I lived in Dublin for several years, and now visit frequently; I’ve 3 top tips for you.

1. Stay in a hostel with a great location
2. Find the inexpensive- but tasty!- places where locals eat
3. Go to the many free museums & galleries

Tip 1- Hostel

I know, I know- some people think Dublin hostels are only for 20-somethings visiting for the Guinness, but that just isn’t true! People of all ages use hostels- especially the new breed of hostels like Generator’s, and people of all ages like to immerse themselves in culture- and not just drinking culture. If you’d like to see more on what I thought of Generator’s Dublin hostel, you can read my blog on it here.

Tip 2: Eating

On my last Dublin visit I ate delicious food, but didn’t break the bank. I had dinner at Boojum in ‘The Italian Quarter’- 2 LUAS stops (at Jervis) from Generator. You can also easily walk to Boojum & save the €1.30 LUAS fee. I had a massive burrito & a sparkling mineral water for under €8. They’ve a nice range of tasty fillings & sauces, and you’ll be full as a tick after!

For breakfast I went to Brother Hubbard on Capel Street, about 10 min walk from Generator, or 1 LUAS stop (4 Courts) & a shorter walk. Brother Hubbard is a great little cafe with good coffee, fresh baked goods, a gluten free selection, & wonderful lunch. They plan to do early dinner, too, but hadn’t started as of my visit Jan 2013. You can get a lovely lunch for around €10.

3. Freebies

Dublin is full of free museums & galleries! The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA,) is free, and there is a lovely garden at their site in Kilmainham, too. The National Gallery, The National Museums of Ireland and the RHA gallery are also free. ( Note: I had a very good lunch of tortellini stuffed with pork for €10 at the RHA’s cafe- not your usual bland gallery fare!) There are plenty more free places, too; Visit Dublin has extensive listings. Also check out places like Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar for less expensive theatre or dance performances. I saw a lovely show there, & had a nice glass of wine in their theatre bar as well!

One museum that isn’t free, but is well worth a visit, is The Little Museum of Dublin (€5) Do take tour- the interesting & humorous stories bring the fascinating array of items in the museum to life. Everything here was donated by the public- it really is the people’s museum. The Little Museum is special place that you shouldn’t miss if you’d like to get a real feel for Dublin. I found Generator Hostel well located for many places of interest, the LUAS, Dublin bikes, or walking- with the added bonus that the Smithfield area is not nearly so noisy as Temple Bar! Have a great time & enjoy Dublin!

This guest post has been written by Susan FitzGerald , who is a keen traveller and has lived a few years in Dublin. Susan now frequently travels to Dublin and also writes for vibrantireland.com.