Think of Dublin as a giant horseshoe edged against the Atlantic. On the very rim of that horseshoe runs a sometimes noisy, sometimes drafty yet almost always pleasant green train called DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit). One of the easiest ways to get a mini break is to hop on the DART from Tara or O'Connell Street Stations and go all the way in either direction.

Howth Harbour
Taking the train all the way north -- about a 50-minute journey -- will land you in Howth Harbour. This peninsula is possibly one of the most beautiful places in Ireland. Roam around the boutiques, pubs, restaurants, and fresh fish shoppes. If it's raining, browse through the used books on the second floor of a rather plain looking building close to the fish shoppes. If it's sunny, pick up an ice cream and walk out on the sea wall to the lighthouse.

Don't leave Howth without wandering along its hillside trails. Not only will you get a great view of a tiny island called Ireland's Eye, you might also see anything from fox pups playing in the soft grass to dolphins leaping beside a sailboat in the bay.