Dublin Spending Report – Is It Really That Expensive?

A few weeks ago, I spontaneously decided to book a little solo city break to Dublin after finding cheap flights on Skyscanner. I’d always wanted to visit Dublin but it had never worked out. Considering how close I live and my family’s links to the country, I’m shocked it’s taken 23 years to visit Ireland. After seeing the flights and already planning on being in the city they were from it was a no brainer. Especially considering I have a travel fund, fully funded ready to go. So I went ahead and booked it!

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But how much did I end up spending? Let’s break it down…

Accommodation = £45.96

I stayed in a fab little hostel called Clink i Lar. Where I’d booked a bunk bed in a 4-bed Female-only dorm room. The cheapest bed option was in a 12-bed dorm at around £35 for the two nights but I decided to pay the little bit extra to get a female-only dorm. As a solo traveller, this makes me feel that little bit more comfortable. The hostel was actually really nice and had a good bar/hang out space across the ground and first floors. I didn’t end up eating breakfast there but they did have a full breakfast buffet on offer for €10.50 per person. They also served food in the day and into the evening. I didn’t try anything but the menu looked good and the prices weren’t too crazy.

Transportation = £57.93

The main reason I took this spontaneous trip was the cheap flights I found whilst browsing Skyscanner one evening. I managed to bag a £39 return flight direct from Birmingham to Dublin. And the times were perfect! Early AM flight out and late-ish PM flight back – perfect for a short city break. I kept the price tag low by travelling carry-on only. On top of this bargain flight, I did also pay have to pay to get to and from the airport on both sides. The train tickets from my friends place to the airport in Birmingham were super cheap at £2.80 each way. But the coach from Dublin airport to the city centre was around €8 each way so a little more expensive.

Food & Drink = £69.66

I wasn’t super mindful about my food budget on this trip as I knew it was a short one. I ate out for most of my meals but did cut costs by having a lidl pastry for breakfast most mornings. Plus I got meal deals and eat them picnic style for lunch rather than eating in a restaurant. I did treat myself to a €6 ice cream because someone told me I had to try the brown bread ice cream from Murphy’s. And honestly it was sooo good!! I also splurged on a fancy chocolate shop hot chocolate because my tour guide said it was the best in the city. It was good but definitely not the best I’ve ever had. So all in all for the amount I ate and drank on this trip, just under £70 sounds about right.

I did save a tonne by not drinking alcohol on this trip although I was in a pub city. I’m not a massive fan of drinking alone so I wasn’t really feeling the pub scene. Maybe next time if I take a couple friends with me!

Activities = £26.17

Dublin was sold to me the minute I saw a picture of the Trinity College Library online. I knew I had to visit and that’s the first place I went to when I got into the city. I managed to bag a student ticket (thank you Lancaster Uni for not putting expiration dates on your student IDs) which was €17.50. This included entrance into the Long Room (the fancy library) and the Book of Kells exhibition which was actually super interesting. I also took a free walking tour on the morning of day two. The idea of these tours is that it doesn’t cost anything to book but you are expected to tip. I usually tip around £10 depending on the tour guide.

Shopping = £11.59

I don’t normally do any shopping whilst travelling but I couldn’t resist a browse in Penneys (the OG Primark) and then when I saw this St. Patricks day themed jumper I couldn’t resist! So I treated myself. Plus I had to buy a postcard to remember the trip by.

Total = £211.31

All in all not a terrible price for a 2 night, 3 day solo adventure in Dublin. I booked the trip based off the cheap flights & accommodation (~£80 combined) but then everyone I told warned me about how expensive the city is so I was getting a little bit worried. Well it worked out well and I didn’t think the prices were unreasonable.

I absolutely loved the city – especially Trinity College – and would go back in a heartbeat.

Have you been to Dublin before? What did you think?