Best areas to stay in Dublin for a month: a neighbourhood guide

How to choose the best area to stay in Dublin for a month

Wikivoyage divides central Dublin into districts. North of the river, O'Connell Street is the main thoroughfare. South of the river holds most top sights, including Trinity College, the national museums, Merrion Square and St Stephen's Green, with Temple Bar just west of Trinity. The West City is the original settlement area around Dublin Castle and the cathedrals, and the Docklands lie around Spencer Dock. Suburbs such as Rathmines, Ranelagh, Ballsbridge, Howth, Malahide and Dún Laoghaire are reached by bus, Luas or DART.

For a month, treat the route to your daily destination as the unit of choice: which bus or Luas stop you will use, how often it runs and what the walk from the stop feels like after dark. Use the long-stay accommodation checklist to ask the right questions about any address.

Ranelagh, Rathmines or Portobello: which suits a month in Dublin?

These three districts are the south-side answer among the best areas to stay in Dublin for a month. Visit Dublin describes Ranelagh as having grand red-brick townhouses and leafy gated parks, Rathmines as a hub for students and young professionals who make the most of the local pubs, bars and restaurants, and Portobello as a fairly quiet residential neighbourhood of Georgian townhouses and cottages. Wikivoyage says Rathmines and Ranelagh are served by bus routes 16 and 18.

The choice comes down to energy level. Rathmines is the busiest, Ranelagh sits in the middle with cafés and parks, and Portobello is the quietest. Bus routes were being reorganised under the BusConnects programme at the time of writing, according to Wikivoyage, so check the current route numbers on the journey planner before relying on a particular service.

Smithfield, Stoneybatter and Phibsborough: staying north of the Liffey

On the north side, Visit Dublin says Smithfield blends old-school Dublin with a new version of the city, Stoneybatter is Dublin's original urban village and Phibsborough has experienced something of a renaissance over the last few years. These suit travellers who want a local feel and are comfortable on buses and trams.

Wikivoyage advises caution in parts of the north inner city: it says O'Connell Street is best avoided by day and especially at night because of open drug dealing and anti-social behaviour, and that people should be careful with belongings on the Red Luas line, which it says passes through rough areas. This is a reason to look at the specific street, walk it by day on a map and read recent guest reviews, not a reason to rule out the north side.

Docklands or the DART coast: modern and seaside bases

For the best areas to stay in Dublin for a month beyond the centre, Wikivoyage describes the Docklands as the area around Spencer Dock and the riverside, with the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the EPIC emigration museum. Wikipedia says the Luas Red Line extension from Connolly to the Docklands opened in December 2009 with four stops: George's Dock, Mayor Square-NCI, Spencer Dock and Point Village, with The Point as the eastern terminus. That gives the area a tram link to the city centre.

The coast is another option. Wikipedia describes the DART as stretching from Greystones in County Wicklow in the south to Howth and Malahide in north County Dublin, and Wikivoyage lists Ballsbridge, Howth, Malahide and Dún Laoghaire as reached by DART or buses. Wikivoyage says the DART runs about 6 am to 11 pm, with the core section every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes at weekends, so check the weekend gap if you will return late.

• Docklands strengths: modern buildings, riverside walks and the Luas link.
• Coast strengths: sea air, walking routes and a rail commute.
• Both: check the last service home before choosing a base.

Getting around Dublin: Luas, DART, buses and the Leap Card

Wikipedia says the Luas has a Red Line, running from The Point or Connolly to Saggart or Tallaght, and a Green Line, running from Broombridge via Sandyford to Bride's Glen, with 67 stops between them. Since the Green Line extension of December 2017, the two lines intersect in the city centre. Wikivoyage says both run about 6 am to midnight.

For a month, a Leap Card is the usual way to pay. The Leap Visitor Card covers Dublin City Bus services, Luas, and DART and commuter rail within Zone 1 for a chosen period of 1, 3 or 7 days that starts the first time you use it, and it cannot be used on Bus Éireann services. The Transport for Ireland 90-minute fare lets later journeys within the window be included if you tap each time, and daily and weekly caps apply to a standard Leap Card. Tapping rules differ by mode, so learn them on the first day.

What is the best time of year for a month in Dublin?

Met Éireann says the dominant influence on Ireland's climate is the Atlantic Ocean, that winters are cool and windy and that summers are mostly mild and less windy. It identifies February to June as the months of least rainfall, with rainfall increasing from late June or early July. Wikivoyage describes Dublin as seldom freezing in winter, cool in summer and frequently having light showers.

That affects the best areas to stay in Dublin for a month. In wetter, windier months, the walk from stop to door matters more than the view, and a base on a frequent bus or Luas route is easier than one that needs a long walk. In spring and early summer, outdoor routines along the coast or in the south-side parks are more realistic.

Groceries, laundry and work: practical checks for 30 days

A month of cooking and laundry means the nearest supermarket and the washing machine matter more than the postcode. Ask about in-unit laundry, kitchen equipment and internet before booking; the guide to working remotely from an aparthotel covers the work-from-home questions, and monthly serviced apartments explains how longer stays work.

Wikivoyage warns that fines are uncommon on buses and trains but happen often on the Luas, so tap on and off carefully. If you are relocating rather than visiting, see serviced apartments for relocation. For other UK and Irish bases, compare Edinburgh and read Edinburgh areas and festival-season stays, or browse Ireland.