Where to stay

Dublin is known for its vibrant nightlife scene and Temple Bar is the best place to stay for dancing until dawn. Lining the streets are famous pubs where you can listen to live music and raise a Guinness with a friendly local. Come back in the daytime hours for the trendy boutiques and modern art galleries. Alternatively, consider a hotel along nearby Camden Street, quickly becoming as popular for its nighttime fun as Temple Bar. Local shops and antiques stores close their doors for the day just as a varied mix of bars, pubs and restaurants welcome revelers for the evening. Stay along O'Connell Street on the northern bank of the River Liffey for quintessential Irish pubs and live music.

The area around Trinity College is the epicenter of Dublin sightseeing and the place to stay for top attractions, including the must-see Book of Kells. Hotels around nearby Fitzwilliam Square and Merrion Square are close to colorful, picture-perfect Georgian residences and cute cafés, giving your stay a neighborly ambiance. Choose accommodations in Christchurch, or the Old City, for its lineup of favorite sightseeing spots: Dublin Castle, Christchurch Cathedral, St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Guinness Storehouse. St. Stephen's Green and the Grafton Street area are also great spots to stay for mixing shopping and sightseeing. History buffs love to stay in Southern Georgian Dublin, with its heritage architecture as well as the National Concert Hall, Oscar Wilde House and National Gallery of Ireland. Explore local history with a stay in Donnybrook, home of the famous cemetery that dates back to the 8th century, as well as the lively rugby stadium.

Close to the city center, upscale Ranelagh and Rathmines are popular spots to stay for foodies. Local residents flock to these neighborhoods for the gourmet food shops, bustling bars and some of the best food in Dublin. Hotels in Drumcondra place you at the forefront of an up-and-coming restaurant scene, with global flavors and some of the best brunch spots in town. Enjoy a local ambiance with accommodations in Smithfield on Dublin's northside, where boutique restaurants and cafés line a pleasant, cobblestone plaza. Follow dinner with live music and Dublin brews at one of the many pubs on the square.

For a quieter Dublin vacation, stay in The Docklands, the meeting spot of the Royal and Grand canals and the River Liffey. After some regeneration, the area is now the place to stay for haute cuisine, modern architecture and entertainment centers. Find a hotel in picture-perfect Howth, full of rustic charm, outdoor adventures and Howth Castle with its gorgeous rhododendron gardens. Dún Laoghaire offers accommodations just 20 minutes southeast of Dublin's city center, as well as excellent fish and chips, a maritime museum, Sandycove beach and enticing shops along George's Street. Find a hotel in Ballsbridge or Donnybrook to be surrounded by elegant family homes, fine restaurants and traditional pubs. It's just far enough from the center of Dublin to be quieter, yet easily connected by bus.