Dublin, Escape the City, Then Come Back for the Pubs
Dublin is grand, everyone knows Dublin. Georgian squares, Temple Bar, Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse, literary pubs where the ghost of Brendan Behan is probably still running a tab. But here's what most visitors miss: Dublin is even better as a launchpad. An hour south and you're in the Wicklow Mountains at Glendalough, standing beside a sixth-century monastic settlement in a glacial valley so peaceful you can hear your own heartbeat. Two hours north and you're in Belfast. That's the beauty of collecting a car in Dublin, the city is brilliant, but the country around it is where Ireland really shows off.
Hiring a car in Dublin makes the cross-border trip dead simple. Drive the M1 north to Belfast, two hours, seamless border crossing, zero checkpoints. The only things that change are the speed limit signs (miles to kilometres going south, reverse going north), the road markings, and the currency. Nobody stops you, nobody asks for a passport. You won't even notice you've crossed. Many of our customers collect in Dublin and drive north, or vice versa, our one-way rental service makes this completely straightforward.
Dublin Airport sits about 10 km north of the city centre and handles flights from everywhere, Europe, North America, Middle East. If you're flying into Dublin Airport and planning to explore both the Republic and Northern Ireland, grabbing a car at the airport saves you the headache of Dublin city traffic and gets you straight onto the motorway. Alternatively, pick up in the city centre if you want to spend a day or two in Dublin first.
Driving in Dublin (Fair Warning)
Dublin city centre is busy. Weekday rush hours are no joke, and several streets have bus-only lanes that will earn you a fine if you stray into them. The M50 ring road lets you bypass the city entirely if you're heading south or west. Clamping is enthusiastically enforced on illegally parked cars, the clampers are arguably Dublin's most efficient workforce. Multi-storey car parks and pay-and-display street parking are plentiful if you know where to look.
In the Republic, speed limits are in kilometres per hour: 120 km/h on motorways, 100 on national roads, 80 on regional roads, 50 in towns. The M50 around Dublin has a barrier-free electronic toll, no booth, just cameras. You need to register your car or pay online within a set time window, or a fine turns up. We brief you on all of this at pickup so there are no surprises.
What to See in Dublin
Temple Bar
Yes, it's touristy. Yes, the pints are overpriced. But Temple Bar on a Saturday night, with fiddle music pouring out of every doorway and cobblestones slippery with rain, is still an experience worth having. The area also hosts a food market on Saturdays and a book market during the week. For a more authentic Dublin pub experience, wander to Stoneybatter or Smithfield, the locals drink there for a reason.
Trinity College & the Book of Kells
Founded in 1592, Trinity is Ireland's oldest university and its cobbled campus in the city centre feels like stepping back four centuries. The Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from around 800 AD, is the main draw, but the Long Room above it is equally jaw-dropping: a barrel-vaulted library containing 200,000 of the oldest books in the collection, with marble busts lining both sides. Book tickets online to skip the queue, especially in summer.
Phoenix Park
Over 700 hectares of green space in the middle of Dublin, bigger than all of London's Royal Parks combined. Home to Dublin Zoo, the President's residence, a herd of wild fallow deer that have been here since the 1660s, and enough space to forget you're in a capital city. Several free car parks inside the gates. The Papal Cross and Wellington Monument are the main landmarks, but the best thing about Phoenix Park is finding a quiet corner and doing absolutely nothing.
Guinness Storehouse
Seven floors of interactive exhibits at St James's Gate Brewery, telling the story from Arthur Guinness's audacious 9,000-year lease in 1759 to the present day. Culminates in the Gravity Bar on the top floor, a complimentary pint with 360-degree views across Dublin. Book online to skip the queue. Whether you're a Guinness drinker or not, it's a well-crafted experience and the rooftop view alone is worth the ticket.
Getting Out of Dublin, The Good Bit
The Wicklow Mountains are less than an hour south and this is where Dublin residents go to breathe. The drive through Wicklow Mountains National Park to Glendalough is stunning, a glacial valley with the ruins of a monastic settlement founded by St Kevin in the sixth century, two lakes surrounded by wooded hillsides, and walking trails for every fitness level. Go early, before the tour buses arrive, and you'll have the valley largely to yourself. This is the Ireland that postcards are made of. See our full guide totop Dublin attractions and scenic drives.
North of Dublin, the Boyne Valley is one of Ireland's most historically loaded landscapes. Newgrange, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a Neolithic passage tomb older than the pyramids of Egypt. On the winter solstice, sunlight penetrates the passage and illuminates the inner chamber for about seventeen minutes. The Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland, is nearby. Both are an easy hour's drive from Dublin.
For coastal walks, drive south to Bray and Greystones where a cliff path connects the two towns with views that justify every step. Or head north to Howth, a fishing village on a headland with harbour views, cliff walks, and some of Dublin's best seafood restaurants. Either makes a cracking half-day escape from the city.
Belfast to Dublin (and Back)
The drive takes about two hours via the A1/M1. The border is invisible, no checkpoints, no stops, no paperwork. Speed limits flip from miles per hour to kilometres, road markings change colour, and sterling becomes euros. The road is excellent throughout, passing through County Down and County Louth. If you have time, detour to the medieval town of Drogheda or the Cooley Peninsula on the way, both add interest without adding much time. From Dublin,Belfast is under 2 hours north on the M1.