TR AVEL ADVIC E Trav elling in Ireland W h en plan n in g a trip abroad it is good to be aw are of an y requ irem en ts th at th e cou n try you are visitin g h as in place, su ch as drivin g regu lation s an d w h at type of passport or visas you m igh t n eed in order to en ter. O n th ese pages you w ill fin d u sefu l in form ation abou t travellin g to Irelan d to h elp you prepare for you r trip. C U L T U R E Ire la nd is a fa nta s tic pla ce to vis it. Fille d w ith its o w n unique tra ditio ns, yo u ca n e njo y the lus h gre e n co untrys ide a nd a m a z ing citie s, a s w e ll a s e xpe cting to re ce ive a w a rm w e lco m e fille d w ith a ll the w it a nd hum o ur tha t the Iris h a re s o fa m o us fo r. Y o u ca n a lm o s t gua ra nte e to be m e t by a s m ile a nd e njo y a n e qua lly gre a t a tm o s phe re a s pe o ple in Ire la nd a re ve ry frie ndly a nd s o cia ble. Iris h culture is s te e pe d in s o ng a nd da nce w ith tra ditio na l Iris h fo lk m us ic a bunda nt. Cre a te d us ing the fiddle, Iris h flute, tin w his tle, Ce ltic ha rp, uille a nn pipe s a nd bo dhrá n yo u w ill find it ve ry dis tinctive a nd unique to this w o nde rful co untry. C U R R E N C Y The curre ncy o f Ire la nd is the Euro. B a nking H o urs Monda y to Frida y: Ge ne ra lly 0930 1730 Cre dit Ca rds & A TM The m a jo r cre dit ca rds (Maste rca rd, A m e rica n Expre s s a nd V is a ) a re w ide ly a cce pte d by s ho ps, ho te ls, re s ta ura nts a nd pe tro l s ta tio ns. The re a re ca s h dis pe ns e r m a chine s (A TMs ) thro ugho ut the co untry w hich a cce pt s o m e de bit a nd cre dit ca rds. Tra ve lle rs ' che que s ca n us ua lly be e xcha nge d a t m o s t m a jo r ba nks. Che que s in U S Dolla rs, P o unds Ste rling o r Euro s a re pre fe ra ble D R IV IN G IN IR E L A N D Driving re gula tio ns in Ire la nd a re s im ila r to tho s e in the U K, ho w e ve r it is re co m m e nde d tha t yo u fa m ilia ris e yo urs e lf w ith s pe cific info rm a tio n re la ting to Iris h re gula tio ns. Such info rm a tio n ca n be fo und o n the fo llo w ing w e bs ite http://rs a.ie /RSA /Lice ns e d-drive rs /Driving-in-Ire la nd/ U s ing m o bile pho ne s w he n driving is fo rbidde n. H o w e ve r, us e o f a co m ple te ly ha nds -fre e unit is a cce pta ble H e a vy fine s a re im po s e d fo r drink driving. The m a xim um s pe e d o n m o to rw a ys is 120kph (74m ph).
Many drive rs unde re s tim a te dis ta nce s a nd jo urne y tim e s in Ire la nd. P la n yo ur jo urne y ca re fully, ta king into a cco unt unkno w n ro a ds a s the re a re lo ts o f s ingle la ne ro a ds, w e a the r co nditio ns a nd fa tigue. Make s ure yo u ta ke re gula r bre a ks. To drive in Ire la nd yo u m us t be 17 ye a rs o ld a nd ha ve a va lid U K driving lice nce, ins ura nce a nd ve hicle do cum e nts. The a cce pta nce o f the o lde r s tyle a ll gre e n driving lice nce ca nno t be gua ra nte e d, a nd it is a dvis a ble to a lw a ys ca rry a no the r pho to gra phic fo rm o f ide ntifica tio n w ith yo u. If yo u do n t o w n the ve hicle yo u re driving, fo r ins ta nce if yo u ha ve a le a s e d ve hicle, yo u s ho uld ge t w ritte n pe rm is s io n fro m the re gis te re d o w ne r. A ltho ugh yo u a re no t re quire d to ca rry co m puls o ry ite m s in yo ur ve hicle s uch a s a w a rning tria ngle a nd re fle ctive ja cke ts, the re gula tio ns o n w ha t m us t be ca rrie d do cha nge fro m tim e to tim e, s o it is a dvis a ble to che ck the m o s t up to da te info rm a tio n be fo re yo u tra ve l. Y o u m a y w is h to vis it the fo llo w ing w e bs ite : w w w.the a a.co m /m o to ring_a dvice /to uring_tips It is re co m m e nde d to ke e p ve hicle do o rs lo cke d in s lo w m o ving tra ffic a nd s e cure yo ur ve hicle w he n it is le ft una tte nde d. In-ca r ra da r de te cto rs a nd s a te llite na viga tio n s ys te m s w a rning o f the pre s e nce o f s pe e d ca m e ra s o r ra da rs a re ille ga l w he the r in us e o r no t. Toll ro a ds in Ire la nd a re ge ne ra lly lo ca te d o n m a jo r inte rurba n co rrido rs a nd im po s e a to ll (le vy o r cha rge ) o n e a ch ve hicle us ing the m. TII (Tra ns po rt Infra s tructure Ire la nd) is re s po ns ible fo r o ve rs e e ing the pro cure m e nt a nd im ple m e nta tio n o f ne w to lling a rra nge m e nts, a nd fo r m o nito ring a nd m a na ging e xis ting to lling a rra nge m e nts o n the na tio na l ro a d ne tw o rk. Te n o f Ire la nd s e le ve n to ll ro a ds ha ve co nve ntio na l ba rrie r to ll pla z a s. U nle s s yo ur ca r ha s a n e le ctro nic ta g is s ue d in Ire la nd, yo u ll ne e d to s to p a t the ca s hie r s bo o th a nd pa y yo ur to ll in ca s h, by cre dit ca rd o r by us ing a pre -pa ym e nt ca rd. Dublin s M50 is a ba rrie r-fre e to ll ro a d w hich m e a ns drive rs a re no t re quire d to s to p a t a to ll pla z a. More info rm a tio n is a va ila ble he re. Fo r info rm a tio n tha t is ta ilo re d fo r vis ito rs to Ire la nd click he re. Fo r fa re s, click he re a nd s e le ct Moto rca r if yo u ha ve a ca r to w ing a ca ra va n, a nd the w e ight re le va nt Go o ds V e hicle if yo u ha ve a m o to rho m e. P le a s e vis it o ur Tra ve l P la nning pa ge s fo r info rm a tio n o n ro a d to lls, w e ight lim its, e m is s io ns a nd m o re. H E A L T H / S A F E T Y The Fo re ign a nd Com m o nw e a lth O ffice m a y m a ke s pe cific tra ve l re la te d re co m m e nda tio ns fo r vis ito rs to Ire la nd. Fo r the m o s t up to da te info rm a tio n vis it w w w.go v.uk/fo re ign-tra ve l- a dvice /ire la nd H EA LTH The De pa rtm e nt o f H e a lth do e s no t m a ke a ny s pe cific he a lth re co m m e nda tio ns fo r vis ito rs to Ire la nd; ho w e ve r yo u m a y like to che ck w ith yo ur do cto r be fo re de pa rture. Y o u s ho uld ge t a fre e Euro pe a n H e a lth Ins ura nce Ca rd (EH IC) be fo re le a ving the U K. The EH IC is n t a s ubs titute fo r m e dica l a nd tra ve l ins ura nce, but it e ntitle s yo u to s ta te -pro vide d m e dica l tre a tm e nt tha t m a y be co m e ne ce s s a ry during yo ur trip. A ny tre a tm e nt pro vide d is o n the s a m e te rm s a s na tio na ls o f the co untry yo u a re vis iting. If yo u do n t ha ve yo ur EH IC w ith yo u o r yo u ve lo s t it, yo u ca n ca ll the De pa rtm e nt o f H e a lth O ve rs e a s H e a lthca re Te a m (+ 44 191 218 1999) to ge t a P ro vis io na l Re pla ce m e nt Ce rtifica te. The EH IC w o n t co ve r m e dica l re pa tria tio n, o ngo ing m e dica l tre a tm e nt o r no n-urge nt tre a tm e nt, s o yo u s ho uld m a ke s ure yo u ha ve a de qua te tra ve l ins ura nce a nd a cce s s ible funds to co ve r the co s t o f a ny m e dica l tre a tm e nt a nd re pa tria tio n. If yo u re quire m e dica tio n w hile in Ire la nd, re m e m be r to bring a pre s criptio n w ith yo u.
If yo u ne e d e m e rge ncy m e dica l a s s is ta nce during yo ur trip, dia l 112 a nd a s k fo r a n a m bula nce. If yo u a re re fe rre d to a m e dica l fa cility fo r tre a tm e nt yo u s ho uld co nta ct yo ur ins ura nce /m e dica l a s s is ta nce co m pa ny im m e dia te ly. SA FETY A s w ith a nyw he re in the w o rld, it is go o d pra ctis e to be vigila nt a bo ut yo ur pro pe rty, bo th in te rm s o f yo ur ca m ping unit a nd pe rs o na l be lo ngings, ta ke s e ns ible pre ca utio ns to pro te ct yo urs e lf fro m pe tty crim e. Don t le a ve yo ur ha ndba g o r lugga ge una tte nde d. Le a ve co pie s o f im po rta nt do cum e nts w ith fa m ily a nd frie nds in the U K. Ca rry a pho to co py o f yo ur pa s s po rt fo r ID. P A S S P O R T S / V IS A S P A SSP O RTS Y o ur pa s s po rt s ho uld be va lid fo r the pro po s e d dura tio n o f yo ur s ta y; yo u do n t ne e d a ny a dditio na l pe rio d o f va lidity o n yo ur pa s s po rt be yo nd this. Ire la nd is a m e m be r o f the Com m o n Tra ve l A re a, the re fo re B ritis h na tio na ls tra ve lling fro m the U K do no t re quire a pa s s po rt. ID w ill no rm a lly be che cke d by Iris h im m igra tio n o fficia ls if a rriving by a ir fro m the U K, a nd pro o f o f na tio na lity m a y be re quire d. It is the re fo re re co m m e nde d tha t yo u ta ke yo ur pa s s po rt w ith yo u. A U K driving lice nce m a y no t be re co gnis e d a s a n o fficia l fo rm o f ID. Sho uld yo u w is h to ta ke a pe t o n yo ur jo urne y, de ta ils o f pe t pa s s po rts a nd re gula tio ns ca n be fo und o n https ://w w w.go v.uk/ta ke -pe t-a bro a d/tra ve l-w ithin-the -e u. If yo u a re tra ve lling o n o ne o f o ur e s co rte d to urs, ple a s e vis it o ur Euro pe a n Tours pa ge s to che ck w he the r pe ts a re pe rm itte d. V ISA S If yo ur pa s s po rt de s cribe s yo u a s a B ritis h Citiz e n yo u w o n t ne e d a vis a to e nte r Ire la nd. If yo u ha ve a no the r type o f B ritis h na tio na lity, yo u s ho uld che ck the curre nt e ntry re quire m e nts o n the w e bs ite o f the Iris h Em ba s s y a nd if ne ce s s a ry co nfirm re quire m e nts dire ctly w ith the m. Fo r s ta ys o f lo nge r tha n 3 m o nths, co nta ct the Iris h Em ba s s y fo r info rm a tio n a bo ut e ntry re quire m e nts S H O P P IN G Most s ho ps a re ge ne ra lly o pe n s ix da ys a w e e k, w ith o pe ning tim e s Monda y to Sa turda y fro m 0900 to 1730/1800. La te night s ho pping o n Thurs da ys a nd/o r Frida ys is co m m o n in m o s t to w ns, a nd s ho ps w ill s ta y o pe n until 2000/2100. Re duce d ho urs in la rge r s ho ps a nd m a in s ho pping ce ntre s o n Sunda ys is no rm a l, w ith o pe ning tim e s fro m 1200 to 1700/1800. T IP P IN G Re s ta ura nts : W he re a s e rvice cha rge is no t include d, it is co m m o n to le a ve a tip o f be tw e e n 10-15%. H o te ls : A s m a ll tip fo r po rta ge o f 1 pe r s uitca s e m a y be le ft. Ta xis : A ppro xim a te ly 10% o f the m e te re d fa re. T IM E Z O N E S GMT, w ith Sum m e r tim e (fro m the e nd o f March to the e nd o f O cto be r) be ing GMT + 1 ho urs, s o tha t thro ugho ut the ye a r the co untry is a lw a ys the s a m e tim e a s the U K.
C A M P S IT E S & T O U R S IN IR E L A N D W e ha ve a va rie ty o f be a utiful Club a ppro ve d ca m ps ite s thro ugho ut Ire la nd w he re yo u ca n e njo y yo ur tim e a w a y. Ta ke a lo o k he re : N o rthe rn Ire la nd ca m ps ite s a nd Re public o f Ire la nd ca m ps ite s. W e a ls o run a n Es co rte d Tour to Ire la nd w he re yo u ca n e xpe rie nce a ll the w o nde rs o f this fa s cina ting co untry in the co m fo rt o f yo ur o w n unit - Find o ut m o re.