Departing from

DUB 🇮🇪

Dublin Airport

The fair city

Dublin is a compact capital on Ireland's east coast, built along the River Liffey, with a historic Georgian core that is easy to explore on foot. The city runs on a mix of bus, tram, and a coastal rail line, dense enough in the center that a car is rarely worth the trouble. Pub culture and a strong literary history run deep here, alongside a fast-growing tech and pharmaceutical industry that has reshaped its economy in recent decades. Weather is mild and famously changeable, often within the same afternoon.

City access

Dublin Airport has no rail link of its own, unusual for a capital this size; a long-planned metro line was only approved in 2025 and remains years from construction. Express buses reach the city center in thirty to forty-five minutes depending on traffic, and taxis or rideshares cover the rest. Build extra time into the journey at peak hours, since the airport relies entirely on the road network.

Arriving at

LHR 🇬🇧

London Heathrow Airport

A capital of villages

London is a vast, low-slung capital that grew by absorbing villages, so it reads as dozens of distinct neighborhoods rather than one grid. The Underground and a dense rail network make it a transit city at heart; in the center a car is a liability, discouraged by narrow streets and the congestion charge. The landmarks and business districts cluster in the middle, but much of London is the high streets and parks further out. It is large, so crossing town takes longer than the map suggests.

City access

Heathrow is the main airport, west of London and among the busiest in Europe. It has a fast dedicated rail link to the center and is also on the Underground, so reaching the city without a car is straightforward. Allow extra time at peak hours, both on the roads and through its large terminals.