Dublin Day Trips in 2 Days on a Budget
Two days based in Dublin is enough for the family’s two cheapest, easiest day trips: Howth and Bray to Greystones, both reached on the regular DART with no ticket to book and no tour bus. Together they run roughly EUR 30-50 including food, a fraction of what a single Cliffs of Moher coach costs. For the deeper gateway family, Glendalough, Newgrange, the Cliffs of Moher, and Belfast, our 3-day plan and beyond keep adding one trip at a time to this same spine.
Book these before you go:
- Nothing on this exact 2-day plan needs advance booking, both days run on the regular DART timetable
- Your Dublin hotel : compare a central room before you land
- Guided coastal walks around Dublin : optional if you’d rather have commentary than do either day solo
| Day | Day trip | Travel time from Dublin | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howth | 25-35 min by DART | EUR 4 return, no booking |
| 2 | Bray to Greystones | About 40 min by DART to Bray | EUR 4-6 return, no booking |
Day 1: Howth, the cheapest day out
Take the DART from Connolly, Pearse, or Tara Street, 25 to 35 minutes depending on the station, trains every 20 to 30 minutes, roughly EUR 2 each way on a Leap Card, about EUR 4 for the round trip. Take the H3 bus up to Howth Summit first, then walk the Cliff Path Loop back down into the village, the same coastal views with a fraction of the climbing, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. Eat at the harbour: Beshoff Bros does fish and chips or chowder for EUR 8-12, the Oarhouse a few doors down if you’d rather sit down and pay a bit more. Check current fares at transportforireland.ie before you tap in.
Do you need to book anything for Howth? No, and that’s the point. It’s the one trip in this whole family with no ticket, no tour, and no backup plan required if the weather turns.
Day 2: Bray to Greystones, a second cheap DART day
Bray is about 40 minutes out by DART, Greystones another 10 minutes past it, both covered by the same Leap Card zone system as Howth. The connecting cliff walk between the two towns runs about 7 kilometres and 2 to 3 hours, but it has had repeated landslide closures over the past several years; check current trail status at bray.ie before you build the day around it. If it’s shut, the shorter Bray Head loop stays open more reliably, or just take the DART straight to Greystones harbour and skip the connecting path entirely.
Is this a different ticket to Howth? No. Bray and Greystones sit on the same DART line under the same Leap Card fare structure, roughly EUR 2-3 each way, so there’s nothing extra to buy for the second cheap day.
Is 2 days enough for the Dublin gateway family on a budget?
Barely, and only if Howth and a coastal walk are all you want. Two days covers the two cheapest, no-booking day trips in this family but skips Glendalough, Newgrange, the Cliffs of Moher, and Belfast entirely. Our 3-day plan adds Glendalough next without dropping anything here.
Before you go
A standard Leap Card covers both DART days at the regular city fare, no separate ticket needed. Dublin Airport has no rail or metro link in 2026, so budget the Airlink 747/757 or Aircoach coach into the centre, roughly EUR 9-12, rather than planning around a train that doesn’t exist. Pack for rain regardless of the forecast; neither Howth nor the Bray to Greystones walk has a reliably dry month. For the city itself, not the day trips, see Dublin on a budget .