Ireland Travel Overview:
Planning to travel to Ireland? Here you will find practical information on access, money matters, airports, bank opening times, voltage, and basic country facts. If you have any other questions related to traveling to Ireland on a luxury tour, contact us at info@cellartours.com.
GETTING THERE
In the republic of Ireland you have 9 airports (Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Knock, Galway, Shannon, Sligo and Waterford) and in northern Ireland you have airports in Belfast and Derry. the main international airports are Dublin, Shannon and Belfast.
COUNTIES OF IRELAND (REPUBLIC)
The republic of Ireland has 26 counties: Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow.
MONEY
The currency in Ireland (Republic) is the Euro while in Northern Ireland it is the British pound (sterling). Check with your bank for currency exchange information as rates fluctuate. A helpful web tool for to check the exchange is www.x-rates.com/calculator.html.
Irish Banks are open generally open from Monday to Friday 10AM to 4PM with a later closing time on Thursdays. Travellers cheques are only very rarely accepted and not recommended. American Express is accepted in most high end hotels in restaurants, but virtually never in pubs, informal restaurants or B&Bs. The easiest way to get money while you are in Ireland is simply at the ATM machines.
PHONES
Cell Phones- A Prepaid SIM card is also known as a GSM card or smart card, which is bought and used like a standard telephone card in Europe. Phone Cards- at most magazine stands/ convenience shops in Ireland you can purchase international phone cards (for example, to be used from your hotel rooms). This is much less expensive than making calls on the cell.
PASSPORTS
As with any travel, when you come to Ireland you must ensure your passports are in good condition and current. We suggest you bring a second form of photo identification such as driver’s license or general ID in case you lose your passport. It is highly recommended to make copies of your passport, ID and all tickets and store in a separate place than the original in case of theft or damage.
CREDIT CARDS
Bring a copy of all your credit card (Visa, Amex, etc) contact details (Tel/ Fax/ Email) in case of credit card theft, blockage, etc. Notify your credit card companies that you will be travelling to Spain, so they do not block your card once you start making charges.
VOLTAGE
The voltage in Ireland is 220V AC, at 50Hz. If brining over electrical items from outside of Europe, you will not only need a plug adaptor but also a voltage adaptor (important as you can fry your shaver otherwise!). if coming over from the UK, no conversion is necessary.
IRISH MEAL TIMES
Breakfast is usually served until 11AM in most cafes, lunch is from noon until 2PM in most restaurants and dinner (at restaurants) is generally from 7 to 10PM. Pubs open at 10:30AM on weekdays (later on weekends) and close at 11:30PM (many pubs also serve food). Pubs are closed on Good Friday and Christmas day. Many restaurants close on Sundays and Mondays. Smoking is banned in all bars, and restaurants in Ireland. Smokers are often accommodated with beer gardens (heated) and terraces.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Full country name: Republic of Ireland
Population: 4,203,200 (July 2009)
Capital City: Dublin
Major Cities: Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford
Major Rivers: Shannon, Blackwater, Boyne, Suir, Lee, Liffey, Nore
Main mountains: Ballyhoura Mountains, Caha Mountains, Slieve Miskish Mountains, Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Carrauntoohil, Mangerton Mountain, Mount Brandon, Stradbally Mountain, Ballyhoura Mountains, Galtymore, Mullaghareirk Mountains, Slieve Bernagh, Galtee Mountains, Slievenamon, Comeragh Mountains, Knockmealdown Mountains, Black Rock mountain, Maumturk Mountains, Twelve Bens, Mweelrea, Nephin Beg Mountains, Croagh Patrick, Devilsmother, Slievemore and Bricklieve Mountains to name but a few.
Main industries: Agriculture, Tourism, IT and Pharmaceuticals
Climate: Temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time.
Coastline: 1,448 km
Official Languages: English and Irish (Gaelic)
Time Zone: GMT/UTC plus 1 hour in winter, or two hours in summer
Government: Republic, parliamentary democracy
Head of state: President Mary McAleese (since 11 November 1997)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
Head of government: Prime Minister Brian Cowen (since 7 May 2008)
Member of EU: since 1972
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