Dublin has that young and hip look to it. This has been a popular place for London bankers to outsource their back offices in recent years, and there is a certain professional yet relaxed buzz to the place.

Just a 45 minute flight from Heathrow, I came for a 2-day trip to explore its very walkable city centre that is not too big so you can get to most places on foot. I combined it with Belfast, which is just a 2.5 hour bus ride to the north.