Some basic tips for getting by in Ireland:
Visa issues
- Nationals of Canada, the United States, Argentina, Italy, or Mexico (amongst others) should not need visas for stays under 3 months. You will need to display your passport on arrival. As with any border control process, the agent can deny entry, so be prepared to show your return ticket, provide details of where you will be staying, and give information about your plans in Ireland.
- Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area, so there are border controls between Ireland and most EU countries. However, Ireland and the UK have a Common Travel Area, with minimal passport controls between the two countries. In particular, travel between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland does not usually involve passport control, though you should bring your passport with you if crossing over the border.
Currency
- Ireland’s currency is the Euro (€), which at time of writing was worth about US$1.29, CAD$1.29, and £0.80stg.
- ATMs/bank machines are common – including in some pubs and most convenience stores – and are probably the most convenient way to secure funds during your trip. Most ATMs will accept Visa, MasterCard, and perhaps AMEx, and are part of the Cirrus network (so you can use most Canadian and US debit cards/bank cards in Irish ATMs). The Irish still use cash in a large percentage of transactions, but the use of Canadian and US credit cards is possible in most businesses. Same goes for US debit cards with Visa or MasterCard functionality, but not the Canadian Interac system.
- It is probably not necessary, or advisable, to bring large sums of cash, or traveler’s cheques, with you to Ireland.
- Ireland is a relatively expensive country, in part because of its island location. Dublin prices are, generally, seen as comparable to other major European cities, such as Paris. Prices in Galway (and other Irish cities) are somewhat lower than in Dublin.
Pubs and socializing
- Ireland was the first country in the world to ban smoking in businesses nationwide, and it has had a significant impact, in particular, on pubs and social life. The rule is generally quite well complied with – if you are a smoker, do not attempt to smoke indoors. On the other hand, many pubs have made use of the loophole for ‘outdoor’ areas, and a country with over 200 days of rain each year now has an impressive number of patios and rooftop beer gardens. Given the climate, these are often largely (but not fully) enclosed. There are currently open discussions in parliament about banning smoking completely by 2025 or 2030.
- The legal drinking age in Ireland is 18. Children under 18 can visit licensed premises (i.e. pubs) until 10 p.m. in the summertime under certain conditions.
- Measures: a pint in Ireland is 20 fluid ounces, almost 600 mL. This is over 25% larger than a standard ‘pint’ in most North American bars. Spirits are almost always measured out (rather than using a free pour method).
- It is generally not customary to tip bar staff. There are national wage agreements regulating wages for bar staff in Ireland, which provide rates equivalent to about $11 per hour for bar staff.
Electricity, phone, and internet
- Ireland runs on 230V 50Hz A/C power, so voltage-specific equipment (e.g., hairdryers) will require voltage convertors. Most portable electronics (laptops, camera battery chargers, etc.) have universal power supplies, which will operate at 230, but you should check. Note also that Irish plugs are of the UK ‘square’ design, which differs both from the North American and Continental European format, and so all equipment will need an appropriate adapter.
- If you plan to use your cellphone in Ireland, make sure it can operate on the 900/1800 bands – not all North American phones do. Many people recommend getting a SIM card when you arrive, and using that, with a ‘pay as you go’ plan during your stay. It’s simple and, particularly because incoming calls are free in Ireland, it can be very cost effective (for you, if not for the people in other countries looking to call you). SIM cards are available for nominal costs – just make sure your phone is ‘unlocked’ so that it will accept off-network SIM cards. If not, pre-paid phones are also a relatively cheap option recommended by many.
- You won’t find free wifi as ubiquitous as in some parts of North America, though it should be relatively easy to find cheap or Pay-As-You-Go wifi/internet service.
Driving
- The Irish drive on the left side of the road, with the driver on the right side of the car (so, if you are driving a car with a manual transmission [and most rental cars will be manual unless you want to pay extra for automatic] the gear shift will be on the driver’s left side, but the pedals — clutch, brake, accelerator — are all in the same location/orientation as they are in Canada and the US).
- On two lane highways, the passing lane is the right hand lane and the “slow” lane is the left hand lane. On single lane roads, it’s common for slower drivers (and farm vehicles) to move onto the shoulder (or just move as far left as possible) in order to allow faster traffic to pass from behind.
- Roundabouts are frequently used in lieu of intersections with traffic lights (however, there are some large roundabouts that also have traffic lights). Don’t fear the roundabouts: merge on to them slowly while looking to your right, and yield to the cars that are already on the roundabout as they have the right-of-way. This page on Irish traffic rules and road signs also has some good pointers for how to approach and drive through Irish roundabouts.
- It’s illegal to use a cell phone while driving in Ireland. Seat belts are required by law.
- Posted speed limits, distances, etc., are all in kilometers (but if you decide to drive up into Northern Ireland, these will all be in miles).
- Toll roads: there are a few places where you will have to pay a toll. The toll for the M50, a ring-shaped motorway around Dublin, can be paid online here. (This road actually features barrier-free tolling [i.e., no toll booth], so the toll must be paid online.)
- Ireland (along with Portugal) has the most traffic accidents in all of Western Europe. So, if this will be your first time driving in Ireland, please drive with caution. Roads can be very narrow and winding, with unexpected potholes, no shoulders, and lined with stone walls that can do serious damage (to you and to your car) if hit. Just because the posted speed limit is 100 km/hr, that doesn’t mean that you have to drive that fast (I’m talking to you, Aaron). Also, weather can change quickly, so be prepared to slow down if you hit patches of dense fog, rain, mist, sheep (Irish sheep have absolutely no fear of cars), and cows.
Renting a car
- You’ll need a valid driver’s license in order to rent a car but there’s no need to get an international driver’s license (your regular driver’s license will do).
- There are many car rental agencies in Ireland with locations in both airports and city centres. Here are some links to the major agencies: Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, Argus, Dan Dooley. We’ve rented from Budget (from the Dublin airport, Galway airport, and Galway City Centre locations) and Dan Dooley (from Shannon airport).
- When booking a car online, be aware that the quoted price will not include any “excess waiver insurance” (this is not the CDW, or collision damage waiver, but extra insurance that reduces your liability to zero in case of an accident), which is usually around €13.00/day + VAT at 13.5%. The quoted price will also not include the price for a full tank of gas (somewhere around €80.00, which is eventually reimbursed if the car is returned with a full tank) or personal accident insurance (usually around €8.00/day).
- In addition to any extra insurance or the price of a full tank of gas, most car rental agencies charge a surcharge (usually around €28.00) if picking up at an airport or a city centre location. Almost all agency locations are in an airport or a city centre.
- The best advice I can give you is to read the agency’s “Terms and Conditions” very carefully before booking a car.
Misc
- In case of an emergency (traffic accident, injury, etc.), the police (called “Garda” or “Gardai” [pl.]) or an ambulance can be called by dialing 999.
- If you lose your passport, contact your embassy:
- Canadian Embassy: 7-8 Wilton Terrace, Dublin 2 (map). Open M-F between 9am-1pm and 2pm-4:30pm; consular/passport hours are M-F between 9am-noon. Phone: (+ 353) 1-234-4000.
- U.S. Embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (map). Open M-T and Th-F (consular section is closed on Wed, except in the case of “extreme” emergency). Passport unit is open between 8:30-11:30am. Phone: (+353) 1-630-6200.
- Embassy of Argentina (no website found): 15 Ailesbury Drive, Dublin 4 (map). Phone: (+353) 1-269-1546, (+353) 1-269-1713. Fax: (+353) 1-260-0404. E-mail: embassyofargentina@eircom.net, eirla@mrecic.gov.ar
- Italian Embassy: 63/65 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4 (map). Consular hours: M-W, F: 10am-noon, Th: 1:30-3:30pm. Phone: (+ 353) 1- 660-1744. Fax (+ 353) 1- 668-2759. Email: ambasciata.dublino@esteri.it.
- Embassy of Mexico: 19 Raglan Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (map). Phone: (+353) 1-667-3105. Fax: (+353) 1-664-1013. E-mail: info@embamex.ie.
“Most ATMs will accept Visa, MasterCard, and perhaps AMEx, and are part of the Cirrus network (so you can use most Canadian and US debit cards/bank cards in Irish ATMs).”
Visa is part of Viva PLUS network of ATMs, a rival to Cirrus. Cirrus is linked to MasterCard only it appears. So if you wanna use Visa, you have to use a PLUS ATM, not Cirrus. Not sure about AMEX. Both though have more than 1 million ATMs worldwide so no problems.
Thanks for the correction David. Our primary US cards are Mastercard debit cards, which is why we’ve been on the lookout for the Cirrus symbol. I know that many ATMs do take Visa too – the ATMs are generally festooned with a list of affiliated networks, particularly those run by AIB and Bank of Ireland, the two major Irish banks.
Don’t worry; I have yet to encounter an Irish ATM that didn’t accept any card — MC or VISA, Canadian or American — that I put in it. Most of them display MC and VISA symbols, and I only mentioned Cirrus to reassure that most debit cards will also work.
I will come prepared with plastic, so good. Thanks!
Just FYI, here’s a website that will show you the global locations of ATMs that accept VISA/Plus system cards: http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/ (and here’s one for MC/Cirrus: http://www.mastercard.us/cardholder-services/atm-locator.html). Lots of both in Dublin and Galway! Also, Dublin Airport has both ATMs and currency exchanges in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1 (in the baggage claim area and in the main hall after you’ve passed through customs).