Where The Big Birds Fly (Dublin Airport (DUB))

Name: kenjohn

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Product:	Dublin Airport (DUB)
Date:	26.07.01 (868 review reads)
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~ ~ The airport in Dublin is roughly eight miles to the North of the city, just off the main N1 road to Belfast.
As a taxi-driver here in Dublin, I probably spend about half my life hanging around, picking up, and dropping off here, so I can safely say that I have a fairly intimate knowledge of the place at this stage.

~ ~ I have read a few other opinions about the airport here in Dublin, one in particular that gave it a very bad rating, and even went so far as to liken it to a “Third World” airport.
While this opinion might have had some truth to it in years past, it is highly inaccurate today, as vast amounts of money have been spent over the last couple of years to upgrade all the facilities and to provide a brand new second terminal building, that has more than doubled the square footage of the concourse. As a result the airport is now much more “user friendly” than was the case previously, when it could become very congested, particularly at peak times.
Today the airport is the equal of any other I have visited in Europe, which is in keeping with Ireland’s new-found economic wealth and status within the European Union. It is certainly much more pleasant than the likes of either Heathrow or Gatwick in London, both of which I thoroughly detest using, as both are a nightmare to find your way around.

~ ~ The main terminal building at Dublin Airport is now split into two levels.
On the upper level is departures and check in, and on the lower the arrivals hall.
Dropping off is very easy. There is a zone for this directly in front of departures, with two lanes, one designated for taxis and coaches, and the other for the private motorist.
These are well supervised by the airport police, and anyone who leaves their car parked illegally here will find themselves clamped in very short order, and have to pay a £50 fine.
This results in a constant through flow of traffic, VERY little illegal parki
ng, (once bitten, twice shy!) and ensures the very minimum of delay for any passengers arriving at the airport.

~ ~ On entering departures, there is a huge overhead electronic display right in front of you, that gives you all the information you need in regard to check in, your flight details, and whether or not you can expect any delays.
Dotted around departures there are many smaller display boards, where the flight information is rotated regularly, so you are never too far away from finding any info you may require.
All of the major airlines have their own designated check in desks, and there are also a number of “floating” check in desks, which are used in busy periods and by the smaller carriers.
I have never experienced any long delays here, and the longest I have ever had to wait to rid myself of my heavy luggage has been about fifteen minutes or so.
If you are travelling with small children, there are also nursery facilities available here in the departures area, as well as nappy changing facilities in most of the toilets.

~ ~ I recently learnt an amazing piece of information about Dublin Airport. (at least, it amazed me!)
There is actually more runway area here than at Gatwick in London, which leaves the way clear for more major expansion, if the Irish economy and tourist trade continues to boom in the same way as it has over the last decade or so.
In common with many other airports, it’s fairly common to have a fairly long trek from the departures terminal to the actual gate for your flight.
In the past, this could be a real drag, but rolling walkways have now been installed that keep the actual walking to a minimum.
All departure gates now have adequate seating, good toilet facilities, and a small snack bar where you can get a cup of tea or coffee and a light snack while waiting to board.
Most also have a small smoker’s room, for those of us who still choose to risk our health w
ith the dreaded weed. (Ahem!!)
Incidentally, the Airport is now a totally Smoke Free zone, with the exception of designated areas within the bars and restaurants.

~ ~ Before the abolition of Duty Free Sales within the European Union, Dublin was renowned for having one of the cheapest and best duty free shopping areas in Europe.
This shopping area has now been turned into a shopping mall that features a large selection of Irish goods, although it has to be said the quality varies. Alongside the very upmarket Aran sweaters and Waterford Crystal, are some very tacky cheap souvenirs, but this is probably common to all airports in the world, to “encourage” travellers to spend the last of their currency before leaving the country.
Off course, if you are a visitor from outside the EU, or are travelling outside Europe, then you can still avail of a full duty free service on production of your flight ticket or boarding pass.
Also within the “Airside” shopping area, you can find a number of other good quality shops.
Wrights of Howth, a renowned Irish fishmonger, have a shop here, where you can purchase some lovely Irish salmon or trout.
House of Ireland, one of the best quality gift shops in Dublin (main store on Nassau Street in the city centre) have a small outlet, and if you are looking for a CD or cassette for your journey, then you will get a good selection at the Sky Music shop.

~ ~ As well as the Duty Free area, there are also an extensive range of shops dotted throughout the airport.
If you are looking for some reading material for your flight, Hughes and Hughes, one of Ireland’s leading bookstores, have a number of outlets selling books, magazines, souvenirs, and a full range of both Irish and International newspapers.
On the way out of arrivals, in the Car park Atrium, there is a SPAR shop, selling the full range of goods you can expect to find in any convenience store, although it mus
t be said, at highly inflated prices!
There is also a pharmacy here, offering a full service, including prescriptions, and a small post office.
Most of the shops in the airport will accept credit cards, and nearly all will also take foreign currency. (watch the exchange rate, though!!!)

~ ~ If you still have some Irish currency left after visiting all of the shops, then you can exchange it quite easily.
There are four Bureaux de Change located in the Airport all operated by Bank of Ireland.
My own advice would be to avoid this though if at all possible. Not only are their exchange rates very poor, but also they will charge you an extortionate commission for the privilege (minimum £2.50) Roll on the EURO in January, 2002.
The smaller kiosks at the boarding gates close very early, and are often not open at all, so if you MUST change some money, then it’s best to do so at the main branch in the departures hall. After 5pm, this will be the only place you can do so, although there is also a 24-hour foreign currency ATM machine on the departures mezzanine. (US Dollars, Sterling, and French and Belgian Francs only)

~ ~ If you have some time to kill before your flight (or on arrival) then you are well catered for in the food and drink stakes here at the airport, although there is only one restaurant of any real note, Noel’s Bistro. (more later)
Drinks first, ‘cos I know how fond you dooyoo guys and gals are of your little tipple!
Two of the main bars are called the Sky View Bar, and the Gate Clock bar, and both are open during licensing hours, seven days a week.
As the name would suggest, the Sky View bar is located on the upper floor of the departures lounge, and you can look out the large picture windows overlooking the runways while enjoying your favourite beverage.
The Gate Clock bar is probably the better of the two, and is fitted out in the style of a traditional Irish pub.
As well as enjoy
ing a refreshing glass of the black stuff (Guinness) you can also get some good seafood snacks here, such as prawns, smoked Irish salmon, crab claws, and oysters.
You can be sure that you are getting one of the best pints of Guinness available in the country, as this pub has won numerous national awards for the quality of it’s stout over the past few years !! (Highly unusual for an airport bar!)
There’s also a smaller bar in the arrivals area called the “Green Room” bar, and various small bars at some of the departure gates.

~ ~ The main restaurant at the Airport is called the Food Court, and is located on the upper level of departures just across the way from the Sky View Bar.
Here you can get anything from a coffee and snack to a full meal, and although it will never get a mention in the “Michelin Guide”, this self-service facility serves good, hot and tasty meals at fairly reasonable prices.
Also, it is very large, with lots of seating. You wont get hassled to leave by the staff, there is both a smoking and non-smoking area, and prices are quoted in both Irish Punts and Sterling.
Other food and drink outlets include an O’Brien’s Sandwich Bar, where you can get a VERY tasty sandwich, but be warned, it is fairly expensive!!
Sbarro is a pizza and pasta restaurant that is part of a US chain, and there is also an outlet called Ritazza Mezz and HB Ice Cream Parlour, which serves up a fairly nice cornet or wafer.
Bewley’s, the famous Irish coffee manufacturers, also have a small snack bar opposite the Gate Clock Bar, and Robert Roberts (their Irish rivals in the coffee business) have a similar café/stall in the arrivals area.
As I mentioned earlier, the only real restaurant of note is called Noel’s Bistro.
This is a full waiter service restaurant with a quite good and varied menu, although again it is fairly pricey. You often can’t get a table here without boo
king, so if you fancy a meal here the number to reserve a table is 0044-1-814-4071.

~ ~ The arrivals area at the airport is obviously not so well catered for as the departures, but this is fairly common in my experience at most airports, as all people usually want to do upon arriving is to get as quickly as possible to their final destination.
One MAJOR crib I would still have here at Dublin is the inadequacy of the luggage carousels in arrivals. For an airport of its size, there simply aren’t enough of them, and if you get a busy spell, it can be akin to participating Rugby match trying to retrieve your baggage, with often three or more flights suitcases and baggage being routed onto a single carousel.
This has happened to me on a couple of occasions now, and the last time I complained bitterly to Aer Rianta, (who manage the airport) as I actually feared for the safety of my little daughter such was the melee that took place here.
Aer Rianta have given their assurance that they are aware of this problem, and are doing everything possible to rectify it as soon as is possible. The sooner the better, as I personally think it gives a VERY bad impression of the airport to newly arrived passengers, and can sour the start of someone’s holiday or trip.

~ ~ Once you get into the main arrivals hall, you are fairly well looked after though.
All the major car hire companies have a desk here, as well as some of the indigenous Irish ones. Be warned though. Because of our very high insurance rates here in Ireland, car hire can be a VERY expensive business, and you will pay much more than you would be used to in most other parts of the world. (especially the UK and USA)
All run courtesy buses to their designated parking areas in the long term car parks.

~ ~ If you are totally exhausted after your journey, then there is a porter service available to help you with your baggage, run by a worker’s co-operative called
the “Greencaps”, at a cost of about £3.
Incedentally, the Airport is also totally "wheelchair friendly", and the porters also look after this service.
These Greencaps also look after the running and smooth operation of the taxi service, the main rank being just outside the main entrance doors at arrivals.
I have gone into the taxi service here in Dublin in full detail in another of my opinions, but just to surmise briefly.
You can expect to pay between £12 and £20 to get into the city centre, depending on the number of passengers and the amount of baggage, and all taxis have a roof sign (licence) and a taximeter. Don’t try to negotiate a price, as this is not only illegal, you will often find yourself getting ripped off and paying much more than the metered fare.
As I write this, our main union (I’m involved in this also!!) are negotiating with the Government and Aer Rianta to allow us to introduce set fares into designated zones in the city, that will stop people being cheated, and make the fares more transparent to the travelling public.
As yet, Dublin doesn’t have a rail link to the airport, but there are good private and public coach and bus services (AirCoach and Dublin Bus) linking to the main hotels and rail stations, at an average cost of about £5 per person.

~ ~ Car parking at the airport is well catered for, with a very large short term car park located beside the main terminal at a cost of 80p for stays of up to half an hour, and a daily rate of £12.60.
The long-term car parks are located at the periphery of the airport, and are serviced by a courtesy coach service. The cost here is £5.20 per day, or £26 per week.

~ ~ If you are looking for accommodation within the airport, then there are two hotels actually located within the Airport grounds.
Called the Forte and the Great Southern respectively, they are both of four-star standard, and both run a courtesy mini-bus
service from arrivals for guests.

~ ~ Well, folks, that’s about it.
The “mad cabbie’s” comprehensive guide to the Airport here in Dublin.
If you’re visiting, look out for me on the taxi rank. I’ll be the only one there with a Scottish accent!!!!!!

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