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.



Shopping is particularly enjoyable in Dublin. The main areas to shop are Temple Bar, Nassau Street, Henry Street, O'Connell Street, St. Stephen's Green, and Grafton Street. If you're looking for a new wardrobe, go to Brown Thomas department store on Grafton Street. You will be sure to find beautifully designed clothing of Irish design.

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 has shopping for everyone, including clothing, jewelry, crafts, and antiques. If you take a trip to Dawson Street you'll be able to find some smaller, exclusive clothing stores. These stores will carry a more expensive line of clothing but will be well worth the price when you find yourself wearing a one-of-a-kind designer dress.

Dublin is also famous for its wonderful indoor and outdoor markets that take place at different times of the week. The best and largest market is Mother Redcap's, which can be found in Back Lane. This is a huge indoor market that will delight you with its books, music, antiques, clothes, cheeses, cakes, and other tasty treats.

Book lovers can get lost in the wonderful bookstores of Dublin. Whether your interest is general bestseller fare or you are searching for the hard to first edition print, there are many bookstores that can help you find what you're looking for. If you are searching for a selection of antiquarian books, go to Catch Books, which is located on Duke Street. When visiting Dublin, don't forget to take time out of from sightseeing to spend a few hours, or days, shopping.