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CLOTHING:
Casual wear, sweaters, and jeans for sightseeing: jacket and tie or cocktail
dress for fine dining. Rainwear and
comfortable shoes are advisable.
CURRENCY:
The national currency is the Irish pound (punt). There are 100 pence in the Irish pound. Notes are issued in denominations of
50.00, 20.00, 10.00, and 5.00 punts, while coins are issued in denominations of
1 punt, 50 pence, 20 pence, 10 pence, 5 pence, 2 pence and 1 penny. Punts can be purchased at foreign
exchange departments at US banks or at any bank in Ireland. Check with your bank for current
exchange rates.
CUSTOMS INFORMATION:
Customs operates on the red and green channel system. Visitors to Ireland are are allowed 142.00 Irish punts worth of goods
(about US$200 or Can$300) per adult (73.00 Irish punts for those under 15 years
old), 200 cigarettes, 1 litre of spirits, 2 litres of wine, 60ml of perfume, and
250ml of eau de toilette. US
visitors can take home US$400 worth of goods per person, including 200
cigarettes and 1 litre of spirits or wine.
Canadians are allowed Can$500 worth of goods per person, including 200
cigarettes and 1.14 litres of spirits or wine.
DISABLED TRAVELERS:
Ireland has many facilities and accommodations suitable for the disabled. If Elsie
from England is planning an independent itinerary for you and you have a need to
accommodate a disability, please advise us as soon as possible so that the right
hotel or B&B may be booked for you.
DOCUMENTS:
A valid US or Canadian passport is required, along with an airline ticket
showing departure from Ireland. No visas or inoculations are required. For non-US or non-Canadian citizens, or
for information on permanent residency or work permits, please contact the
nearest Irish Consulate for entry requirements and visa information. HINT: If you are taking prescription
medication, have a copy of the prescription with its generic name together with
a note from your doctor, in case you need a refill en route.
DRIVING RULES AND
HINTS:
Ireland is a compact country with a good road and motorway system. It is therefore easy to get around if
you remember to DRIVE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD. The changeover is not difficult, but you
must remain alert, especially when making turns or entering roundabouts (traffic
circles), or on little-traveled roads where it is easy to forget. Driving on the left means keeping the
centre line of the middle of the road NEXT to the steering wheel. Always look right when setting off and
overtake on the right. Give way to
the right on roundabouts. Traffic
coming from the right has the right of way and you must yield. An advantage of roundabouts is that if
you're not sure of the exit, you can keep going 'round and 'round until you are
sure. Unless signs indicate
otherwise, speed limits are 30mph in cities, 55mph on the open road, and 70mph
on the motorway. Mileage is posted
in both kilometres and miles. Seatbelts
must be worn at all times by drivers and passengers. Ireland has a strict drinking and
driving law, so please DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.
ELECTRICITY:
Electric current is 220 volts (50 cycles): plugs are flat with three pins. A transformer and adapter are needed to
convert American appliances, except for dual-voltage equipment, which needs only
an adapter.
HEALTH
INSURANCE:
The Irish National Health Plan does not cover US or Canadian visitors. Check with
your insurance agent to see if coverage is available to you while you're out of
the country. If it does not, Elsie
from England offers inexpensive health coverage for the period of your trip.
HOTELS:
Ireland offers a wide variety of accommodations to suit all tastes and
budgets. These range from luxurious
five-star properties to economical hotels.
Rental accommodations are also available in castles, cottages, houses,
and apartments.
LIQUOR LAWS:
Bars are open in summertime from 10:30am to 11:30pm Monday-Saturday,
closing a half-hour earlier in winter. On
Sundays, bars are open from 12:30pm to 2pm and from 4pm to 11pm all year. Nightclubs and discos operate until 2am. Some have full licenses and others serve
only wine. If you are traveling
with children under 18 years old, check on the pub's policy regarding under-age
children before settling in.
PETS:
All animals entering Ireland are quarantined for a period of six months.
POST OFFICES:
Generally open 9am to 5:30pm, Monday-Friday. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
RAIL TRAVEL:
Intercity passenger trains run between Dublin and cities and towns throughout Ireland, although travel in Ireland is best done
by car. For your convenience when combining trips to Ireland and
Britain, a BritIreland rail pass is available, which includes sea crossings. The pass must be purchased before
departing the US or Canada.
RESTAURANTS:
Ireland starts out with the critical element for
great food: superb natural ingredients. With
its ample, rich pastureland, it boasts some of the finest dairy products in the
world: rich cream, delicious butter, and a growing number of world-class
cheeses. Surrounded by the sea,
Ireland also harvests an amazing variety of fish and shellfish. There are many places to eat, from
inexpensive snack shops to expensive Epicurean dining establishments. To eat
inexpensively, pick a spot with a "Tourist Menu" sign in the window,
which means you'll be served a three-course dinner at a reduced rate, or opt for
early-bird or pre-theatre specials at city hotel restaurants. Also, pubs offer quality, down-to-earth
fare, but remember, pub hours can be tricky and smoking can be a problem,
although many pubs have now designated their eating areas as non-smoking.
SHOPPING:
Shopping hours are from 9am to 5:30pm Monday through
Saturday, with late-night shopping until 8pm on Thursdays in Dublin and at most
shopping malls on Thursdays and Fridays. Many larger stores are open Sunday from noon until 6pm. Duty-free shopping is available at all
international airports. Ireland has
plenty of renowned, high-quality merchandise such as crystal, knitwear, tweeds,
fine linens, antiques, silver, pottery, and Irish whiskey.
TAX
REFUNDS:
The price of most goods includes VAT (value-added
tax). As a visitor, you can have
this sales tax refunded at the end of your trip.
Be sure to ask for a tax-free shopping form with each purchase and follow
the simple instructions. Redeem all
your checks at the ETS desk at Dublin or Shannon airport on your way home, or
have them stamped by customs and mail them in the international Freeport
envelope. If you're traveling on to another European Union country, you
can save all you ETS checks and redeem them all at once upon leaving the EU.
TELEPHONES:
Phone the US and Canada from Ireland by dialing 00
(international access code), 1 (US and Canada country code), the area code, and
the telephone number. Ireland
offers card phones that use prepaid calling cards sold at telecentres and post
offices.
THEATRE:
Theatre in Ireland is highly affordable, with
tickets starting as low as US$15. Major
concerts and special shows start at around US$30. Dublin is full of small and thriving theatres. The atmosphere in these small theatres
is eager, friendly, and sky-high with enthusiasm.
An excellent guide to what's on is In Dublin, a biweekly publication
widely available in the city.
TIME:
Ireland is 5 hours ahead of Eastern time. Ireland adopts daylight savings time a
few weeks before the US.
TIPPING:
Most hotels and restaurants add a service charge of
10-15% to the bill. Small tips are
appreciated for good service. Tipping
isn't usual in pubs. Tip cabs 10%
and porters 50 pence per bag.
WEATHER:
Ireland has a mild, temperate climate with summer temperatures ranging from
60 to 70 degrees F. The temperatures in the spring and autumn average in
the 50s F, and in winter average in the 30s and 40s F. Showers can occur
at any time of the year. |
