BootsnAll Travel Community

Hello, My Cousin and I a traveling to Ireland on March 15/08 (very soon) and we have some general questions. First is, what all do we need other than a passport to get into Ireland? We are buying just a one way ticket and I want to know if there is any trouble with that? Because I have read on here some countries want to see when you are going to leave their country. And as for money goes will debit cards work there or should we get money at the bank here or once we are in Ireland? I have more questions but this is a good start. Thanks in advance.

Jody O

You only need a passport to get in. You will be stamped with a 3 month visa when you arrived...it's a tourist visa, so you are not allowed to seek employment. And, y'know, a plane ticket.

As for one-way tickets. This can be a problem in some countries, but I was never asked for one when I went to Ireland. However, I also went with a working holiday visa, so your experience may vary. I doubt it will be an issue, though, but as disussed elsewhere here - when they ask how long your staying, give a firm answer. "5 weeks" is acceptable, "until we feel like leaving" or "until our money runs out" is not. If you don't have a ticket home, and they ask about it, tell them you'll be leaving by ferry to Wales or Scotland (pick one, don't say both), and continuing your trip from there.

Money's easy. Direct payment with a bank card won't work, but there's bank machines almost everywhere in Ireland, just make sure your card has either the Plus or Cirrus logo on it (I don't think anyone issues cards without them anymore). Using ATMs generally gets the best exchange rates...however, ask your bank what their international transaction fees are, since they vary widely, with smaller banks and credit unions usually having better deals than the big players. Also, they're usually flat fees, so take out as much cash as you can at once - typically I'll grab €300-€350 each withdrawal, and get charged $5 by the bank for the privilege.

Credit cards also work, and get nearly as good of rates as ATMs. There shouldn't be a per transaction fee with CCs, just a commission that's hidden in the exchange rate. Avoid using credit cards at touristy places in Ireland, though. It's common there to have fancy systems that will do the exchange locally and then charge your card in Canadian dollars. This sounds like a great idea, since you can see how much it costs right on the receipt, but when I did the math, I realised they were taking about double the commission that Visa or Mastercard would take.

Enjoy. Ireland's lovely.