Last updated: 1 March 2020
Cork. Image borrowed from the Irish Times (2018) Available at: https://www.irishtimes.com
Cork is the second biggest city in Ireland and is located at south-west of Ireland. It has miles upon miles of beautiful coastline and has plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy - from outdoor exploration, festivals, to an active nightlife, you can find something to enjoy in this beautiful city.
People enjoy doing different things and we understand that, so that's why we've categorised the options into four: Active Explorer; History and Culture; Relax and Enjoy; and Dance The Night Away.
Long hikes, strolls, exploration of the unknown – then the Wild Atlantic Way is waiting for you. The Wild Atlantic Way is a coastal route of 2,500km along the Atlantic, you can do the whole route or visit the scenic views and challenging activities along the way. The route runs from Kinsale in West Cork to Muff in Donegal.
West Cork has a lot of hidden gems, from the Haven’s Coast array of walking routes or Whale and Dolphin Watching with Cork Whale Watch (€40 student deal). Mizen Head is also a place to visit that has magical views (€6 student deal).
You can explore the magic of the Wild Atlantic Way here: https://www.wildatlanticway.com/home
A beautiful place to spend the day and watch animals roam the park. The Wildlife Park also offers Wild Experiences, which is behind the scenes tour, guided tours, educational tours and courses as well as group tours. Explore at your own pace, enjoy the beautiful wildlife and get some walking in. Student tickets available at €12.50.
To get more information on Fota Wildlife Park, click here:
https://www.fotawildlife.ie/tours-and-experiences
Titanic Experience Cobh is a visitor attraction that tells you the story of the passengers of the Titanic. The attraction involves a 30-minute guided tour, from receiving your boarding card (being one of the Titanic passengers), to taking on a virtual journey on board and experience life aboard Titanic, as well as experiencing the cinematographic experience of the disaster. Once the tour is completed, visitors are welcome to explore the exhibit. Student ticket costs €8.50, bonus saving deal if you are combining the Titanic Experience Cobh ticket and Fota Wildlife Park ticket (by pre purchasing the combined ticket online), you can get a deal for €18.90 (which costs €21 if buying separately).
All about the Titanic Experience Cobh:
https://www.titanicexperiencecobh.ie
Cork has several majestic castles to choose from and explore, from Blackrock Castle, to Blarney Castle, to Mallow Castle, and to Baltimore Castle (this is not an extensive list). The Blarney Castle and Gardens are the most popular of the attractions, it a beautiful historic place to explore and don’t forget to kiss the Blarney Stone. Student tickets cost €13 (if buying online) or €14.
Visit The Blarney Castle and read upon it here:
The Fitzgerald Park is a great place to relax and just enjoy your time in such a beautiful city. The Cork Public Museum is also located a short distance away as well as University College Cork. So, pack a picnic, visit the Sky Garden and kick back and relax, it’s free!
A bit about Fitzgerald Park:
https://www.cork-guide.ie/cork_city/fitzgeralds-park.html
What can be more relaxing that gazing at stars and thinking about the universe? Don’t answer that! The Blackrock Castle Observatory is an interactive museum that has many exhibits, events, workshops and tours. Student tickets are €5.
Look at the future events of the Blackrock Castle Observatory:
Havana Browns is one of the best nightclubs in Cork that caters for the young audience. It is located right in the city centre, Hanover Street, and promises to bring about a fun night (and sore feet!) The word on the street is that it’s a €10 to get in.
Two floors of pure class, this nightclub is on Oliver Plunkett Street, is for young adults and students, and has a cocktail bar and a rooftop area. Well sorted. Also €10 entre fee.
There are many ways to get to Cork, by air, by sea, by car, by train and by bus. Being realistic, it would be either by train or bus.
Irish Rail has train service to Cork’s Kent Station, with further access to Cobh, Mallow and Charleville. Kent Station is a ten-minute walk to the city centre.
A single student ticket from Dublin to Cork costs €16.19 (online)
For more information and to book tickets go to: https://www.irishrail.ie
The national Bus Eireann and Expressway bus service also run between Dublin and Cork, but there are also private bus services, such as City Link and Go Bus.
A student single bus ticket both on Bus Eireann and Expressway costs €11.16.
To buy tickets and look at timetables, check out: https://www.buseireann.ie
Further discounts may be possible with the use of Leap Card.
As mentioned before, both Irish Rail and Bus Eireann operate locally in Cork. There are further discounts for students by using their Leap Cards. It is also possible to bike share as there are 30 bike dock locations throughout Cork. If the journey is for 30-minutes or less, they are free!
All about bike share can be found here: https://www.bikeshare.ie/cork.html
The cheapest option in terms of accommodation is Hostels and in Cork, on average, you can book yourself a bunk between €18 and €25 per night. Hostels in Cork: Sheilas Tourist Hostel and Oscar’s Hostel
A hotel or a guest room will generally start of at €60 per night and relies heavily on the day of the week and number of people travelling. Take a look at The Kingsley Hotel and Gabriel House Guesthouse.
The best option for you can be found on Booking https://www.booking.com or Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com.
Let’s be real, eating out is expensive and cooking isn’t always an option when travelling. So, here are some cheap places to eat out in Cork that are delicious:
Located in Douglas Village, KC is a takeaway that is loved by locals. You can get a decent burger or filled pittas for under €6 with a great variety, offering Enchiladas, Polynesian Pittas, Mexican, Steak sandwich, Tex-Mex and Canadian burgers. Delicious, right? You can learn more about them and browse the mouth-watering menu below: https://www.kcandco.ie
Italian food in Cork? Yes, please! This is a bit more upscale than the previous option, but it is worth it. You can get a great pizza from between €9 to €12. Can also order online for pick up or delivery. More about Novecento on: https://www.novecento.ie
This is hands down some of the best Indian food in Cork. They’re located right in the city centre and have great vegetarian and vegan options. They don’t have their own website, but they are not to be missed!
A friendly and warm café that will look after your breakfast needs and will get in the afternoon tea needs (if you’re into that). Located on MacCurtain Street, they will fill you up with pancakes, scrambled eggs, croissant and scones. If you drop by for lunch, they’ve paninis, sandwiches and salads.
Delicious desserts and ciabatta sandwiches, that should explain it. If not, they’ve also a lot of antiques to look at, so you know – two birds, one stone. Located on Careys Lane.
1. Bring Student ID (Leap Card, ISIC Card, University ID, etc) – Most tourist attractions, transportation and even stores have student discounts, so bring yours with you!
2. Bring ID (Drivers License, Provisional License, Passport or National ID Card) – You will need it when checking in to a hostel or hotel, when on a night out, or even when buying drinks. Have it handy.
3. Download an app to make sure that your family and friends know where you are and that you are safe. Travelling to a different city, even when it’s in the same country can be daunting and nerve-wracking for both you and your family. Having an app that can relay your location and has an SOS button can make the trip much safer for everyone. Some apps to note – Life360, GeoZilla, bSafe, and React Mobile.
4. Keep your belonging safe. If you’re staying in a hostel or are sharing a room, bring a small padlock to keep your valuables in place. Don’t carry too many important cards and a huge volume of cash with you. Just enough to last the day.
5. Have a backup power bank to make sure that you don’t end up with a dead phone in a new city, or if you don’t have access to a charging point.
Cork. Image borrowed from the New York Times (2017) Available at: hhttps://www.nytimes.com