Taking advantage of a seat sale I booked a flight to Dublin, Ireland next March. I'll only be there for a week. What are the "must do's" for someone on a backpacker (non-luxury) budget?

Following. Did you book that insanely cheap mistake deal too?

HELL YEAH! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that. Did you book it to?

I did. $419 RT out of Victoria over St. Patrick’s Day

$377 on March 7th (my birthday!) out of Vancouver.

Who did you book with? I booked with Cheapoair when it first was posted (on a different group) and my booking shows up on United‘s site and let’s me pick my seats (for free, I might add!) so I’m going to assume they’re gonna honour it? I heard a lot of people had their bookings cancelled, but that was the day of.

David Bushby No, it’s not. It was a mistake fare that came up on Tuesday and was gone within hours and a lot of people had their bookings cancelled.

Angela I booked with FlightNetwork. I called to confirm two days later and they said I still have my booking. I haven’t heard of anyone that had theirs cancelled.

There is so much to do and see in Dublin!! The history is amazing. Loads of pubs. They also have great rail service which is reasonably cheap, I believe.

Tony I booked thru flight center and our flight was cancelled

Tiffany I didn't book through Flight Centre. I booked through Flight Network. I noticed they sent me two e-tickets after the booking. When I called them, the confirmed my original booking and sent me the correct e-ticket.

Oh I mean flight network ...

They sent me two emails and I just checked our credit card and it's been cancelled

I called and they said everyone would get an email from the airline in a few days

I just checked my credit card and it's still showing a transaction from Aer Lingus. Posted 2 days after I booked the flight.

That's strange. I just checked TravelNetwork and they still have me as "confirmed" for my flight to Dublin. My email confirmation still shows up under my account. Did you ask why your flight was cancelled?

Tony they said it was a mistake price and the airline wasn't honouring it ... maybe they missed some ....

Maybe they did. I hope you got a refund.

Tony I did but sad not to get the deal .... hope it works out for you ! Keep me posted

I checked Aer Lingus' website and my booking confirmation and info is still there! I checked with a travel agent friend and she said if the airline doesn't cancel and refund the flight within 96 hours (4 days) of the booking they're bound by law to honour the flight.

Mine was cancelled

do a day trip to Belfast and take the Black Taxi Tour... they tour the city and tell you all about the IRA from their perspective. Also, theres the Giant's Causeway up there as well. Tour companies in Dublin offer both together as a package for the day.

Also, head out of Dublin and make your way to the west coast of Ireland where Galway is for a few days. You can see the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands.

Dublin is aaaaaamazing
stay centrally (Dublin is practically made of hostels, with the Temple Bar ones the most popular with tourists and closest to the action) -- cabs are cheap but Dublin's so walkable it would be a shame to miss it! Daytimes go exploring -- the Long Library at Trinity (bribe a student to take you in for free!), visit the bog bodies in the National Museum nearby (free for everyone all the time), wander Henry St and watch the buskers on Grafton St, and check out the parks, especially Stephen's Green, saying hi to Oscar in Merrion Square, and Phoenix Park if the weather's on your side. For sure take the Dart out to Howth for the day and do the cliff walk (holy smokes gorgeous) and have fish and chips or seafood after (or buy cheap shellfish and cook up a feast!). Get cinnamon buns at Simons in the George St arcade, sweets at Queen of Tarts, and live like the locals do -- off chicken fillet rolls, 2€ at Centra! For food try Green 19, cheap bur surprisingly good cafeteria-style lunches at KC Peaches, burritos at Pablo Picante, and Sunday roasts at the pub. Obviously you'll need a Guinness -- I loved Snail Bar opposite the George St Arcade and Market Bar, or Kennedy's or the Ginger Man by Trinity, or Sub Lounge under the Tara St Dart station where you can get a 2€ cider and serious thrash metal on Saturday nights (or see live music at Workman's or the old Pravda on the quays). The Guinness Storehouse I would say honestly skip -- if you do go, time your visit for a good view from the bar at the top -- and put the ticket price into seeing a hurling game or trying out some fancy whiskey (Middleton's Very Rare for preference!!). If you have time for a day trip try the Cliffs of Mother, Ring of Kerry, or surfing around Donegal (there's a great surf hostel in Bundoran). Have a great time!!!

Thank you so much for your advice! This is amazing! Do you think a week is enough to see all the things you’re mentioning?

I'd say you're in with a chance! I would pick just one out-of-Dublin side trip if I were you (and I'd probably go with somewhere a bit rural and nowhere like home) and perhaps one other priority (picking one is a challenge -- in March Gaelic football and hurling will be starting up, if you want to watch a sport that makes ice hockey look tame, but Dublin also has an incredible theatre tradition -- the Abbey and the Gate are the big two -- and the Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry and most of all the Giant's Causeway are that rare thing, a tourist attraction that will genuinely take your breath away) and building your trip around that. Most of Dublin is very walkable -- Stephen's Green connects to Grafton St, which is next to the National Museum, which is two blocks from Trinity, which houses the Long Gallery and the Book of Kells and is next door to the (free) National Gallery, which is less than 15 minutes from Temple Bar, the George St Arcade, or Henry St and the north side of the city. On foot is best for this stuff even though you'll be lost the whole time -- the Irish don't believe in street signs, so it comes in very handy that people tend to be mega friendly!!
If I just had one week I would start in the city centre while I was jetlagged, walking around eating things and looking at stuff for a day or two, then plan a bigger-ticket evening in the middle of my stay, and be sure to spend my last day (or the sunniest one in the forecast) in Howth (trust me on Howth). If you decide to take a side trip, shell out for either an organized tour, I'd that's your scene, or an express bus if it isn't -- the milk run buses are awful. You can usually book on the day, so you don't have to decide until you get there. If you decide to skip it, I'd say replace it with a night at the bar in the basement of the Irish Language book store, the Conradh na Gaeilge, near Stephen's Green. Bring a print out of some Irish phrases and you can hang out with random Irish speakers, drinking dangerously generous measures of whiskey and listening to teenagers playing Oasis restored for traditional instruments

I realise I'm adding more instead of less, and making it even harder to pick (have a drink in the Church Bar on Henry St, where you can do shots in the old confessional! Swim at the not-joking Muff Diving Club! Hike at Glendalough or climb the Sugar Loaf!) -- but Dublin is a bit of an insider's city, and if you don't have locals to call on you'll build the best trip and have the best time with too many ideas rather than too few
you know yourself what kind of trip you like best -- pick whatever calls your name, have a great time exploring, make some friends at the pub -- and go to Howth

Check groupon.ie found some tours for the same price of a one way train ticket to get there.

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