14 Common Questions about Traveling to Ireland

When visiting any foreign country, there are a number of things that you’ll want to plan for in advance. To ensure that you can get into the country, power your things (don’t want your cell phone or camera going dead on ya), buy things, and get some of the basics you’ll need to be comfortable. Here are our answers to the common questions about traveling to Ireland.

What Are The Emergency Phone Numbers In Ireland?

What Type Of Power Do They use In Ireland?

What Type Of Power Voltage Does Ireland Use?

A very common question about traveling to Ireland. Ireland uses 220 – 240 Volts across the entire country. US Products are designed for 110 – 120 Volts, but some are dual voltage and will work for up to 240 Volts. You’ll want to confirm that before you plug anything into an outlet in Ireland or it could overheat and fail or catch fire. You can generally find the rating on the plug or near the place that it plugs into the device. It should say something like “input” and have a range of voltages that it works for.

NOTE: USB Outlets follow a universal standard, so if your item has a USB Charging Cord, any plug adapters with a USB outlet will work.

What Type Of Plug Does Ireland Use?

Ireland generally uses a Type G plug across the country. US outlets are either Type A or B and will not work in Ireland. You’ll need either a country-specific converter or an international converter. Although we did find a few hotels that specifically had “Travel Outlets” which were more universal and every hotel we stayed at had USB outlets that allowed us to charge our cell phones and iPad.

What Are The Passports and Visa Requirements For Ireland?

You must have a valid passport for the entirety of your expected stay in Ireland. You must have at least one blank column for passport stamps. Ireland does stamp passports. US Citizens visiting for tourist or business reasons, no visa is required for stays of less than 90 days. The immigration process was fast and efficient and we were in and out in less than 5 minutes.

If you have additional passport and visa-related questions about traveling to Ireland, see the US State Department website.

What Kind Of Cell Phone Coverage Does Ireland Have?

We found Cell Phone Service to be reliable in nearly all of Ireland. We did a road trip that included some rural areas, and although we got down to 3G, we always had some level of service. The primary cell phone service provider is EIR. In the city of Dublin, we had LTE service most of the time and found that we had a fast and reliable connection.

PRO-TIP: The best way to get cellular service while traveling is to use a travel E-Sim like Airalo. They have plans ranging between 1GB to 20GB and you can top up with more if you need more. You can install the E-Sim before you travel and it activates automatically when you connect to cellular in the country. We use Airalo every time we travel and it’s been the fastest and cheapest way to get cellular service anywhere in the world.

Is Ireland Safe?

Ireland is generally safe. The US State Department classifies Ireland as a Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. They do have some cautions about terrorism and crime, but nothing that is too uncommon for any large city. Keep an eye out for your surroundings. While we were there, we rarely felt unsafe.

The only times that I was really worried about my things was when we were in crowded touristy areas like Temple Bar, but otherwise, just use the normal precautions of keeping an eye on your things and not leaving them unattended. There are some areas of Dublin with individuals who ask for money, but they weren’t aggressive and easily left you alone after telling them that you didn’t have cash.

What Type Of Money Do They Use In Ireland?

Ireland uses the Euro as the primary currency. Currently, the value fluctuates but closely matches the US Dollar. To convert any other currency into Euros, head to this site (https://themoneyconverter.com). Euros can be used in 20 different European Union (EU) Countries, making it a very useful currency for anybody traveling in that part of the world.

PRO-TIP: Don’t change too much money into Euros before arriving if you have a credit card without international fees. We found that nearly everywhere accepted our credit card and gave us a better exchange rate than the currency exchange store. Paying by credit card was much easier than cash in most places. The only places that we really needed to use cash were for tips in some places, but tipping isn’t nearly as common as it is in the USA. Nearing the end of our trip, we had to purposely use all cash just to get rid of it all.

What Is The Weather Like In Ireland?

When traveling and making plans for activities, you often want to plan for the weather. Weather-related questions are common when traveling to Ireland. If you’re looking to travel somewhere with warmer and drier weather, check out our information on Argentina.

Does it rain a lot in Ireland?

Rain is common in Ireland, with the peak months being December and January. If you want to avoid the rain, April – June are generally the driest months. The capital of Ireland, Dublin, averages 26.8 inches of rain per year. But, in our experience, traveling to Ireland in March, it rained nearly every day for at least a little while. Afternoons were predictably the worst time for rain. The rain varied between a light drizzle and a heavy downpour in the same storm. But, most activities and events continued despite the rain.

Does It Snow A Lot In Ireland?

Despite it being so far north, Ireland actually does not get a lot of snow. The average number of days that snow falls per year ranges between 5 – 24 days per year, depending on location. Even when it does snow, it’s not a lot. Coastal areas average one 1 – 2 days per year with more than 1 cm of snow, whereas more inland locations average only 10 days per year. But, because heavy snowfall is rare, if there is a big snowfall, the country struggles to maintain regular operations.

What’s Driving in Ireland Like?

This was a very common question about traveling to Ireland that I had before our trip.

The roads are narrow and windy. If you’ve read that anywhere else, you may be thinking what I thought. “It can’t be that bad” but it was worse. Not only are the roads narrow, but there is no shoulder, like none! There are trees, walls, fences, or buildings right at the road edge. Even if there is a center line, the width of the lane can vary greatly, including less than the width of a vehicle. The speed limit on these roads was 80km/h (or 50mph). So, you’re trying to navigate between a wall and another car at that speed with less than a foot of space to spare.

There are also a lot of curves, hills, and hidden roads and driveways (Known as concealed entrances). Although we got more comfortable a few days into the drive, we generally would drive slower than the speed limit on anything other than highways/motorways (Classified with an “M” in front of their number). Below motorways, were “N” roads, followed by “R” roads, and finally “L” (or Local) roads. Unless you’re a really comfortable driver, I would suggest avoiding the “R” and “L” roads.

What Side Of The Road Do They Drive On In Ireland?

In Ireland, they drive on the left side of the road. They are in the minority as 163 countries drive on the right and only 76 countries drive on the left. This also means that the steering wheel on the car is on the right side of the car, and you turn left in roundabouts. As somebody who has been driving on the right side of the road my whole life, driving on the left was a lot easier than I expected.

Leaving the car rental facility at the airport, the roads are clearly designed to prevent you from going the wrong way, and lots of signage helps remind you to drive on the left. As you get further away from the airport, it begins to feel normal. If you just follow the cars in front of you, you’ll be fine. The times that were most challenging is when you were on a small country road and turning. If you’re looking to book a car while in Ireland, there are lots of convenient options.

Many roads don’t have lines on them, and those that do, have white lines in the middle and yellow lines on the edges, which is opposite from most US roads. This can be a little bit confusing as it often looks like a passing area or a one-way street, but it is not. The center lines may be dotted or dashed, depending on if you can pass or not.

Everything you need to know about renting a car in Ireland!

What Are The Important Local Businesses?

If you need to pick up any food, snacks, or items while you’re traveling, then this question about traveling to Ireland is for you.

Pharmacy (OTC Medications & Basic Medical/First Aid Supplies):

• TotalHealth Pharmacy (https://www.totalhealth.ie/)

Grocery (Food, Beverages & Groceries):

• Dunnes Stores Grocery
• SuperValu
• Lidl
• Tesco
• Aldi

Gas Stations/Convenience Stores (Gas and essentials convenience stores)

• Circle K – Many Circle K’s stores don’t sell gas/petrol, but only serve as convenience stores.
• SPAR – Only a convenience store, but larger ones include hot food selections as well.
• Texaco
• Shell
• Applegreen

Is Ireland Worth Visiting?

Ireland is definitely worth visiting. It is a wonderful country with so much to explore and experience. For Americans, it is a fairly easy transition culturally. The people in Ireland are so nice and always willing to help tourists out. They offer great insights on places to visit and go as far as drawing out maps for you. Plus the food is delicious! It really checks all the boxes.

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