Family Holidays: Dublin family holidays and breaks

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

There's something classic about Dublin and it's a fun city to visit with kids. It may not be on the same scale as, say London, with fewer landmarks and special events laid on for families, but in its own way it's incredibly welcoming and certainly more manageable and friendly. And families can combine a visit to Dublin with a holiday or break in other parts of enthralling Ireland.

Top left: Millenium bridge
Top right: Trinity College

Bottom left: Pub
Bottom right: Dublin at night

When

Any time of year really. In the summer you can laze about on St Stephens Green while in the winter nip into cosy pubs and bars. At Christmas there's a special atmosphere with a dazzling display of lights down Grafton Street.

How

take the plane

You can fly to Dublin Airport, (or Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath, in Irish), from nearly everywhere in the UK – London, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham. Take a flight with Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Flybe, BMI, CityJet, British Airways and Air Wales – Dublin is very well served. Click here for great deals on flights with Cheapflights, or you can also check and find the best flight deals with Expedia, Opodo and Last minute.com.

from the airport

The airport is 6 miles North of Dublin's centre, just off the M1 motorway, (the Dublin to Belfast road). Public transport options include taxis, buses and coaches, and are a very easy way to travel, that will take you directly to popular hotels. There are also future plans for a new metro from the airport to the city center.

take the ferry

An alternative is to drive and take a ferry across from Holyhead. Sailings take from just over three hours. Take the Family offers competitive ferry crossing options through our partners, or you can take a look at more favourite partners on our ferry page. This is a great option if you're also planning to spend time exploring Ireland.

Stay

We recommend the Days Serviced Apartments for value and convenience. Other great hotel options include Brooks and if you really want to splash out then head for The Shelbourne, St Stephen's Green.

A selection of superb self-catering apartments with friendly, helpful owners is also available at Molesworth Court, Schoolhouse Lane. One, two and three bedroom apartments all feature fully fitted kitchen, lounge and bathroom and are a short stroll from St Stephens Green and Grafton Street. Prices from approx £100 per night. Visit the Molesworth Court site for more details.

Do

Drink the Guinness. Its fantastic. Or better still go to the Guinness Storehouse in the heart of Dublin and learn how it is made! Special family ticket for €30.

Visit the Natural History Collection at the National Museum of Ireland in Merrion Street. It’s not on a huge scale but it has a fine array of stuffed animals for kids to gawp at. Open Tuesday – Saturday 10am to 5pm. Sunday 2pm to 5am. Closed Monday.

Dublin Zoo in Phoenix Park is Ireland’s Number One tourist attraction and worth a visit. Particularly the new African Plains display. Open Monday – Saturday from 9.30am to 6pm. Sundays 10.30am to 6pm.

Take an open-topped bus tour around the city. It’s perfectly manageable and lets you hop on and off at your leisure. It also goes past the Guinness Brewery at St James’ Gate for an superb tour that tells you how they make the black stuff and yet another obligatory pint – the kids – well they can have a coke!

If you've got younger kids, wander round St Stephen’s Green – there’s ducks to feed and a reasonable playground.

Take a horse and cart ride. These can be pricey and you worry slightly about the welfare of the poor horses but if you bargain the drivers down, it’s an exciting way to see the city.

Other Take the Family favourites – nip down to Temple Bar for a more arty, fun feel, visit the beautiful ground of Trinity College, and generally wander round an easily walkable city and soak up its uniquely friendly atmosphere.

Click here for an up to date family friendly events guide to Dublin.

And for some more ideas about what to do check out the Tourism Ireland site. Finally, if you are planning a longer stay then be sure to check out our detailed Ireland, Belfast and Cork guides.

Eat

There’s no shortage of places to eat in Dublin and they are generally very welcoming to kids – if you were just to head for Temple Bar you'd find a heady mix of local pubs and more international fare that would keep you busy for a few days.

Even if you can’t afford to stay there, it’s worth nipping into the Shelbourne (St. Stephen’s Green) for afternoon tea. It’s a feast and comparatively well priced.

Bewleys Coffee Shop in Grafton Street is a well-frequented institution offering great value slap bang in the middle of the city. Whether you want a full breakfast, a quick hot chocolate or a cooked meal for the kids at 5pm. Self-service but much appreciated in an historic setting.