Ireland facts & Travel Tips

Top of the list of Ireland facts is that Ireland is a very easy country to get around, English speaking throughout, apart from a few Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) areas and the local time GMT. The unit of currency is Euro in the South or Republic of Ireland and Sterling in the North of Ireland A word of warning, Travellers Cheques are no longer accepted in Ireland so the best option is to use a credit card for all main purchases ie car hire, accommodation and food with perhaps a debit card for ATM cash withdrawals. You should carry a small amount of cash with you for snacks, drinks (tip 10% if the service is good, nothing obviously if it is not) admission tickets (even the likes of Blarney Castle do not accept credit cards). A good tip is to buy your tickets online for the bigger attractions. Apart from getting a discount, you won't have to queue and sometimes the likes of the Titanic Museum (which can only admit a limited amount of people per hour because of Health & Safety) gets sold out in advance on the day, so you don't want to be disappointed.

Public Transport is limited, to be honest, we have good mainline trains and buses but after that you really need to hire a car to get off the beaten track and explore deeper into the Irish countryside. And please don't be worried about driving on the opposite (there's no wrong) side of the road, take your time and once you get in the flow of traffic (there is very little of it in Ireland outside of Dublin) you will be grand.....And while rural routes maybe narrower than what you are used to back home, they are not as life threatening as they are made out to be by so called Irish Travel Experts? All of Ireland's main cities are well connected with fast, safe double sided motorways and the tolls are inexpensive. But, If you really don't think you can hack it, there are plenty of organised bus/coach tours from Dublin, Galway, Cork and Belfast.

Ireland is very friendly and relatively safe, but not crime free by any means. Be careful if you are travelling in a hire car which can be spotted a mile off by the little yellow sticker in the back window, so don't leave anything valuable on view. This is especially important at remote sites, lock your stuff in the trunk and keep your passport with you or in the hotel safe at all times. By the way you don't need a visa for Ireland or any vaccinations (we have no nasties here) Use your common sense in cities late at night, don't wander off on your own. If you are at all worried go into anywhere that's open and ask them to ring the Gardaí (Irish police) for you. Mobile phones & tablets are easy targets for snatchers, the same as anywhere else in the world, so just be careful and try to avoid using them for internet access unless you are in a wi-fi zone (most cafés, bars and hotels worth their salt offer free access these days although you made have to ask for a code). And finally, keep an eye out for notices of events happening locally as these are often spontaneous, and Free !

Weather wise come prepared, you could get all four seasons thrown at you in a day and no, it doesn't rain all the time.....

And remember if in doubt just ask, we Irish love to talk, and you will find most people extremely helpful.

1 Where to Stay?

2 What to Eat & Drink ?

3 Places to see ?

4 Things to Do ?

5 Getting about Ireland ?

6 Sightseeing Tours ?

7 What to buy ?

8 Free stuff in Ireland ?

9 Fun stuff - quirky facts ?

10 Irish Weather, what to expect ?

For more information on Ireland facts please click here.

Or download any of the following guides from Amazon.com Where to Eat, Sleep & Play in Ireland 2014, Irelands Hidden Gems - Things To Do and Irelands Hidden Gems - Places to See.