Travel bible Lonely Planet has warned tourists about the horrors of visiting Dublin.
The famous guide has told readers about “accommodation shortages, soaring car rental costs and airport chaos” which have been hitting the headlines.
And it advises visitors to ask themselves a number of questions before they go, including: “Have you booked accommodation in advance?”
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It says: “Soaring hotel costs are wreaking havoc with holidaymakers’ budgets, as figures from the Central Statistics Office show price increases of up to 17% for hotel accommodation in Ireland over the last three years.”
It quotes the Tourism Advisory Group which reported tour operators were “scrambling” to find beds in the city, a problem made worse by increased travel demand and hotels providing emergency accommodation for refugees fleeing Ukraine and those impacted by Ireland’s housing crisis.
“Finding last-minute accommodation won’t be easy,” it says.
“Lonely Planet looked at weekend availability in Dublin city centre in July for two people and average prices ranged between €700 and €900 through Booking.com.
“In one weekend, the cheapest price was €411 for a private room in purpose-built student accommodation, while the second cheapest was an eye-watering €428 for two beds in a mixed hostel dormitory.
“In September, there are slightly more options available but prices are still high, averaging between €500 and €700 for Friday and Saturday nights.
“Outside of the capital prices are considerably cheaper with prices averaging at about €400 for a two-night weekend stay in Galway in early September and about €300 in Cork for the same period.
“We recommend you reserve your accommodation as soon as your flight is booked.”
Lonely Planet also said hiring a car was a nightmare with rental firms selling off half their stock during the pandemic.
“In a case that made headlines in May, one couple was quoted €18,703 to rent a seven-seater car from Dublin Airport for the first week of August,” said the guide.
“And while that is exceptional, the cost of renting a car wil make a significant dent in your budget.”
It said for a 10-day hire at the beginning of August, the cheapest option available with Hertz at Dublin Airport was €1,750 for a five-seater, though average prices were about €3k.
Lonely Planet added: “Dublin is a notoriously expensive city and the cost of living crisis is continuing to fuel price hikes across everyday goods and services.”
And it warned that on weekends it was as easy to win the Lotto as find a table in a city centre restaurant as a walk-in.
