James Joyce travel tips

The Irish have helped perfect, perhaps even invent, the pub as we know it. Storied Dublin locales like Gravediggers and Mulligans keep that tradition alive.

This summer, my wife, Cree, and I went to Dublin to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We chose it over more exotic destinations because it made sense to us: I’m a book critic and she’s a writer. How could we not go to Dublin, perhaps the most literature-soaked city in the world? The literary ghosts still stalk the medieval streetscapes — so many ghosts that they collide into one another and seem to make up a spectral and talkative rugby team.

Following the incredible success of the YouTube channel Great Art Explained in 15 minutes, arts writer James Payne has launched a brilliant new series offering a fresh look at world literature.

The uppermost tip of the Adriatic is a curious mix of cultures, cuisines and architectural styles. Pack lightly and tour the Istrian peninsula, before hopping over to the Venetian lagoon opposite. On a clear day, you can see from one side of the sea to the other. Forgo car hire, it’s more serene to travel by ferry, train and bus – and the occasional taxi out of season.

If there’s one adage that sums up Dublin, it’s “big things come in small packages.” The Irish capital covers less than 45 square miles on either side of the River Liffey, but it’s brimming with enough landmarks, history, and character to fill a much larger city. From Irish literary greats such as James Joyce and Oscar Wilde to musical legends such as Bono, Dubliners have had an indelible impact on world culture, and the city promises to do the same for travelers.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. That means Mad Hatters and Cheshire Cats will be everywhere from London to Manchester this spring. But Alice's story finds its heartland in the villages of Cheshire, where the author was born, and in a seaside resort in North Wales, where he often visited and saw the real-life inspiration for Alice at play. Here, David Atkinson takes us through the looking glass with a guide to following the Alice trail across England and Wales.