j2spring
Unregistered User
(9/3/03 11:25 am)

Dublin "hop on-off" bus and getting to glendalough

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Hi Michele and everyone,
1) Dublin "hop-on, hop-off" bus:

I've heard much mention of the "hop-on, hop-off" bus that is available in Dublin. I don't have any info on it, but I imagine it goes to the most popular tourist spots. Where does one pick it up (downtown)? Where does it stop? Is it a one day ticket? Do buses run quite regularly so that if you don't spend much time at a stop, another bus will be along shortly? What is the cost? Are the stops in a close-enough area around the city, that walkers could manage the stops completely and avoid the bus?

2) Getting to Glendalough

While in Dublin (without a car), we would like to get to Glendalough and spend some time walking around the area. We are not interested in a bus from Dublin that would have a specific time of return (i.e. may just give us an hour or two to "do our thing.") In other words, if I'm enjoying the visit, I don't want to have to cut it short. Can anyone advise as to the best mode of transportation that would allow us some flexibility? Are the bus schedules flexible and do they run often?
As always, thank you Michele and everyone.
J2spring

Dude
Unregistered User
(9/3/03 3:45 pm)

Hop on Hop off

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Can't help you with Glendalough, but I have taken the ho-ho bus. You can join up downtown near the General Post Office. I would assume you can buy a ticket from any bus driver at any stop along the route, though. Here are the stops:
1. Dublin Bus HQ
2. Writer's Museum (National Wax Museum & Municipal Gallery of Modern Art)
3. GPO/Henry Street (Custom House & Visitor Centre)
4. Trinity College (Bank of Ireland, Grafton Street)
5. Nassau Street (National Library, National Museum)
6. National Gallery (Merrion Square , Natural History Museum
7. St. Stephen's Green (Mansion House, Powerscourt Centre)
8. Tourism Centre
9. Temple Bar
10. Dublin Castle (The Chester Beatty Library, City Hall)
11. Christ Church Cathedral
12. St. Patrick's Cathedral (Marsh's Library)
13. Guiness Storehouse
14. Museum of Modern Art (Kilmainham Gaol)
15. Parkgate Street
16. Dublin Zoo (Phoenix Park)
17. National Museum
18. Old Jameson & the Chimney
19. O'Connell Bridge

24 hour ticket-use as often as you wish all day and you can split your day, starting in the afternoon and finishing up tomorrow (and if you can't find your ticket, the drivers will probably let you on as long as you have "an honest face."
Buses run every 10 minutes, more or less, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The complete tour with no getting off is 1 hour 15 minutes. From 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. they run every 30 minutes. The cost when we were there in May was about 12 euros. But there are discount coupons attached to the map for many of the attractions. Walkers? If you want to do the whole tour you'd have to be a better woman than I am!! I thought it was a great bargain, but then I was desperate to go all the way out to Kilmainham Gaol. The rest of my party wasn't, so they got off at Guiness and we joined up later on. Really convenient.
I recommend it. The drivers do a clever commentary and give some history lessons.

Anita
Unregistered User
(9/3/03 9:37 pm)

Tours

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There are two different companies that do hop-on hop-off tours in Dublin, but I think their tickets are interchangeable. The one Dude mentions has a slightly different route than the one I took. There are a lot of sights downtown that you can walk to if you are a good walker- O'Connell St, Grafton St, Merrion Square, St Stephen's Green, Trinity College are all within walking distance for someone who is used to doing a lot of walking- but other sights like Killmainam jail and the national museum and the Guiness storehouse are quite a hike.

As for getting to Glendalough, there are a number of companies that do day trips for about 25 euros each. I would highly recommend Tir na nOg tours ( I think they may be called Irish Rover Tours now) as I did their day trip to Newgrange and it turned out to be the best one I did (and I did about seven). The guide was terrific, the bus was small, and it made lots of stops for photos. I know they had a day trip called the Wicklow explorer that included Glendalough, but I didn't manage to fit it in. Others I spoke to said it was terrific. They do have a website, and you can make reservations over the internet.
Other than that, check out the Irish rail site. I know they also offered city-break trips for some of the more popular tourist spots. Sometimes you travelled part of the way by bus and part of the way by train, but it would give you the flexibility to stay as long as you want.

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1820
(9/4/03 12:48 am)

Re: Dublin "hop on-off" bus and getting to glendal

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Hi j2spring,

Dude and Anita have given you complete info. I will only add a few links for you to browse:

www.irishcitytours.com/home.html
www.dublinbus.ie/home/
www.guidefriday.com/
www.buseireann.ie/site/home/
www.overthetoptours.com/
www.tirnanogtours.com/
www.wildcoachtours.com/
www.railtours.ie/

Michele

j2spring
Unregistered User
(9/4/03 8:10 pm)
 
Dublin "ho-ho" bus and Glendalough

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Thanks so much to Dude, Anita, and Michele for the fantastic leads -- they will help a lot. I am always amazed at how generous you all are not only with your tips, but with the time it takes to write them on this board. Bless you all.
J2Spring

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1829
(9/5/03 1:06 am)

Nice People

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Hi j2spring,

It's nice people like you (along with the regulars here) that make this forum a pleasure to run. We all believe that "what goes around comes around". People were generous with us in the past and we are just spreading it around a little. Who knows, perhaps after your trip you will become one of the experts here too!

Michele

cjmford
Unregistered User
(9/8/03 11:07 pm)

Hop On Hop Off Bus

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I think it is one of the great bargains in Ireland, and worth every penny, even if you never get off. Definitely use Michele's links for more specific info, but you can get on at any of the stops and buy your ticket on the bus. There are two different companies, but the stops are virtually indentical. City Tours is $12 and the other is $14, but there might be some discounts offered (cheaper for students). It is a long walk to some of the stops (like Kilmainham Gaol), so be aware. We have lived in many cities and this is the first time we used one of these. They are great fun, interesting commentary from drivers. I would try to get a great seat upstairs (front of the bus, covered in case in rains), then stay on for the entire tour. Then go round again, stopping where you think you'd like to walk around.
We used ours the first afternoon and then the rest of the next morning.

Chris

j2spring
Unregistered User
(9/9/03 9:33 am)

dublin "ho-ho" bus

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Thanks again to everyone for the info. Chris, I like your idea of going around once to see everything, then again to stop at places we want to visit. It's a good way of getting an overview as well as the lay of the land. Dude mentioned her trip took about an hour and a half. Was yours about the same? Glad you had a great trip. j2spring

Dude
Unregistered User
(9/9/03 4:45 pm)

ho-ho

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Actually my trip took most of the day!!! The hour and a half time was from the brochure. I suppose realistically it will depend on traffic conditions, construction, etc.
Yes, remember if you go to Kilmainham it is quite a hike but you get to go through the Modern Art Museum grounds which are beautifully landscaped. And Kilmainham is worth it if you are at all into Irish history. The people with me were more into Guiness and shopping!!

cjmford
Unregistered User
(9/10/03 8:54 pm)

Hop On Hop Off

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The trip around without getting off is probably an hour and a half, but if you get off and tour several of the stops it will take all day, or as we did, half of one day and half of another. Remember the tiket is good for a 24 hour period, so you can use it more than one day.

Chris