Essential Things to Know Before Traveling to Ireland

CAPITAL
Dublin

LANGUAGE
The official language of Ireland is English

ELECTRICITY
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Three-pin plugs are in use

PASSPORT & VISA
For Canadians & Americans to enter Ireland, a passport valid for at least three months beyond the length of stay is required. A Visa is not required for stays of up to 90 days, for US and Canadian Passport holders. Visa regulations are subject to change, please check with your country’s UK embassy before your departure should you have any questions.
All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Passports are required; in addition travelers are advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding Visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is sole responsibility of the traveler.

Currency information:
Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Credit cards:
American Express, MasterCard and Visa are all widely accepted.

ATM:
ATMs are available everywhere, catering for Cirrus and Maestro symbols.

Banking hours:
Mon-Fri 0930-1630. In Dublin banks stay open on Thursdays until 1700pm; there are also late opening nights in other parts of the country, but the day will vary.

Best time to visit:
Ireland's relatively temperate climate is due to mild southwesterly winds and the effects of the Atlantic Gulf Stream. Summers are warm, only rarely getting unpleasantly hot, while temperatures during winter are much cooler, although it’s far from common for the temperature to drop below freezing and snowfall is rare. Spring and autumn are very mild, with rainfall expected all year round. The other chief characteristic of the climate, however, is its unpredictability. You might be basking in balmy T-shirt weather one week, and then wrapping up to stave off the chill the next – all the while with an umbrella in hand.

Required clothing:
Lightweights during summer are recommended with warmer medium weight clothing for the winter. Rainwear is advisable throughout the year. If you find yourself lacking anything essential on arrival, of course, all key centres are well stocked with clothing outlets, with the larger cities particularly good in terms of picking up high quality outdoor equipment. And it’s worth remembering that certain clothing items which are more commonly seen as souvenirs – hand-knit Aran sweaters, for example – can be practical purchases for the trip itself.

Telephone:
Public payphones are still found in major towns and cities, but widespread mobile usage means these are becoming less common. Private pay phones can sometimes be found in hostels, bars and internet cafes. It’s advisable to use a pre-paid phone card where possible.

Mobile phone:
Roaming agreements exist with a broad range of international mobile phone carriers, and coverage is good.

Internet:
Internet is readily available, and internet cafés exist in nearly every town.

Post:
An Post (www.anpost.ie) is the state-owned provider of postal services. It gives the option of a premium Express Post International service for mail going overseas.

Post office hours:
Mon-Fri 0900-1730/1800; Sat 0900-1300. Sub-post offices close at 1300 one day a week.

Media:
The national public broadcaster Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) dominates the radio and TV sector. It provides a comprehensive service in both English and Irish. British public and private terrestrial TV acts as a rival interest. The Irish print and broadcast media operate freely within the confines of the law. Broadcasting is regulated by a commission appointed by the Department of Communications. The Competition Authority safeguards against unfair competition in the press sector. Cross-media ownership is permitted within certain limits - press groups may own up to 25% of local radio and TV stations.
There are several daily newspapers published in Dublin, including the Irish Independent and The Irish Times; The Irish Examiner is based in Cork. British dailies and Sunday papers are widely available.

Food and Drink:
Levels of hygiene are of a high standard in Ireland, so travelers should only take precautions that they would do in any other developed country. There’s no more danger of being served contaminated or undercooked food in Ireland than anywhere else. A statutory, independent, science-based body, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, is tasked “to take all reasonable steps to ensure that food produced, distributed or marketed in the State meets the highest standards of food safety and hygiene reasonably available.” The only real problems posed by the local food and drink are mild stomach complaints resulting from overindulgence! As in any other country, junk food and fast food isn’t hard to come by.
Tap water is generally safe to drink, although stories in recent years have suggested that in some areas the levels of fluoride might be risky, particularly to bottle-fed babies. Bottled water is readily available.

Irish Specialties:

• Dublin Bay prawns.
• Oysters, served with Guinness and soda bread.
• Irish stew, traditionally made with mutton or old 1sheep but now mostly made with lamb or juicy beef, and usually served with potatoes, stock, onions, carrots and garlic.
• Crubeens (pigs' trotters).
• Colcannon (a mixture of potatoes and cabbage cooked together).

Things to know:
Table service and self-service are both common. 'Tea' is often almost a full meal with sandwiches and cakes. Pubs, of which Ireland has plenty, are sometimes called 'lounges' or 'bars', and there is often a worded sign outside the premises rather than the traditional painted boards found in the UK. The measure used in Ireland for spirits is larger than that used in the UK; an Irish double shot is equal to a triple by UK standards.

Regional drinks:

Tipping:
The customary tip in Ireland is 10-12%. Many hotels and restaurants add this in the form of a service charge indicated on the menu or bill. It is not customary to tip in bars unless you have table service.

• Whiskey: popular brands are Jameson, John Powers Gold Label, Hewitts, Midleton, Old Bushmills, Paddy, Reserve and Tullamore Dew.
• Irish coffee is popular (a glass of strong black coffee, brown sugar and whiskey with cream).
• Guinness, one of the most famous and distinctive drinks in the world, is omnipresent across the country.
• Other popular alternatives to Guinness are Murphy's and Beamish, both brewed in Cork.
• One of the most popular lighter ales is Smithwick's, also available everywhere.
• Liqueurs such as Bailey's and Irish Mist are both made from a base of Irish whiskey.