Tourists embarking on an Ireland Tour from Dublin

Frequently Asked Questions

Travelling in Ireland for the first time?

We're here to help! We hope you find the below information useful, though please don't hesitate just to get in touch instead to find the answers to your questions, we'll always be glad to help.

Prices and budgeting

To give you some idea of costs a lunch of soup and sandwich with tea/coffee would be about €10-12 per person.

A pint of Guinness will range from about €6.50 in Dublin to about €5.50 in Cork/Kerry. In a bar/pub a Gin & Tonic would be about €10.00, and a glass of wine would cost around €7.50.

Souvenirs range from as little as €2.50 for a postcard and €3.50 for a magnet, and up to €25.00 for a Plate with Irish Blessing.

Banks

Banks are typically open between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm Monday to Friday. Some banks also open on Saturday mornings, usually from 10 am to noon. There are ATM (cash) machines outside most banks in Ireland.

Currency

The currency in Ireland is the Euro (€). The currency in United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland, Scotland and England) is the pound sterling (£). The cheapest, easiest and safest way of getting Euro or Pound Sterling is to use your debit card in any of the thousands of ATM's across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. You get the best exchange rates and you can take out money as you need it. Please note: You may need a card with a pin code to withdraw cash from an ATM machine.

Gratuities and Tipping

Ireland does not have a strong tipping culture. We only tip in restaurants, taxis and for personal services. All tips are at your discretion and are around 10%.

Escorted Tours

On our escorted tours: If you are extremely happy with your driver-guide, which we know you will be, then a typical gratuity would be 10.00 to 15.00 Euro per person, per day. This would normally be given at the end of the tour.

If you are on the Discover Britain & Ireland Tour, where there is both a driver and a tour manager, then a gratuity of 15.00 Euro per guest, per day, would be considered an excellent tip.

Private Tours

On our private tours: If you are extremely happy with your driver-guide, which we know you will be, then a typical gratuity would be 15.00 to 20.00 Euro per person, per day. This would normally be given at the end of the tour.

Language

English is the main language spoken, but you will see some road signs and place names written in Irish Gaelic. There are many Irish-speaking areas in the west of Ireland, but everyone who has Irish as a first language also speaks English.

Clothing

Bring a good rain jacket. There can be rain showers on the Atlantic coast. The average temperature is 50 F. Not too hot and not too cold. Weather can be changeable but it's rarely extreme. Packing layers, that you can add or remove easily, is advisable throughout the year. For up to date weather forecasts please see met.ie.

During the day as you tour around casual clothing is the order of the day. In the evenings in the hotel dining rooms and bars, smart casual would be the norm. (If you wish to step it up a bit further for example in 5-star Lough Eske Castle and 4-star Ballynahinch Castle you would not look out of place).

Laundry

The majority of hotels have laundry and dry cleaning facilities. You can hand in your laundry soon after check-in, so that it is ready on the next day of your hotel stay. This option is only suitable for 2 (or more) night stays in a hotel. You can also find more information on laundry services offered directly on each hotel's website.

Luggage

Handling (Porterage) of one large piece of luggage per person is included in the cost of Our Escorted Tours.

Each person is also allowed one piece of carry-on/hand luggage, which must be able to fit under your coach seat. This luggage should not exceed 40 x 20 x 25 cm (approximately 16 x 10 x 8 inches) and must not have wheels. Please note that porterage of this luggage item is not included.

Smoking in Ireland

The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have introduced a complete ban on smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants, in an effort to protect public health. While there are a small number of hotels that allow smoking in designated bedrooms, smoking is prohibited in every other part of a hotel in Ireland.

This law was introduced on March 29th, 2004 in the Republic of Ireland and on July 1st, 2007 in Northern Ireland.

Time zone

Ireland is part of the same time zone as London. During the winter, the time is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). From last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October, Ireland moves its clocks forward from GMT by one hour (GMT+1). Smartphones and similar devices will usually detect the correct time zone when they connect to WiFi. Your airline will also tell you the local time when you land.

Travelling alone

Ireland is a great destination for solo travellers. North and south, it is a very safe place to visit and you will find most people to be friendly and welcoming. Statistically, it is among Europe's safest travel destinations. Click here to find out more about travelling solo in Ireland.

Making Calls

Calling home from Ireland

The international prefix used when dialling somewhere outside of Ireland is 00. To call a US phone number from Ireland, the phone number should begin 001. For Australia, the number should begin 00 11. See here for a full list of Country Calling Codes.

Calling Ireland from home

The Irish country code is +353. To call an Irish number from United States/Canada the number would be 011 353. To call an Irish number from Europe the number would be 00 353. ​To call an Irish number from Australia the number would be 0011 353​. T​o call My Ireland Tour offices you would dial​:

Driving in Ireland

Both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland drive on the left. The legal age to drive in Ireland is 17 yrs old.

There are plenty of locations to hire cars in Ireland, including at all the airports. It is usually possible to hire the car from one location and return it to a different one.

From Dublin, all the other major cities (Cork, Galway, Limerick & Belfast) are within a few hours' drive, so Ireland is an easy country to self-drive.

Please note: if you are used to North American roads, you may find our Irish roads rather narrow and windy!

Irish Airports

The main transatlantic and long-haul airports in Ireland are Dublin and to a lesser extent Shannon. The vast majority of transatlantic flights come through Dublin. There are also airports in Belfast, Cork, Kerry and Knock (Ireland West Airport) but these are for regional (European and UK) destinations only.

The Irish national carrier is Aer Lingus, though many international airlines do long-haul flights into Ireland. For European flights, Ryanair and Aer Lingus are the main two, though again there are countless other airlines operating flights from Ireland to the rest of Europe.

Questions about our Ireland Tours

The following questions are in relation to our Ireland tours. Please, don't hesitate to get in touch if there are any questions you have that are not covered below.

What should I bring?

You will need to bring a 220V 3 pronged adapter to recharge your cell phones, cameras, laptops. Ireland uses Type G electrical plugs. Most of the hotels have hair dryers. 4-star hotels in Ireland, usually, offer complimentary WiFi services.

Please note: When travelling to Ireland and Britain, it's important to consider the compatibility of electrical items, for example, hair straighteners and curlers. If these devices operate outside the voltage range of 110V to 240V, it's advisable not to bring them unless you have a suitable transformer or converter.

Each seat on your coach is equipped with a USB charging port. These are standard UBS TYPE A inputs. If your device uses a double-sided USB TYPE C, you will need to bring an adapter with you. See an overview of USB types here. You can find adapters for USB TYPE C to UBS TYPE A here via Amazon.

I have booked my flights to Dublin already. Which tours can I join?

The majority of our Ireland vacations start & finish in Dublin. Here's a full list of our Tours from Dublin.

Travel Insurance:

My Ireland Tour does not sell Travel Insurance. We would recommend Travel Guard. My Ireland Tour requires that all passengers have travel insurance.

Do you offer adults only tour packages?

Yes, we offer shared group tours that are only available to guests 18 and over. Find more information on our Adults only Ireland Tours.

Why will there be empty seats on the coach?

We purposely keep a number of seats empty on all of our tour coaches. This allows you extra space to spread out and ensures a more comfortable experience for all. For more information about our coaches, check out our Tour Vehicles page.

Do you offer tours of Scotland and Ireland combined?

Yes, we have created a 14-Day Tour of Ireland and Scotland that brings together the must-see destinations of both countries. This tour starts in Edinburgh, Scotland and ends in Dublin, Ireland.

Do you offer tours of England and Ireland combined?

Yes, we offer an 18-Day Tour of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England that combines the most-loved destinations of all four countries. This tour starts in London, England and ends in Dublin, Ireland.

Do you offer tours featuring the Wild Atlantic Way?

Many of our Ireland vacation packages visit the west coast of Ireland, home to the famous Wild Atlantic Way. From Donegal in the Northwest to Cork in the Southwest, the Wild Atlantic Way boasts some of the most beautiful and unique scenery on the planet. Find out more information about our tours featuring the Wild Atlantic Way.

Do you offer tours featuring Ireland's Ancient East?

Yes, many of our tours feature Ireland's Ancient East. Made up of 17 counties in Ireland's east, Ireland's Ancient East offers visitors a fascinating look back through Irish history. See more about our Ireland's Ancient East tours.

I'm travelling on my own, would your tours be suitable?

Yes, our tours are suitable for solo travellers. It is very common for guests to come and join a shared tour on their own. If you would like to find out more, please take a look at our singles tours of Ireland.

Where can I leave a review of my tour?

We love hearing back from our guests. If you would like to leave a review of your tour, here's how...

You can also take a look at what our past guests have said on our reviews page.