Travelling alone is one of my favourite ways to explore the world. Today, I’m sharing with you the best solo travel destinations to visit in Europe in 2022, whether this is your first time travelling solo or you’re a seasoned pro looking to expand your European horizons.
Note: I’m also listing two cities in the United Kingdom as ‘solo travel destinations in Europe’, even though I know they officially left the European Union in 2020. Sue me.
Europe is home to many of the world’s most historically and culturally relevant cities. For people like you and me, that means it’s got plenty of solo travel destinations to discover. In other words: you could spend days — or even weeks — in every major European city without getting bored.
These are my favourite solo destinations in Europe for a quick city getaway.
Ahh, the city that started it all. I went to Dublin on my very first solo trip, and that’s an experience I’ll always cherish. The Irish capital is a city with plenty of things to keep a solo traveller entertained for a few days. If you’re worried about solo travel safety: Ireland is consistently listed among the safest countries in the world to travel by yourself.
Read more: Budget Solo Travel in Dublin: Travel Tips and Tricks
Everything Amsterdam does, Rotterdam does better. At least for solo travellers. The city has the same culture, the same people and the same food, but better and cheaper. Especially if you’re not a fan of crowded cities with many attractions aimed at tourists, you’re better off in Rotterdam.
Read more: Where To Eat In Rotterdam: The Ultimate Foodie Guide
Then again, if you do happen to be a fan of crowded cities, London is the place to be if you’re travelling solo. Other travellers tend to agree: it’s the third-most visited city in the world, and for good reason. You could easily spend a week (or more) in each of the city’s 12 boroughs. London is home to world-class restaurants and museums, not to forget its historical districts and splashes of innovation, such as the Shard, Tate Modern, and the Sky Garden.
Are you looking for a bit of everything when you travel? Luckily for you, Europe is rich in cities that offer something for everyone. Culture, nature, adventure and gastronomy go hand in hand in these solo travel destinations.
The Maltese capital is not only a sight to behold — it’s also the perfect base for solo travellers to explore the three islands of Malta. Some highlights around the country are Rabat, Mdina, the Azure Window remains on Gozo, the Blue Lagoon in Camino, the Three Cities, and Marsaxlokk. English is one of the official languages in the country, so if you can read this, you’ll have no trouble getting around.
Read more: Solo Travel in Malta: A Conclusive Guide
With its impressive cultural neighbourhoods, modern art and electronic music scene, Berlin is the city that truly made me love travelling solo. Whether you just want to visit the essentials — Brandenburger Tor, Reichstag Building, Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall, for starters — or you’re looking to go off the beaten path: Berlin has something for everybody.
Read more:
A stunning historic city centre, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, and the Scott Monument walk into a bar… No idea what the punchline to that joke is, but the city is there to please every solo traveller. The cultural sights (you know, the ones from the joke in the first line), a breathtaking hike (Arthur’s Seat), plenty of shopping opportunities and the Royal Botanical Gardens make Edinburgh the amazing city it is today.
Read more: Edinburgh Solo Travel Guide — Things To Do In Edinburgh
Are you a seasoned solo traveller looking for a new thrill? Or just a first-timer who wants to do something just a little bit different?
Take a look at some of my favourite offbeat solo travel destinations in Europe.
The second-largest metropolitan region in Belgium and host of the 1920 Summer Olympics, Antwerp is a great, albeit slightly unusual, solo travel destination in Europe. (And, coincidentally, it’s also the city I call home at the time of writing this. Come say hi!)
Read more: Best Restaurants in Antwerp: The Ultimate Foodie Guide
If you’re a solo traveller with an interest in international politics, there’s really no competition for Strasbourg. The city is home to several European institutions and non-European international institutions. Its historic city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, although the city has been at the centre of violent disputes throughout history, it now serves as a cultural bridge between French and German culture.
Read more: 10 best day trips from Strasbourg for slow travellers
Bologna is known as the Fat, Red, and the Learn’d City — respectively due to its rich cuisine, the red Spanish tiled rooftops, and being home to the oldest university in the western world. Oh, and one of the best pasta sauces of all time — Bolognese sauce — is literally named after the city. But if that won’t convince you to travel to Bologna, I’m not sure what will.
Whether you’re looking for a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park or you simply want to absorb the atmosphere of the Central European lifestyle, Zagreb is where you want to be.
Read more: Zagreb (Croatia): Is It Worth a Visit or Not?
Just because you’re travelling alone, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy nature. Whether it’s snowboarding down a mountain slope, going for a hike in the mystical forest or catching waves with your surfboard that gets your adrenaline going, there are plenty of solo travel destinations in Europe for nature lovers.
The enchanting town of Braga is a budget-friendly alternative to bigger Portuguese cities, like Porto and Lisbon. The town is located in northern Portugal, between rugged mountains, mystical forests, grand valleys, and soothing plains. Additionally, Braga enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with mild winters.
Many solo travellers avoid travelling to Switzerland because of its high cost of living. But what if I told you that you can also do it on a budget? Sivan from The Blonde Abroad gives plenty of tips on travelling to Interlaken on a budget in this blog post.
If you don’t know why Iceland is the perfect solo travel destination for nature lovers by now, I don’t know what to tell you. For example, you can bathe in the Blue Lagoon, chase the Northern Lights, explore an ice cave or discover the black sand beach with the unpronounceable name — Reynisfjara.
Looking for a big-hitter city with a lavish history where you’ll never run out of things to do? Consider the following solo travel destinations for culture lovers.
When you know that Dubrovnik was a filming location for Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Robin Hood, you’ll realise why it’s worth your precious travel time. The city on the Adriatic Sea is mostly known for its characteristic Old Town and ancient city walls, and many places of interest in Dubrovnik rely on its rich cultural heritage to attract travellers.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, they say. The Italian capital might be one of the most romantic and charismatic cities on earth, but that doesn’t mean solo travellers will get bored in Rome. The city has been a major human settlement for almost three millennia, leading to a cultural history Romans are rightfully proud of.
Athens is the cradle of Western Civilisation and the birthplace of democracy. That’s why it’s the place to be for solo travellers looking to get all cultured up. For example: you can walk in Plato and Aristotle’s footsteps on the Acropolis, learn about the city’s culture in the Benaki Museum, and stroll through the labyrinth of streets in the oldest neighbourhood of Athens — Plaka.
As you can see, it’s not difficult to find the best places for solo travellers in Europe. It’s a continent so rich in cultural, natural and gastronomic history that you can spend years here and still not see everything there is to see.
If you’re a seasoned solo traveller, what’s your favourite solo destination in Europe and why? Be sure to leave a comment down below and inspire your fellow solo travellers.
-S
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To preface this entire article, I’ll just say this: there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question ‘Should I visit Dublin or Edinburgh?’. Every traveller is different and wants different things when travelling, so I can’t choose between Edinburgh and Dublin for you. What I can do, however, is list some pros and cons for both and help you come to your own conclusion.
It’s always tough to figure out where you’re travelling to next and to create your travel itinerary, but I am here to help.
Skip ahead to specific sections using the links below:
For starters, check out my dedicated guides to solo travel in Edinburgh and Dublin.
Now, let’s actually compare the two cities in terms of solo travel friendliness.
Dublin was the very first city I ever travelled to by myself, so I have a special relationship with it.
Now, the thing is, I’m not sure if I like solo travel in Dublin because it was my first solo experience or if it’s actually a great city to visit, but I would definitely recommend it.
As for Edinburgh, it’s quickly become one of my favourite cities in the UK — and you should know, I REALLY loved Brighton and London.
There are plenty of things to do, the atmosphere is great and you’ll feel like you went back in time.
The winner: Edinburgh. I feel like the sheer atmosphere in the city is enough to trump Dublin as the best city to travel to by yourself, even though I have more special memories in the Irish capital.
Edinburgh and Dublin are similar in size, and they both have plenty of things to do for travellers. Here’s a quick overview of the most important tourist attractions in both cities.
Dublin:
Edinburgh:
The winner: Dublin. I feel like you could spend more time in Dublin without getting bored, even though Edinburgh is a close second in this category.
In general, architecture in Dublin is nothing impressive. The city’s skyline is rather flat compared to bigger cities in Europe, like London and Rome. That being said, there are some very impressive buildings in Dublin, like Dublin Castle, The Custom House and the Guinness Storehouse.
By contrast, Edinburgh architecture is more reminiscent of its history. By the very ground the city was built on, there are more differences in height than in Dublin. This results in higher, more impressive buildings, although these buildings tend to be less diverse than in the Irish capital.
The winner: Depends. If you’re into history, Edinburgh wins. But if you’re into modern architecture, I’d say that Dublin takes the cake in this category.
Some traditional food you have to try in Dublin:
And then, traditional food in Edinburgh:
The winner: Personal preference. This really comes down to what kind of food you prefer to eat, but I’m personally more inclined to choose Edinburgh.
Nightlife in Dublin is fantastic. The legal drinking age is 18 and many bars, pubs and clubs are sprawled around the city, with a dense concentration in the Temple Bar district.
The bad news, however, is that many clubs in Dublin have a cover charge, often ranging between €15 and €20.
Just because Edinburgh is a city steeped in history, doesn’t mean that there’s nothing else to experience there. There are many nightlife areas in Edinburgh to keep you drinking, singing and dancing until the early hours, including the Royal Mile, Grassmarket and the West End.
The winner: It’s a tie. Again, it really depends on what you’re after.
It must be said: both cities have incredibly friendly locals.
When I was in Dublin, I found that the Irish were more than willing to help out a solo traveller who was struggling to figure something out. Hostel and restaurant staff was also very friendly and helpful.
In Edinburgh, the locals’ willingness to help was very similar. It doesn’t feel weird to walk up to someone in Edinburgh and ask them a question, even if you’ve never met them before.
The winner: Dublin. When I was in Dublin, I never felt like I was strange for being there, which I have felt in other cities.
The whole Dublin vs. Edinburgh debate on pricing is really easy: Edinburgh is cheaper.
Since the average salary in Dublin is higher than in Edinburgh, it stands to reason that many aspects of life are more expensive there.
And that counts for things like housing and electricity, but also for things that affect travellers, like public transport and restaurants.
The winner: Edinburgh.
If you go back through this comparison, you’ll see that Dublin and Edinburgh both got the same number of points.
So, I guess it all comes down to what you’re looking for in your destination.
Do you want a vibrant city with friendly locals, energetic nightlife and plenty of things to do? Go to Dublin.
Are you looking for a weekend away at a city where history and present come together, where accommodation is more affordable and where breathtaking nature is just a stone’s throw away? Head to Edinburgh.
In the end, I can’t decide between Dublin and Edinburgh for you, but I can help you figure it out yourself.
Have you ever been to Edinburgh or Dublin? Did I miss anything or do you disagree with anything? Let me know in the comments.
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While Ireland is by no means a cheap country to visit, it is possible to visit Dublin on a shoestring budget. The Irish capital was the first destination I ever visited solo, and this comprehensive solo travel guide will give you the best Dublin travel tips to make your trip there the adventure of a lifetime.
If you’re planning your first solo trip and you’re considering Dublin as a destination, you’ve already made a great call. I know how you feel and I know how scary it can be. But I strongly believe that travelling alone can change your life.
My first solo trip was in Dublin, and I made a lot of mistakes while I was there. But still, I believe these mistakes were more due to my lack of experience than to the destination’s welcoming.
Because solo travel in Ireland is amazing.
These Dublin travel tips are here to show you why that is and to make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
Check out the embedded map below for everything that is mentioned in this blog post (or click here if the map doesn’t load correctly):
This Dublin travel guide for solo travellers will consist of the following sections (click through if you’re only interested in a specific topic!):
Dublin Airport is located about 10 km north of the city centre. When you arrive at the airport, you have four main options to get you to the city itself:
Airlink / 747 (express public bus)
Airlink, also known by its route number (747), is an express public bus service operated by Dublin Bus. It’s one of the fastest ways to get from Dublin airport to the city. Buses between the airport and the city centre run up to every 10 minutes. Airlink has main stops at Busaras, O’Connell Street and Heuston.
The fare is covered by the Leap Visitor Card (see below). But if you don’t have that card, a return fare will set you back €10. You can purchase Airlink tickets online, at information desks at the airport, at vending machines outside the bus terminal or in cash, on board the bus.
Aircoach (express private coach)
Aircoach (bus line 700) is an express private coach service that runs between Dublin airport and the city centre. This service tends to be a bit faster than Airlink, but it’s also more expensive. Buses between the airport and the city run every 15 minutes.
Aircoach fares are not covered by the Leap Visitor Card. Tickets for a return trip cost €12 and can be purchased online, at the Aircoach departure desk at Dublin Airport or in cash, on board the bus.
Check the official website for Aircoach timetables.
Dublin Bus (public bus)
This is the cheapest way to get from the airport to the city centre, as a single fare will only cost you €3,30. There are two high-frequency buses (running every 10-30 minutes) from the airport to the city: bus 41 bound for Lower Abbey Street and bus 16 bound for Ballinteer.
The Leap Visitor Card covers this bus, but if you have one, you might as well opt for the Airlink, which has fewer stops along the way. But keep in mind: if you’re taking the Dublin Bus and you’re paying in cash, make sure you have the exact coins! The bus driver is unable to give you any change.
Taxi
If you don’t feel comfortable on a public bus, there’s also this option. Taking a private, metered taxi from Dublin airport to the city costs about €25-30. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re on a budget, but if you feel like splurging, be my guest. Taxis queue up just outside Terminal 1, Arrivals level.
Although Dublin is the biggest and most populous city of Ireland, it’s still very walkable. Especially if you’re travelling alone and you don’t really have anything else to do, you might as well take a walk.
If you don’t have much time in Dublin – when you’re only there for a layover, for example – it’s a good idea to take a walking tour to explore the city’s main sights. Take a self-guided walking tour of Dublin with this article as a guide, or take a free (tip-based) guided walking tour.
Looking for something more active than walking around the city? Why not rent a bicycle?
The most popular rental bike scheme in Dublin is Dublinbikes. There are 115 docking stations spread around the city, with a maximum capacity of 15 bikes each. Every docking station also comes with a payment terminal, where you can purchase a 3 day ticket.
In order to use the system, you’ll need to take out a subscription. Don’t worry, it sounds more serious than it actually is: a 3-day subscription only costs €5. The first 30 minutes of each journey are free, and a service charge applies after that.
Check Dublinbikes’ official website for more information.
But of course, not everyone wants to walk or feels comfortable walking alone in a foreign city. For those people, there are three main options for public transport in Dublin.
As for payment for the buses, trams and DART in Dublin, there are also three options:
It’s true: the Irish are infamous among Europeans for their drinking culture. Many drinks, like stout (e.g. Guinness) and whiskey (e.g. Jameson) are produced in Ireland, and the Irish are notoriously good at enjoying a drink every now and then.
For that reason, here’s a list of the top pubs in Dublin to have a drink at as a solo traveller. Because what would a list of Dublin travel tips be without drinking recommendations?
Although it’s often been called a tourist trap, I truly believe that the OG Temple Bar is an iconic place to visit when you’re travelling to Dublin. It has a strong reputation for its great atmosphere and live music. And, more importantly, you won’t have any problems striking up a conversation with a stranger as a solo traveller. Just keep an eye on your tab, since staff tend to increase the price of your drinks over time.
Founded in the 12th century, The Brazen Head has a reputation as Ireland’s oldest pub. Live music is played here regularly, so check the website to find out if anyone’s playing when you’re there. Beside their extensive collection of Irish whiskies, gins and vodkas, traditional Irish dishes like beef & Guinness stew and smoked cod are also served at the Brazen Head.
As they describe themselves, Token is a restaurant, bar, retro arcade, pinball parlour and event space – all in one. Obvious highlights here are the retro game machines and pinball lounge in the basement. You can come here for a drink and some games without reservations, but just don’t forget to try some food (check out the extensive vegan and gluten-free options!).
Not to be confused with the Long Hall at Trinity College, the Long Hall pub has been one of Dublin’s best loved pubs since 1766. Often described as ‘an actual traditional Irish pub’, this place is definitely worth some time to enjoy a cold pint of Guinness.
P.Macs (also P’Macs and P.Mac’s) is one of Dublin’s newest pubs, but that doesn’t take away from its appeal. Some keywords here: friendly staff, soft rock, craft beers and candlelit tables. Need I say more?
The Bernard Shaw is more than just another bar – it’s an art space, pizza bus, beer gardens, event space and so much more. Whenever you’re in Dublin, something is on at Bernard Shaw. Not to mention the drinks are cheap and the atmosphere is incredibly vibrant and hip.
Of course, a big part of travelling is finding places to eat. Here’s an overview of the best places to eat in Dublin, sorted by category.
Note: all of these suggestions are great for solo travellers, and they won’t dent your food budget too much.
Here are a few tips on where to stay in Dublin as a solo traveller.
One of my most important Dublin travel tips: don’t stay in Temple Bar.
While many online articles and blog posts will try to convince you that Temple Bar is a great neighbourhood to stay, it’s not true. Especially not for solo travellers. And while these neighbourhoods will likely stay popular among tourists, you can be smarter than that.
For starters, staying in a neighbourhood that is literally the city centre will be expensive. You’ll be paying more than what you’d pay in a neighbourhood that was located slightly outside the city centre.
Secondly, good luck trying to fall asleep to the sound of drunk twenty-somethings and smashing glasses.
If you want to stay in a central location without paying too much, look for places around the canals (Grand Canal to the south, Royal Canal to the north).
This way, you’ll still be at a walkable distance to the centre, but you won’t have any of the drawbacks – like the high prices and the noise.
And, of course, hostels are still a very popular accommodation option for budget solo travellers.
Here’s an overview of some of the best Dublin hostels, keeping in mind the fact that you’re travelling alone and that you’re on a budget.
Although Airbnb might not be the best option for solo travellers – especially not in Dublin, since the tax authorities have been taking note of addresses – you might still be lucky and strike a bargain.
New to Airbnb? Sign up here for up to €30 off your first booking!
It’s definitely still worth checking out the website. Take a look at the following neighbourhoods. They’re a little further outside the centre, but they’re still easy walking distances.
Arguably the most significant Dublin travel tips I could give you are these: how to fill your days in the Irish capital as a shoe string solo traveller.
Here’s an overview of the best museums and tours in Dublin to visit as a solo traveller:
Don’t forget to check the official websites to make sure the museum is open when you want to visit, since many of them are closed on Monday.
But the museums I mentioned above are not the only free things to do in Dublin. There are some other free activities in Dublin worth checking out:
Because a city trip to a place like Dublin can feel quite overwhelming at times, you might need some time to take a breath and unwind. These places are perfect for that:
Don’t visit Dublin around Christmas. Chances are that stores and attractions will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day (26 December), New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
For the best weather, you’ll want to be in Dublin anywhere between May and September, with July and August as the best – but also the most expensive – months.
Now that you know where to stay, where to eat, where to drink, what to do and when to visit Dublin, it’s time for some miscellaneous travel tips about Dublin to make your next adventure that much more unforgettable.
Bring a reusable tote bag. If you intend to do any shopping at all, make sure you have a reusable bag with you. There is a plastic bag levy in Dublin and most retailers only provide heavy-duty bags, which cost a lot.
Let your pint of Guinness settle. If there’s one way that Dubliners pick up outsiders, it’s this. There’s a whole science to pouring the perfect pint of Guinness, and the two-minute settle time (well, 199.5 seconds, actually) is an essential part of it.
Tip 10% in restaurants. Tipping is not as compulsory as it is in places like the United States, but a 10% is expected. If the service you received was exceptional, you could tip 20% or even more.
Take a day trip to Howth. If you’ve still got one day left in your travel itinerary that you have no idea how to fill in, consider a day trip to this nearby fishing village. There are plenty of things to do in Howth!
Check out Guinness’ secret brewery. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Guinness operates a ‘secret’ brewery, called Open Gate Brewery, at St. James Gate. Brewers get to experiment with different beer types, ingredients and flavours, and you can also get some food there. You do have to book tickets in advance, though. (Entry ticket + tasting paddle with 4 beer samples: €9)
Now you know why Dublin has been one of my favourite places to travel solo in Europe ever since I stepped foot in the Irish capital.
Are there any Dublin travel tips I missed? Would you add anything else to a Dublin itinerary? Let me know in a comment down below.
Thanks for reading!
-S
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Ars Currendi!
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This will be the last post I write about my time in Dublin. This is the one where I tell you about everything that went wrong while I was there: the bloopers, if you will. They will appear in chronological order, more or less. The main reason for this is that I made a list of bloopers in my phone and updated it while I was there.
The list will exist of both things I could have prevented and things that weren’t my fault at all. Warning: you might feel the need to smack me in the face while reading this. I urge you not to do that. After all, errare humanum est. To err is human. Or, as Hannah Montana put it so eloquently, nobody’s perfect.
There are probably more of these than you’d expect there to be in a five-day trip. This should tell you something about who I am as a person. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m the kind of person that makes a lot of mistakes.
Let’s get this show on the road!
Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that. You see, I flew with Ryanair, so I wasn’t allowed to bring a lot of baggage. Without paying extra, I could bring one 15 kg bag that fit in the standard hand baggage measurements. The bag I wanted to bring didn’t fit, so I had to pay extra for another bag that they would transport in the cargo hold.
In hindsight, I would have been better off cramming my baggage in a smaller bag, so that I wouldn’t have had to pay extra. That’s just something to keep in consideration for my future trips, I guess.
Again, I’ll have to put this in perspective. I didn’t actually schedule everything wrong. It’s just that when I was planning my trip, I had every day planned down to the hour (more or less). For some reason that I can’t remember now, I decided to switch two days around, which caused some problems. For example, I had originally planned to go to Liberty Market on Saturday, but because I had switched the days around, I had to go on Monday.
At the time, I didn’t realize that this little switcharoo would mean that the market wouldn’t actually be open and I’d be standing in the rain, staring at the entrance, figuring out what I could have done wrong.
Yeah. I had made my travel plans on my laptop. They were neatly organized in a Word document, with addresses of key elements of my tour and all. But, see, I didn’t really fancy carrying around my laptop just to look at the schedule all the time.
Upon arriving at Dublin Airport, I found out that I had no way of accessing the schedule on my phone, which I would in fact be carrying with me. I opened up my laptop, but of course, the airport wifi decided not to work at the time. This meant that I had to wait until I got to the hostel in order to send it to myself, so that I could access it on my phone.
(That did work, luckily.)
You should know, this jail was one of the things I was most looking forward to. So you can imagine the shock I got when I was standing at the reception of said jail, realizing I hadn’t booked a ticket and all tours until that afternoon had been sold out.
As it turned out, there was actually an extra highlight tour being organized, so I had to rush to reception in order to get a ticket for that. Luckily, I made it.
If you want to read the full story – and I highly recommend you do – you can check it out here.
Being a smart cookie, I had brought along a travel adapter from home. This was necessary, because the electricity sockets are different in Ireland than they are in Belgium. One of my roommates from Colombia hadn’t been that smart. She asked me to borrow my adapter, which I gave to her because I’m a decent human being. I shouldn’t have.
When I got back to the hostel from a day of exploring the city, my charger was returned neatly to my bed, but my adapter wasn’t. My best guess is that she took it with her to Colombia. I had to buy a new one at reception, which I thought would have been a couple of euros saved by taking an adapter from home. I guess not.
Again, for the full story, feel free to read this post. Yes, this happened on the same day as my forgot-to-book ticket to Kilmainham. Yes, I was sad.
This was the third (and last) major disaster of day three.
I realize this might not sound that bad to some people, but hear me out. This was on the day that I was having dinner at the oldest pub of Ireland, the Brazen Head. While I was still in Belgium, I had looked up their website. I couldn’t find any way of making a reservation on there, so I figured it wouldn’t be necessary. (If you can find it, please let me know.)
I was wrong. The night I went was apparently a night of live music. This meant that there were a buttload of people there, which in turn made it quite difficult to find a place to eat. A waitress referred me to the bar, where I could wait until a table cleared up.
Which I did. I was there about fifteen minutes when that kind of happened. There was a table of four, already being shared by two couples who didn’t know each other. One of the couples was done eating, so they went off. I took my chance and sat down at their place. And that is the story of how I had dinner in Dublin next to a couple from Catalonia.
For people who travel a lot, this is (understandably) a facepalm-worthy mistake. I know, I should have thought about transferring my deodorant spray bottle from my hand baggage to my checked baggage. I actually did, on my first flight. But somehow, on the way back, I was completely oblivious to the fact that liquids aren’t allowed in an airplane.
The reason this upset me is because it was a new bottle of deodorant. It may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but for a student on a budget like me, things like that can hurt. Both physically and emotionally :(.
As this is the last post I’ll be writing about my time in Dublin, I deem it appropriate to say something about how I felt about everything that happened and what this trip meant to me.
Although this post may make you feel like there were more things that went wrong than right, I would like to reassure you. I had the time of my life. These small setbacks were nothing compared to the experiences I had, new things I went through and people I met. If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t hesitate to.
This trip has definitely sparked my interest for solo travel. I fully intend to continue exploring the world, one place at a time, by myself. I have yet to find myself on my travels, so my next trip will probably be something more adventurous, like Thailand.
All in all, traveling to Dublin alone was a great decision, and I’m happy I made it. It motivated me to travel more in the future, and travel by myself in particular. All in all, it’s a decision I’m proud of and it’s something to tell my grandchildren about when I’m sitting on my front porch in a rocking chair.
(Sorry there weren’t any pictures in this post; I literally had no idea what to put there, as I didn’t really take pictures of the things I did wrong.)
Thanks for reading!
-S
The last day of the saga! Let me tell you all about it.
(Disclaimer: I don’t have many pictures of this day because not that much actually happened)
By now, you already know what my mornings consist of. Today was no different: wake up, breakfast, shower, brush teeth. The only thing that was different was that my roommates weren’t awake yet so I had to be quiet.
After the usual morning routine, I had to pack my bags because I was supposed to check out before 10 am. It was now 9:30, and still none of my roommates were awake. (Who goes to a foreign city and wakes up after 9?) This meant that I had to try and not make a lot of noise while packing my bags, which turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. My backpack was stored in a kind of storage space underneath the bed, and it was very creaky and noisy when you moved it. I’m sure I woke some of my roommates up at some point, but they didn’t really say anything about it.
Having packed, I headed downstairs to hand in my key card to my room.
Now, my flight wasn’t until 7:30 pm, so I still had an entire day to fill. At this point in time, it was about 10 am. After checking out, I headed down to the locker room to store my heavy bag until I got going to the airport. Now, here comes the most exciting part of the day – at least, for me it was.
Yes, you read it correctly. I got a tattoo. I feel like this requires a bit of a backstory, so here goes. A couple of months back, I was planning my trip to Dublin. Around this time, I was also really interested in tattoo designs, and I looked at a lot of them online. I then realized I wanted to use my own body as a canvas, and started looking into what I could get. I was sure I wanted a tattoo that wasn’t too big, as I didn’t want it covering my whole body.
After a lot of research and looking at different portfolios and tattoo explanations, I decided on a design.
This is the thunderbird. It has two proper meanings and one meaning I’m giving to it.
My personal added meaning is the spirit of adventure. I got this tattoo on my first solo trip in Dublin. The point of this trip was to be adventurous and try things I’ve never done before. Whenever I look at my new tattoo, I’ll think back of the good times I had there and the courage I needed to get tattooed by myself, in a foreign country.
The day before, I had made an appointment at The Ink Factory at 10:30 am. So, when the clock struck 10, I left my hostel and started walking toward the tattoo shop. Well, I was there around 10:15. And around 10:30. And also around 11. Turns out, the artist that was going to tattoo me didn’t know he had an appointment at 10:30 and the studio normally didn’t open until 11.
He eventually did arrive, though. We worked out the design and size of the tattoo, had some trouble with some kind of printer and then headed down to the tattoo stool. I must say, I wasn’t quite as nervous as I thought I was going to be. It’s actually kind of relaxing to see a needle go into your skin hundreds of times per minute.
After about 40 minutes, I was a tattooed person. The guy covered it in some foil that had to stay on for three days and sent me upstairs to hear about the aftercare. I thanked him for my piece of art and headed up.
As I had nothing planned for my last day, I headed back to my hostel, where I sat down in the lobby and looked around, checked my phone and read a book. After all, I would still be in Dublin until 7:30. Eventually, I got up, took out my backpack from the locker and faced the rain once more. I walked to the bus stop and waited for a bus to the airport to arrive.
Once it got there, I got on, paid for the fare and sat down in the back. What followed was half an hour of looking outside in the rain and being irritated at the guy sitting across from me chewing gum and calling someone way too loudly. Either way, I arrived at the airport about 3 hours before my flight was due.
I checked in, dropped my bag off at something called oversize luggage check-in and went through identification check and security. Having forgotten that I left a new spray can of deodorant in my bag, the staff took that away from me. I was quite sad about that.
After getting through all the formalities of airports, I sat down in some kind of lobby with my laptop and GoPro. I decided to use the time I had left to edit my travel video (not available on mobile devices because I’m using copyrighted music or something). When that was done, I had dinner at Burger King, because there was nothing else in sight.
When my gate got announced, I started a 10-minute walk there. The boarding went quite smoothly, and before we knew it, we were all seated on the plane. After sitting there for about half an hour, the pilot announced that there was a mechanical defect and we would all have to move out and transfer to another plane. This led to our flight leaving about an hour late, which isn’t really what you want when you know you won’t be home until 2 am. Anyway, other than that, the flight went smoothly and we arrived in Belgium around 11 pm.
Before my trip, I had looked up how I would get back home the night of my return. I found out that there was one train leaving about three minutes after my flight was supposed to land. As the flight got delayed, I didn’t catch that one – and I probably wouldn’t have caught it if my plane was on time either. The next train, which was the last train of the day, left Brussels Airport at midnight.
By this time, my phone wouldn’t connect to the airport wifi and my mobile data wasn’t working, so I had to ask three Belgian girls to help me. One of them looked up which train I had to take on her phone, and I thanked them for their help.
This train wouldn’t go any further than another train station in Brussels, though. I had a connecting train to my home town about half an hour later. By now, I was tired and all I wanted to do was sleep. I got on the train home at 12:30 am and everything went smoothly from there.
When I got to my home town, I realized that there weren’t any more buses driving around at 2 am, so I had to take a taxi. Do all taxi drivers drive way too fast or is that just me? I wouldn’t know because I barely ever take taxis.
Anyway, that’s how I got home and that’s the end of my update post. There will be one or two more posts about Dublin in the near future, so there’s that to look forward to. Thank you for reading!
-S
Design by NXNW.
