Real Ireland Travel Tips

or what the other Irish travel or tip sites won't tell you

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I think we've figured out a good cell phone solution while traveling in Ireland and/or in Europe.

First you need a GSM, unlocked phone. Ebay is a good way to go. We found one for about $30. You could also have your phone unlocked if it GSM compatible. 

Second step was buying an prepaid sim card. We looked around and settled on Telestrial.com. They have good prices and you can probably find promo codes to get further price reductions (do a Google search for Telestial Promo Code). Put the promo code in when checking out and it will show the discount. We found the Passport Lite program to be the best for our needs. (More detailed information here). 

Order at least a week in advance, two to be safe to receive your sim card and directions in time.

Things to be aware of, you may need to change the Network settings on the phone so that it will work correctly. We had to change ours from the default setting to a different band. There were only two band options. When we made the change, it detected the network and worked fine. Telestial has a toll-free number in the material they send, make sure you take it with you.

Check for coverage as soon as you arrive!

How to purchase and drink a pint of Guinness. The first key is to go to the bar to place your order. If you get a seat at a table, it would be a good while until someone comes over to take an order. Place your order with the bartender, pay if he asks or if you're only having one pint and then go sit down. Guinness takes awhile to pour properly and unless there is one partially poured, it will take a few minutes. Keep an eye out for the bartender to signal you that your pint is ready. Go back up to the bar and collect it and return carefully to your table. You don't want to spill it after all this time. At this point techniques will vary. I've heard you can tell by the rings of foam on the inside of the glass you can tell the nationality of the drinker. If there are 12-15 rings, you're American. If there are 8-12 rings, you're English. If there are 5-8 rings, you're Irish. If there is 2 or less, you're Australian. In any event, you can choose your method and enjoy your pint.

If someone is friendly enough to offer to buy you a drink, you must be prepared to return the favor. It is expected. This goes for women, too. If she has been given a drink, she will be expected to buy a round when it’s her turn. If you offer to buy a round, you must stay until everyone has had their chance to return the favor. If your crowd consists of seven people, you will be expected to stay for (and drink) seven pints, be careful. Don’t be slow in ordering the round when it’s your turn. This could be considered poor manners and you might not be treated as nicely on the next occasion.

In Dublin, get a city bus tour pass. It is cheaper than the regular bus and faster. You can get on an off the bus at major sites and buses come by quite often. The driver has a running narrative which can be amusing. Make sure you pay attention to what color bus you get on. There are red ones and yellow ones, don't mix them up. Most buses are double deckers and sitting up on top can be fun if you're taking a longer ride. It is hard to get off when you have to go down the stairs and to the front to disembark. We didn't find that the Dublin Pass was a good buy for us, but it might work for you.

When you arrive at the airport, don't be cheap. Rent a cart (one or two Euro) for your luggage, you'll usually get it back when you return the cart. It will lower your stress, and make looking for a rental car or other transportation easier. You'll probably have a long walk to the car and carrying all your luggage will be tiring. This is especially true in Dublin Airport but applicable to Shannon as well. Many grocery stores charge for the carts as well, but return the money when you return the cart.

Buy a Duchas Heritage Pass card. You can buy the pass online or at any of the sites. It gets you into about 65 sites and saves a lot of money if you're visiting heritage attractions. You get a book with the pass that shows the site locations and a description of each location.
You can view the list of sites here.  
The Duchas Heritage Pass is about 21 Euro per person. Senior and family rates are available.

If you really like your coffee in the morning, and are a bit of a coffee snob, you might want to bring your own. (note the coffee was better in 2007). We like good coffee and grind our own from a variety of sources available locally. Coffee we bought in a coffee shop or stores invariably tasted like day old, weak stuff percolated in one of those large aluminum vats. Much of it came from The Netherlands, and not at all impressive. Conversely the tea is almost always excellent. You might want to get your caffeine fix that way. Starbucks is very rare in Ireland except one in Dublin.

Rent your car online prior to leaving, it is cheaper and easier than negotiating at the airport. Use Irish Car Rentals as they have the best prices. Get a manual if you can drive one, they are a lot cheaper than an automatic. Make sure you allow for people and luggage in your vehicle choice. Get the smallest car possible, the roads are narrow, but make sure you are comfortable and have room for your luggage. We found the Opel Zefira to be a good choice when traveling with older people. It is easy to get in and out of and holds a good deal of luggage. It sits up a bit higher than a car allowing for better visibility.

Scampi can have a different meaning in parts of Ireland. Most people would assume that scampi refers to shrimp cooked in butter and herbs. We saw scampi on the menu in a restaurant and asked for it, they were out. We returned a few nights later and, oh joy, they had it. When it arrived it was shaped more like a pack of gum than a shrimp. On further investigation it proved to be a fish stick. They were fine as fish sticks go, just not an adequate substitute for shrimp when your mouth is set on it. The waitress confirmed that scampi meant "fish fingers" there. The Irish couple next to us said that they always thought it meant shrimp too. The lesson is to look for "shrimp scampi" or ask what the waiter believes scampi to be.

This advice is for all ages! To ease travel/flying discomfort, invest in some prunes and prune juice prior to leaving and start eating in moderation the day before. It keeps things moving that can become blocked during a long flight.

An Irish mile can be anywhere from "around the corner" to 10 miles.

If you are told it is a "wee stretch of the legs," tie on your walking shoes.

Sign distances posted could be in miles or kilometers, and are often not labeled with either one, just a number. Most are in kilometers now, but some signs in miles still linger. Distance also depends on the route. There is more than one way to get anywhere on the back roads.

Stop and "smell the roses," you may not go by here again.
Unless of course, you are near a pig farm, then keep those boots moving.

Directions from a local should be taken with a grain of salt. Getting a second opinion will probably make it worse.

Learn a bit of Irish before you go. You'll get baffled looks in some areas, and a lot of good will in others. Either way it can't hurt.

Get a map of Ireland, city maps are helpful too, especially in Dublin. It may not help, but at least you'll see where you should be. We live and die by our multi-paged atlas. It doesn't show all roads, but enough to get around the back ways.

Soft serve cones (especially HB) are very good. They taste like frozen whipped cream.

Guinness is better in Ireland. No, it is not because you're there or on vacation. It does taste better, has less preservatives, and you'll have less after effects. Do not try to keep pace with the gentleman at the bar who's buying you drinks, he'll win.

Most music doesn't start in pubs until half nine (9:30) at the earliest, in spite of what the sign, bartender, or fellow who fiddles says.

A sandwich in a pub or small store means thin slices of meat, some cheese and sliced onion, tomato or whatever is in the icebox, on toasted white bread. Not very substantial, but usually tasty and served at the temperature of molten lava.

Ireland uses the Euro. The Euro (EUR) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of EUR 500, 200, 100 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of EUR 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. It is pretty easy to deal with.
This link has current exchange rates.

Club soda in Orange and Citrus are very good, better than standard American soda to our mind!

Irish road signs are posted at the road entrance. No advance notice is given. Be prepared to backtrack a lot. Drive a bit slower for self preservation, and to read the signs better. Signs are often partially covered by overgrowth on less traveled roads.

ATMs are fairly plentiful in populated areas. Take larger amounts of cash out to avoid additional ATM  or bank charges. Check with your bank before you go as to additional charges. We found a Credit Union with no charges for currency conversion.

Take the boats to the Islands. Blasket, Skelligs, and Aran Islands are all worth the trip. The boat trip from Doolin to the Aran Islands results in a rough ride. Don't take it unless you have a strong stomach and/or motion sickness pills. Aran Direct from Ros a Mhíl (Rossaveal), does a great job of getting you to the Aran Islands.

Ireland is green for a reason! Take an umbrella, rain gear, but don't be surprised if you don't need it.
Ireland is green for another reason, watch where you walk, the country is well fertilized.

Climb fences, climb hills, and go through gates to get to sites. Ask permission if there is someone around. If so, you may be charged a nominal fee. Most of the good stuff isn't where the tourists go. Watch for small road signs indicating landmarks, monastic sites and other points of interest. Watch for interesting stone piles on a hill or in a field. Take the back roads, you'll see a lot more.

Sit at the bar if you want to talk to people. If you sit at a table they will assume you want to be left alone. You'll get service and not much else. If you sit at the bar, you're fair game. Buy a round or a pint for people at the bar, and you're sure to be popular.

Take travel adapters for your electronics when traveling from the US to Ireland. Irelands electricity supply is 220 volts at 50hz, whereas the United States uses 120 volts at 60hz. 
Make sure that your electronic device can switch to accommodate 220 otherwise you'll need a travel converter (most include one each of the different adapters). 
The plugs in Ireland look like the first two images below. Your normal plug goes into the back. I usually carry about 3 or 4. The second image is a good travel converter with different plugs.

You might consider trying the mattress first thing in a B&B or Cottage. We found some to be little more than a sheet on a box spring. Not very conducive to good sleep when the springs are poking into your back. We're considering taking an inflatable mattress on our next trip, the kind with a plug-in pump. 2007 update, we took an inflatable mattress, but never used it. Probably a case of better safe than sorry.

Hairdryer may or may not be available. It's easier to buy one there then worry about adapters and compatibility.
You'll make an enemy of your B&B host very quickly by plugging a 110 hairdryer in a 220 outlet.

Be a good traveler and have your own wash cloth and hand towel. Many places don't provide them and feel that you should. Makes sense if you think about it, those are pretty personal parts you're washing.

When you get your rental car, open the boot/trunk. Check to see that there is a spare tire. Then check if it is the spare tire that fits the car. Don't find yourself out on the Beara Peninsula at 10pm on a Sunday night with a flat and the spare won't fit!

Count your change. Irish shopkeepers are a wee bit deficit in this department. It can't be dishonesty, because the amount can also be over what it should be. Perhaps they are still not accustomed to the Euro. Also many of the wait staff are Eastern European and seem to be numerically challenged as well.

Take some large bags to the grocery stores. You will be charged for shopping bags (as much as a Euro each), and it is easier to bring your own (sturdier) ones. We brought a couple nylon mesh collapsible bags from home and kept them in the car. The bags at IKEA they sell for .59 are great as well. Dunnes Stores have bags you can purchase for about 2 Euro that are large and reusable.

You get very few Irish carrots to the kilo, they are huge. Try chopping them in bite sized chunks and boiling them in salted water for about 8 minutes. Delicious!

Go to the butcher shops instead of the supermarkets for meat. The selection is better, fresher and you're more likely to have an interesting conversation. Irish meat is very fresh and much tastier and is probably free-range and organic if you're at all into that.

If you check the box that says you've been on a farm or in a pasture on your return trip paperwork, you'll have to pull out the shoes you were wearing and have them sanitized. There is usually a separate line at the airport that you have to go through that is marked Agricultural. Either wear the shoes on the plane or have them easily accessible in your luggage. It isn't easy to be in Ireland without being in a pasture at some point.

If you buy alcohol or any liquid product in the duty free shops, you'll have to put it into your luggage when you arrive back in the US if you're going onto another destination. We left room in our luggage that provided some padding and easy access to stow duty free purchases.