Anytime of year is the perfect time to visit charming Dublin. If you have a choice, try to be there right before the beginning of summer, or at the very end of winter. Besides the facts that travel rates are the best during these times, there are also a variety of celebrations and festivals. St. Patrick's Day is the country's most important feast day and Dublin offers a great festival in his honor. If you plan to visit on this day in March, make reservations well in advance.

Dublin is well known for its extensive shopping areas, such as Temple Bar, Nassau Street, Henry Street, O'Connell Street, St. Stephen's Green, and Grafton Street. The Brown Thomas department store on Grafton Street is a great place to check the local styles and Irish designs.

Other large Dublin department stores are available for your shopping experience. The largest is in St. Stephen's mall. You can spend a whole day shopping there, and then enjoy dinner at one of the many nearby restaurants. The crowds are large during the summer, so make your dinner reservations early.

Dublin shopping offers variety for everyone, with choices among clothing, jewelry, crafts, and antiques. Dawson Street is the area to head to if you are looking for smaller, exclusive clothing stores. The stores will offer one-of-a-kind designer items -- quality clothing at a higher prices.

For a different shopping experience, head for Mother Redcap's, which can be found in Back Lane. Mother's Redcap is a huge indoor market that is famous for its wide selection of most any items: books, music, antiques, clothes, cheeses, cakes, and other tasty treats.

Catch Books, on Duke Street, features a wide selection of antiquarian books. Dublin also houses a number of terrific bookstores to entice both general readers, and those seeking rare first editions. Make sure you schedule shopping time if you plan a holiday in Dublin.