Dublin and Belfast Hostels
 

I am taking advantage of the decent fares to Dublin this winter and was looking at the hostels recommended by Rick Steves. I think Avalon House is the one I like best since I can get a Single ensuite for about $40/night. His other recommendations, Kinlay House and Four Courts Hostel don't have singles. They have four bunk dorms for about $30/night. Anyone have any experience with any of these?

I'm also probably going to head up to Belfast for a night. Any suggestions for hostels up there? I'm only going to be in Eire for 5 days/4 nights, quite a shame. Is Belfast the right place for a second stop or should I go somewhere else?

avalon house
 

I stayed at the Avalon House a couple of years ago, before heading out on a backpacker's tour of Ireland. The van picked me up first, then drove by some other hostels to pick up others. Wow, was I ever grateful that I stayed at Avalon...heard countless hostel horror stories from those staying elsewhere. As hostels go, the Avalon wasn't bad...in summer, I had a very clean four-bunk room to myself at no extra charge (didn't request it that way, just no other guests in that room I guess). The breakfast was good, and the dining area had lots of tall windows with plenty of tables nearby. The big screen TV area was in a basement below, so you could hang out upstairs if you wanted quiet reading, or down in the basement if you wanted billiards, TV, etc. The place overall was clean. The staff were friendly. The location was good---very close to a mall that actually carried jeans in my length (I'm 6'6"), as my extra pair failed to jump into my carry on before my flight. It's also close to St. Stephen's Green (great park), and within walking distance of Temple Bar, public transport, tons of great places to eat. etc. The Avalon House also ran all kinds of cool sales/specials (stay two nights, get a third free, etc. etc.) on their own, in addition to having sales/specials connected with tour groups. (Got a free night from the backpacker group I went with, for example. All in all--paid for two nights, enjoyed two more free ones).

If you've got a few days, and don't mind decent hostels, I can't recommend that backpacker tour company highly enough. I'm usually not one for "organized tours" as I like to plot it all out myself usually...but, these guys were awesome. Check out http://www.tirnanogtours.com/ (also known as Irish Rover tours). They have all kinds of tours & routes for any number of days. They take you to great places, and strike a great balance of giving more time at places you'd want it, and less time at places you wouldn't need it. Their guides were fantastic, the hostels we stayed in were excellent. The cost was really, really reasonable. I get no commision or whatever for saying this, they were just a great way to really experience Ireland. Heck, with the Ireland fares going down, I'm seriuosly thinking of doing it again!!!

I've stayed at the YHA on Mountjoy Street (converted convent), which is a good 20 min walk up O'Connell Street from the Temple Bar area, as well as at Kinlay House. In terms of convenience, I always stay at Kinlay House instead of the YHA the last few visits. I've done both 4 bed and a larger room there (maybe 12-16 beds--think they were fully booked) and will never stay, by choice, in a room with that many beds. The 4 bed rooms have been fine and I've slept well there. You're right across the street from a Jury's Hotel, and just down the road from the Dublin Castle and the State Apartments.

Belfast is only 3 hours from Dublin by bus or train, so easily doable, even as a day trip. You could also train down to Waterford and do the Waterford Crystal tour there. Same day return tickets are just slightly more than a one way ticket. You could get out to Galway by bus in 3.5 hours if you did want to head out west for a night or two.

I'm there again in less than 3 weeks, but I'll be spending most of my time out west (flying into Shannon). Unlikely I'll hit Dublin this trip.

Bus: http://www.buseireann.ie/site/home/
Rail: http://www.irishrail.ie/home/

Hostel Recommendation
 

I spent some time in Dublin this past April and ended up staying at the Globetrotters Youth Hostel. It was very clean and the breakfast was quite substantial. The owner runs the adjacent bed and breakfast which shares a dining room with the hostel...I think that was the reason for the big hot breakfast. Overall, the rooms were clean and the location was great. Here's a link:

http://www.globetrottersdublin.com/

Hope you enjoy your trip!

I second that. I stayed there two years ago and I especially enjoyed the great breakfast.

Thanks all for the advice. I decided to book Avalon House, but will probably stop in at a couple of the other ones to see what they are like. When I stay in dorms I prefer smaller ones, 4-6 people although I have stayed in 20 person rooms too. The small ones just have better odds on not having snorers. This time the 4 person room was not much different in price than the single although if I was traveling for longer I would lean toward the cheaper rooms, maybe even a 12 bunk. Globetrotters looks like a great hostel, but all they have on my dates is the 12 bunk room.

I don't have any hostel advice but we're also going to Ireland this fall because of the cheapy airfares. I've done alot of research of the web and can recommend trip advisor's forum for some really good info on things to see and places to visit. Have fun planning your trip!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum...8-Ireland.html

I stayed in Dublin Hostelling International for one night two years ago and was quite happy with it.
The standard is OK, very clean and well-kept and the interior is almost like a good budget hotel.
The staff were friendly and professional and the location was good next to the river and within walking distance to everything.

http://www.hostels.com/en/availabili...stelNumber.289

Others seem to have given this hostel good ratings as well if you check the reviews on the webpage.

Any explanations for the poor reviews of Avalon House on tripadvisor? They're actually making me think twice about putting down a deposit.

Another vote for Globetrotters! Great place.

Only downside is the large dorm rooms but they're really spacious and the bunks are proper SOLID so no creaking and shaking.

Do you think it's safe/secure enough to store a laptop there without incident?

Check and see if there are lockers, unless you intend to carry it around with you all the time. If they don't have them in the room, some hostels have them in the lobby or common area. I've done a couple hundred hostel nights and all I've ever lost was a nice pair of gloves in Copenhagen (and I'm not entirely sure I just didn't leave them somewhere), but I've talked to folks that have had wallets/passports and leather jackets stolen. You just can't leave those things out with easy access to everyone.

I'd never leave a laptop in a room with unlimited access unless I'm there to keep an eye on it, or store it securely under my bed (to the point you'd have to move all my belongings out to get to it, without waking me up). The locker in the room is the best route, though (bring your own lock).

I would not only lock up the bag it's in, but I would cable-lock that bag to something un-moveable--if a locker is not available. REI and tons of other stores have the cable-locks of which I speak....a lot of hostel-stayers and backpackers will not only lock the zippers on their packs, but will lock their packs to their bunks, etc.

I would never leave a laptop in a hostel unless it was hidden and locked up.

I can't remember if they have lockers to be honest, but the front desk will probably look after it for you. They also had free internet access when I was there (September 2004).

Why not email/call them?

Globetrotters Dublin

Only hostel I've ever stayed in anywhere was in Dublin - twice I've stayed at Ashfield House . Wasn't bad at all, shower/toilet is in each sleep room, full kitchen facilities, clean. Excellent South side location - half a block to two blocks to O'Connell St. bridge, Temple Bar, Trinity College and Grafton St.