs in their Library. Kinda reminds me of a scene from "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". You can walk towards the river from the hotel. On the corner of Westminster bridge, turn right and walk down the embankment and you'll see one of James Bond's hidden entrances. A few steps onward is an aquarium and just beyond that is the London Eye (a large ferris wheel with great views of London). If you continue along the embankment you'll reach The Old Globe Theatre, where you can tour the theatre.
If you're into Sherlock Holmes, see the 221B Baker Street. Just around the corner from his place is Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.
Posted by Mark Fortner on January 28, 2008 at 11:40 AM MST #
Posted by Donal on January 30, 2008 at 09:26 PM MST #