Experience in Dublin, Ireland by Pauline

What is it like to live in Dublin? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Living in Dublin is amazing! The city is very much alive, there's always something going on somewhere. The city is beautiful and you can find different landscape and culture mixing, from the old to the new Dublin.

How much does it cost to live in Dublin?

Unfortunately, living in Dublin is pretty expensive. Since it's an island, everything is more expensive than on the continent, especially accommodation, alcohol and cigarettes.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Dublin? Is there any advice you can give?

Finding accommodation can be pretty easy if you have enough money, but if your budget is tight, it's really complicated. Finding something under 500-600€ a month is rare. I personnaly chose to live on campus, which was expensive as well, but it was closer to my university so I didn't have to take the bus.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

If you want to eat Irish you need to go to the pub and order an Irish stew. Oysters with Guinness is another speciality. But in Dublin you can find pretty much any type of food you like, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, French, fast food, etc.

What places would you recommend visiting in Dublin?

Henry Street, O'Connell Street and Grafton Street are the place to be if you are looking for shopping. You can also find nice parks like St Stephen's Green. Trinity library and St Patrick's Church are also important places but they are pretty expensive. You can also visit the Kilmainham Gaol, which is a prison where numerous leaders from the 1916 rising were held.

Is it good to eat out in Dublin? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

My favourite spot was a little cheap Chinese restaurant on Aston Quay and a Spanish restaurant called Zaragova with amazing tapas.

Is the nightlife good in Dublin? Where is good to go?

Yeees. Don't worry if you're an Erasmus student lot's of parties are organized especially for you in various clubs with cheap drinks. Going out for a pint between friends is also very nice.

What advice would you give future students headed to Dublin?

Be ready to spend a lot of money. Don't be afraid of going out or talking to people. Go and visit other places in Ireland, it's such a beautiful country, don't stay in Dublin! And don't worry about the Irish accent, you will get used to it eventually :)! Anyway, enjoy, you'll love it.