For Christmas my 3 daughters gave my wife a X-mas gift....a trip to Ireland for 10 days... All 4 are going in 2 weeks....when I heard Ireland my 1st thought was ..why Ireland ....why not Spain,Italy,France,etc...they are going on a 7 day tour starting in Dublin...and ending there they are not sure what they will do the other 3 days...any idea's ...is Dublin nice enough to stay there for the 3 days..or should they rent a car and go someplace....I know I'm profiling but do you eat Shepard's Pie everyday....before I left Austin a few weeks ago one of my daughters bought Shepards Pie from Costco....it was big enough to feed 20..and it was $14.99 now right away I was suspect...the cost and where she bought it....it was terrible...crust,mash potatoes,peas,carrots and ground beef...the only time I ever had it was at Epcot in Disney in England...and it was just as bad....I know I'm profiling Irish food but what else do you eat there...think "fish and chips" is more English...appreciate any help on what to eat and what to do after the Tour....please don't take any offense because of my narrow mind and profiling...they are going to drink a whole bunch of ails and hit a few pubs....but I think I would of still hit sunny Italy and I know the food is much better there....anybody that has been to ireland recently please advise...thank you...Caio
Ireland....trip
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If I was in Dublin, Ireland and had "three days to kill" I'd pop on over to London, England or Amsterdam Netherlands for a quick jaunt. You can get cheap flights back and forth from Dublin to those locations so not a huge expense. I mean if the family is in Europe for that stretch of time might as well take some other countries in right?
If the family wants to stay on the Island, take the train to Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is great way to see the countryside if travelling via rail, some good photos for sure.
You could also take a day trip from Dublin to the Isle of Man via ferry boat. The cost for that is around 120 US dollars (cheaper if you get tickets in advance) so not a huge cost.
Note: The Isle of Man is where lots of UK Sportsbooks head offices are located, just thought I'd throw that out there:tongue
If the family wants to stay on the Island, take the train to Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is great way to see the countryside if travelling via rail, some good photos for sure.
You could also take a day trip from Dublin to the Isle of Man via ferry boat. The cost for that is around 120 US dollars (cheaper if you get tickets in advance) so not a huge cost.
Note: The Isle of Man is where lots of UK Sportsbooks head offices are located, just thought I'd throw that out there:tongue
Here's something Nolan wrote up on his blog awhile back. It might be helpful.
http://www.nolandalla.com/restauran...-dining-experience-at-a-fraction-of-the-cost/
http://www.nolandalla.com/restauran...-dining-experience-at-a-fraction-of-the-cost/
I had THE BEST fish and chips I've ever had in County Cork Ireland and I've had fish 'n chips many times in the UK and elsewhere. Ask some locals where the best pub food is and order yourself a real Shepherd's Pie. None of that Costco BS. Other good pub fare include "bangers and mash" and Irish Beef Stew with Guinness. Also, drink lots of Guinness. Better yet, before you leave, get one in NY if you haven't had one in a while and then get one as soon as you get to Ireland and notice the difference. It's not even close to what comes out of the tap over here.
Here are some other suggestions: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-10-foods-try-ireland
My travel in Ireland is limited to County Cork and Dublin. I can say confidently that the Southwest part of the country is absolutely gorgeous. The jagged coastline and old seaside villages are beautiful sights on their own.
As far as what to do in Dublin, I found the Guinness Storehouse to be very interesting and informative. A lot of history there. Other than that, I did a tour of some of the oldest pubs and coffeeshops in Dublin, which was great. There are more than a few that will take you to some Oscar Wilde and James Joyce jaunts. If you search around on the internet, I'm sure you can find them yourself and you don't need a tour to take you there. Otherwise, if I was looking to fill a few days in Ireland with some sightseeing outside of Dublin, I would either rent a car or find a bus tour that will take you to some of the incredible old castles that litter the countryside.
Other than that, I have a very good friend who's family is from Galway and he often raves about it to me. I think he'll be over there the same time as you. Anyway, all I can say about it is that my friend would concur with the Galway suggestion above.
Have fun on your trip Box! Lot's of history in Dublin. The weather can be dreary, but the place is beautiful. One of my favorite cities that I've been to in Europe.
thanks guys...just pasted and sent all your info to my oldest daughter who is kind of in charge...I guess they aren't going north to much.. I just looked at their itinerary... I guess they don't go to Belfast... It might be off the tour guide path but I would love to see it...how about the money...they don't take euro dollars...should they exchange their American money here in the US....I went to you tube and some of those about Ireland are pretty funny...
again thanks for the info..DZ what about the money,exchange rates,etc
again thanks for the info..DZ what about the money,exchange rates,etc
ATMs are the way to go. Don't bother with currency exchange boths/shops. They're just ripping everyone off. Whenever I travel to Europe, I just call my bank in advance to make sure they know I've traveling and to make sure my withdrawal limits are as high as I can get them. When I get to the first bank ATM I find, I withdraw as much as I can at a time to limit the overall number of fees I incur during the trip, lock most of the cash in the hotel/room safe and take it out as I need it. The ATM exchanges are as fair as you're going to find. You just have to check with your bank to find out what they charge in terms of an exchange fee. Some banks are better than others with that. You're usually looking at 3% fee plus $3-7 per transaction plus whatever the foreign bank charges in an ATM fee, typically between 1 to 3.50 euros.
Actually the currency used in Ireland is the Euro.
Most likely your bank can order you Euros if you call them a couple days in advance. Go to the branch and pick up the cash, you can haggle the exchange rate. If you don't like the rate your bank gives you, then don't get the cash.
https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
Good info from DZ.
Also if you are using an ATM in Ireland make sure your bank card has one of these symbols on it, if not you'll have trouble getting Euros out of the ATM. Also make sure you use an ATM from an Irish bank (Barclays Bank Ireland, Bank of Ireland, Citibank Europe, KBC Bank Ireland, etc, etc) using those ATM's won't charge you an "extra fee". In other words if you use a bank ATM, the fees will be lower. You know like when you are in Vegas and you use an ATM in the Planet Hollywood lobby and they charge you 5 bucks just to use the machine, yes like that, you don't want that.
Note: There is a Bank of Ireland ATM inside Terminal 1 at the Dublin Airport.
Yep, tons of ATMs in those big airports...just hit one of those for cash....ATMs are called a "cashpoint" in Ireland.
This is assuming your bank or credit union does not charge an unusually hefty fee for foreign transactions....Many credit unions charge just 1% of amount. Key Bank charging flat $10 now! Chase and Bank of America $5 plus 3%....So ask your bank/credit union about this, use your best one or get a new one, if bad:
What is the fee ya gonna charge for withdrawals or purchases in Ireland? Is it a percentage, a flat fee, or both?
What other currency conversion or foreign transaction fees are gonna be tacked on?
What, in Ireland, is gonna be my daily limit for ATM withdrawals...Change the limit, if you can.
What partner banks in Ireland might you have whose ATMs I can use without a fee?
For purchases (not getting cash) a lot of travel credit cards (like Capital One Venture) have no foreign transaction fees for purchases, and you can earn miles too. Plus, you don't worry about someone stealing your ATM numbers and pin and draining your cash account. Not a big worry in Ireland, but in bit sketchier countries, my freinds use ATM card only, and at bank, for cash - credit card or cash everywhere else.
As kick said, avoid independent ATMs, like Cashzone or Cardpoint (things usually found in pubs, supermarkets, or tourist walking areas, etc) as they have higher fees and confuse you by asking about "locking in" a price (never do that, always select "proceed without conversion") and offers of "dynamic currency conversion" (always refuse and always ask any ATM or live clerk to charge you in the local currency - if your receipt shows your payment in dollars, tell them to do it again in your Euros, being in Ireland).
This is assuming your bank or credit union does not charge an unusually hefty fee for foreign transactions....Many credit unions charge just 1% of amount. Key Bank charging flat $10 now! Chase and Bank of America $5 plus 3%....So ask your bank/credit union about this, use your best one or get a new one, if bad:
What is the fee ya gonna charge for withdrawals or purchases in Ireland? Is it a percentage, a flat fee, or both?
What other currency conversion or foreign transaction fees are gonna be tacked on?
What, in Ireland, is gonna be my daily limit for ATM withdrawals...Change the limit, if you can.
What partner banks in Ireland might you have whose ATMs I can use without a fee?
For purchases (not getting cash) a lot of travel credit cards (like Capital One Venture) have no foreign transaction fees for purchases, and you can earn miles too. Plus, you don't worry about someone stealing your ATM numbers and pin and draining your cash account. Not a big worry in Ireland, but in bit sketchier countries, my freinds use ATM card only, and at bank, for cash - credit card or cash everywhere else.
As kick said, avoid independent ATMs, like Cashzone or Cardpoint (things usually found in pubs, supermarkets, or tourist walking areas, etc) as they have higher fees and confuse you by asking about "locking in" a price (never do that, always select "proceed without conversion") and offers of "dynamic currency conversion" (always refuse and always ask any ATM or live clerk to charge you in the local currency - if your receipt shows your payment in dollars, tell them to do it again in your Euros, being in Ireland).
100% this! so much easier to just grab the local currency as you go rather than try and guess how much you;ll need and the fees and exchange rates are much more favorable to you doing it this way.
Also have them either look to their credit card terms or call the companies as many offer no or very low conversion rates when charging things in foreign countries.
I've been plenty of places in Europe, but other than changing planes a few times in Dublin, I've never been to the Emerald Isle. I'm sure they will have a great time and ask them to have a Guinness and a Jamison for me. :toast:
Also, you will almost always get a better exchange rate trading your dollars there (or withdrawing them from the ATM) than getting Euros stateside before you leave. The commissions inside the international branches or at the change booths over there are always much higher. The whole idea with the ATMs is you just pay the ATM fee and the exchange commission. Try to withdraw as much as you can with one transaction in order to limit the overall number of fees you incur during your trip. Look up the exchange rate when you get there and do some simple math.... ie if the rate is 1.20 euros = $1 and your limit is $500 USD per withdrawal, then you should be able to get out 400 euro after accounting for fees.
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My first thought would be : Wow, what a great gift. I'm so happy that my kids love us so much to shell out big bucks for a once in a lifetime trip. But that's just me.
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wow..thanks for tons of info here...just sent my daughter all this info....mucho gracias....how about giving my wife a few bucks for a bet on the world cup....I know there are places you can bet at..think they call it "bookies"...but can you mail the winning tickets in.. I'm sure my wife isn't going to skip the Blarney stone to make a bet for me...
..they are arriving next friday in Dublin...they are getting there 1 day early and leaving 2 days after the Trafalger tour is over...stops in Galaway-Limerock,Killarney,Macroom,Blarney,Waterford,Co.wicklow back to Dublin...my wife is calling Verizon to get more info on the phone usage...although I have 3 very successful daughters we have the " Box Family Verizon Plan...that is the only "umbilical cord" still attached to my wife and I....not sure what the age limit is to cut them off..these guys have 3 kids...maybe when my grandchildren become adults I can cut them off...they claim they all save money by the Box plan and each kid gives my wife monthly installments...yea right...
anyway thanks for the info...big time help...we'll post some pictures of them in Ireland...and since I'm home alone for 10 days might make a trip to Atlantic City...uh oh...nope I'm babysitting my 9 yr old granddaughter for 3-4 days....while her mother is knocking off some Guinness in some Irish pubs...again thanks..great info here
..they are arriving next friday in Dublin...they are getting there 1 day early and leaving 2 days after the Trafalger tour is over...stops in Galaway-Limerock,Killarney,Macroom,Blarney,Waterford,Co.wicklow back to Dublin...my wife is calling Verizon to get more info on the phone usage...although I have 3 very successful daughters we have the " Box Family Verizon Plan...that is the only "umbilical cord" still attached to my wife and I....not sure what the age limit is to cut them off..these guys have 3 kids...maybe when my grandchildren become adults I can cut them off...they claim they all save money by the Box plan and each kid gives my wife monthly installments...yea right...
anyway thanks for the info...big time help...we'll post some pictures of them in Ireland...and since I'm home alone for 10 days might make a trip to Atlantic City...uh oh...nope I'm babysitting my 9 yr old granddaughter for 3-4 days....while her mother is knocking off some Guinness in some Irish pubs...again thanks..great info here
Might be to late but I literally just got back from Ireland yesterday.. Well technically Italy.. But Ireland the week before that..
Dublin was fine I guess...I would have loved it single and about 25 yrs of age.. But man now its hard for me to deal with the drunks.
Now Killarney...HOLY SHIT
Pure heaven. Is fucking beautiful. Never seen anything like it. If you get a chance check Killarney
Let me know if you have questions
