On our recent sister’s trip, we went to four cities, and I had already been to three of them.  I loved the return visits we had to NYC, London, and Florence, but I wanted to have at least one new destination. Ireland is somewhere I have never traveled to, so we included a sister’s trip to Dublin. You can hear more about this trip on Podcast #44.

Flight

I often use a European low-cost carrier like easyJet or Ryanair when flying between countries in Europe.  For this flight, we used Ryanair at a cost of $220 each. We took an Uber to Gatwick Airport. But before our flight, we managed to drop into two out of four of the Priority Pass airport lounges there. Our initial flight to Europe is detailed here and was only 88K miles round-trip in business class—so great!

 

Lodging

We used Hyatt free night award certificates to stay at the Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin. These came from my husband’s and my personal Hyatt credit cards and from a free night certificate earned from the Hyatt Brand Explorer Award. This hotel is a Category 4 hotel. It was cute, but after staying in a suite at the Hyatt Churchill in London, it seemed a little bit basic.

We took a taxi from Dublin Airport to the center that cost about €30. Our cab driver was wonderful, pointing out all the places we should visit in Dublin.

On our second night, we got upgraded to a suite for our last two nights, so that was great. These rooms were valued at about $500, and being able to use free night certificates is amazing. Our breakfasts were really good, too. We could order at the restaurant, and it was all covered thanks to my Globalist status. The baked waffle was my favorite.

 

 

Activities

Our first day was a little rainy, and we got there late in the afternoon, so we walked over to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral, had a late lunch, and just rested up for a busy second day.

Day two started with a complimentary Globalist breakfast at the hotel, and then we took a tour of Christ Church Cathedral (it is a magnificent building).  We had a guided walk of the city via Get Your Guide that only cost about $25 each. This tour was great—so entertaining and informative! We went to:

 

• Dublin Castle
• Dublin Garden
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral
• Christ Church Cathedral
• Ha’Penny Bridge
• Temple Bar Area

 

 

 

 

 

 

On day three, we decided to get outside of Dublin and took a tour that took us to Glendalough, Kilkenny, and the Wicklow Mountains. Glendalough was particularly gorgeous, with hikes to the lower and upper lakes.

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom Line

Our sister’s trip to Dublin on credit card points and miles was successful due to its low cost, lack of rain, and stunning landscapes. The people were equally kind and full of storytelling. Although we did not have much rain, the sky was usually grey, and we needed a sweater or sweatshirt when we went out.

I was happy to be able to cross another country off my list (this was #47). Ireland is green and lush. The Irish people are known for their warm hospitality and love for music, dance, and storytelling, and we certainly experienced this with both of our tour guides singing for us and telling multiple stories. It is the perfect vacation for a family!

 

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Podcast #44: Unforgettable Journeys: Pam’s NYC to Dublin Trip with a Twist!