Not the sexiest of posts, I’ll admit. But visiting the Tourist Information Centre in Dublin is one of my favorite travel tips. Here’s why:
The Building. The Tourist information office, only a block from Grafton Street, is set in an old church. You wouldn’t even think it was the tourist office!
The Brochures. If you’re visiting Dublin and you’re looking for a tour or a museum, this place has got the brochures – a whole wall of them. Oh, and it also has really friendly staff who will help you figure out what it is you want to do in this lovely place.
The Bathrooms. Clean, public bathrooms. They’re on the fourth floor, so you’ll work for them, but when in need!
{Incidentally, my other travel trip for today is: bring your umbrella. It’s been raining for days!}
It seems I’ve run out of reasons to love the Tourist Information Centre that begin with the letter B, but it’s also a great place to stock up on little souvenirs to take home with you. There are lots of kitschy places (there’s a somewhat tacky chain called O’Carroll’s that plays painful music at the loudest decibel and sells lots of leprechaun gear!) around Dublin to find souvenirs, but the Tourist Office has a lot of great options as well. If I was visiting, I’d let Michael look at the wall of brochures and decide our itinerary while I found cute souvenirs to bring home!
And finally, when you’ve planned your trip and booked your hop-on, hop-off tour (which I also recommend, by the way!), walk a block down the road for lunch at Avoca. Try their basement food hall for delicious salads and tarts, or their rooftop restaurant for a lingering cup of coffee and a sweet treat. On the floors in between? Even more pretty Irish sourvenirs to bring home with you!
2 Comments
Thanks for the good ideas. We will be leaving the US on May 15 and arriving in Dublin on May 16 and leaving the morning of May 19. Would you and Michael like to go to dinner on the 17th or 18th? Mary Cath is pleased we will be meeting ;-).
I agree with you that the tourist information centre is in a fantastic place, exactly opposite church. Some of my clients used this tourist information centre and they really recommended you.