IRELAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 319

• DART, 35 Lower Abbey Street; Tel: [phone]; www.irishrail.ie .
• Dublin Bus, 59 Upper O'Connell Street; Tel: [phone]; www.dublinbus.ie
DART, or Dublin Area Rapid Transit, is the electric commuter service running
around Dublin Bay and provides the fastest way of getting around Dublin as well
as convenient access to the many resorts and other attractions outside of Dublin.
Much of the route is coastal and gives many different views of the bay. It's excel-
lent for short excursions to places such as the charming fishing village of Howth at
its northern end or Dun Laoghaire, the busy harbor for the Stena Line ferry service
to England via Holyhead. DART accepts Eurail passes, as well as the various Irish
Rail and/or Bus combination passes.
Sights/Attractions/Tours—Discovering Dublin
Dublin, with a population of more than one million people in its greater metropolitan
area, offers the excitement of a vital city yet the ambience of an Old World town.
The Dublin City Sightseeing Tour ( www.irishcitytours.com ) provides an excellent
introduction to the sights. Hop on and off the bus as you please. Purchase tickets
at your hotel, tourist offices, or from the driver, €18 adult; €16 student.
The Dublin Tourism Centre (located in the former St. Andrew's Church) on
Suffolk Street offers a plethora of city tours by bus and on foot, escorted and inde-
pendent, and walking trails ranging from cultural tours to pub crawls.
Or, if you really want to “make a splash” in Dublin, try Viking Splash Tours. It's
an unusual and fun way to see Dublin by land and water. You'll be aboard a vin-
tage World War II amphibious military vehicle. Your sightseeing tour begins at Bull
Alley Street beside the gardens of St. Patrick's Cathedral for the tour of Dublin and
then becomes a “drive” into the Grand Canal Basin to continue the tour by water.
Tour times: approximately every half hour 1000 to 1700 daily June through Octo-
ber; Saturday and Sunday only November; daily except Tuesday February through
May. Price: €22 adults; €12 children younger than age 12; Tel: [phone] for
reservations. Visit www.vikingsplash.com .
If you plan to visit several attractions and/or museums, purchase the Dublin
Pass for one, two, three, or six days. The Dublin Pass gives you free entry to more
than 30 attractions and allows you to avoid queuing at Dublin's major attractions. It
also includes a free map and 84-page guidebook, free transport on Aircoach from
Dublin Airport, and discounts at various shops and restaurants. Prices: one-day:
adult €39, child €21; two-day: adult €61, child €35; three-day: adult €71, child €42;