The Currency in the Republic of Ireland is called the
Euro, the symbol is a .
This currency came into use January 1, 2002 and is the
common currency shared by many EU countries. If you
are traveling between Ireland and mainland Europe check
to see if you can use your Irish Euro in that country.
Currently in Euro denominations consist of: 500,
100,
50,
20,
10
and 5
notes, and 1
and 2
coins. Coins come in denominations of 50c, 20c, 10c,
5c, 2c and 1c. The "c" refers to cent. Click
here to see a picture of the currency.
In Northern Ireland, the currency is the same
as that of the UK, which is not part of the Euro system
of currency at this time. This includes Northern Ireland.
If you are traveling between the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland you will be required to obtain
Sterling currency. You can exchange your Euro for Northern
Ireland Sterling once you reach Northern Ireland very
easily.
In Northern Ireland, the currency is the same as that
of the UK. Currently denominations consist of: £100,
£50, £20, £10 and £5 notes,
and a £1 coin as well as 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p
and 1p coins. The "p" refers to pence, or
pennies.
Note: Ireland has two countries residing on
it's shores and as such there are two forms of currency
and are *not* interchangeable. If you cross borders
in your adventure remember to exchange your money at
one of the appropriate places.
The exchange rate fluctuates daily. The rates you
hear and read about that are posted at the end of the
day may not be the rate that is available at opening
of business the next day but it does not fluctuate greatly
within a day. However, seasons of the year can pretty
much dictate the range that you can expect. Winter rates
are considerably lower than Summer rates because it's
low tourist season. Peak tourist times of the year will
yield peak rates. On the average you can estimate about
$1.25US for every 1
Euro, as of January 2004.
Note: Every country will have their exchange
rate that corresponds with the Euro. The US Dollar is
given as the most even exchange example. Here is a handy
Currency
Convertor.
Never, never, never, never....never travel with
cash. Travelers Cheques are the safest form of currency
if you're going to bring money. If lost or stolen then
can be replaced quickly. If you carry cash and it's
lost or stolen there is no replacing it. Period. American
Express and Thomas Cook both have offices in Ireland
and are the most reliable. Bring a small amount of your
country's currency to cash at the airport bank to get
you through your first day in Ireland, or until you
can get to a bank to cash in your traveler's checks.
If the airport bank is closed, your CIRRUS or PLUS ATM
card can get you money through the ATM machine in the
airport.
Note: The exchange rates are higher for this
convenience, so only withdraw what you think you'll
need to get you to the bank.
Also: Traveler's checks work slightly different
in Ireland than in America. They are only exchangeable
at the Bureau de Change offices in banks, certain large
retail outlets, or at American Express or Thomas Cook
offices. They cannot be used to make purchases in shops
or to pay for accommodation. You will be required to
show your passport when cashing any amount of traveler's
checks.
The best place to change money is in one of the main
banks. Their Bureau de Change counters offer a better
exchange rate than the Bureau de Change services offered
in some of the tourist sites. It pays to shop around,
as there is a big range of rates offered.
Most widely recognized banks in Ireland:
Bank of Ireland
Allied Irish Bank (AIB Bank)
Ulster Bank
Ireland has a wide network of ATM machines but you
may find that the more remote areas do not have very
many. The ATM's belong to the major banks in Ireland
(eg: Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish Bank, Ulster Bank,
etc). All banks accept cards that bare the CIRRUS or
PLUS symbol. These machines will also give cash from
your Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club.
Not all machines take all of these but they will all
take most of them.
Note: Check with your issuing bank as to the
cost associated with using the ATM network while in
Ireland.
Check with your bank to see which of your accounts
is your primary account, as you will not have a choice
of what account to withdraw money from here. Money is
automatically drawn from a primary account, which is
generally the checking account. Also, your pin number
will not change once you're in Ireland.
While all major cards are accepted in Ireland (ie: MasterCard,
Visa, American Express, etc) you will find that only larger
businesses take them, a lot of smaller business do not
take credit cards, so check for the logos before you try
and make purchases with them. If you are staying in B&B
accommodation and want to pay by credit card then check
that they accept credit cards when making your booking.
The tax you will pay in Ireland is called Value Added
Tax, or VAT, and, depending on the purchase, can run
from 12%-21%. You will rarely ever see this tax though
because it is already added to most purchases. If you
see an item selling for 10
it already has the VAT added to it. Many shops offer
Tax-Free Shopping and you can
reclaim this tax before departure. Duty
Free Shopping is available only at your departure
site.
Note: In most restaurants you will usually
see the words "service charge" on your bill
which is in addition to the tax. This is normally 10%
of the bill and is the standard gratuity, though you
are welcome to leave any additional gratuities if the
service warrants it.
Restaurants - When you get your bill for the
meal you should see a Service Charge of about 10-12%
at the bottom. This is the servers gratuity/tip. If
the Service Charge is already added to the bill there
is no need to leave more money unless you fee that the
service was exceptional and that the server went over
and above normal services. If this is the case, depending
on the cost of the meal, an additional 5-10% can be
left on the table for the server or given to them by
hand directly.
Some restaurants won't have a Service Charge but will
have a bowl at the register for tips. It's customary
for patrons to leave the coins they received in change
from their bill in the bowl, up to 10-15% of the bill
depending on the quality of service.
** If the service was poor, alert the manager so that
the bill can be adjusted to remove the Service Charge.
Or leave no additional tip after paying.
Pubs - It's not customary to tip bar staff unless:
You've been sitting at the bar for
some time and ordered several drinks. In this
case it's customary to either tip the cost of
a pint (usually 3-5 euro), or "stand"
the barkeep a drink. This means to offer to buy
the barkeep a drink, which he'll usually consume
with you over a brief chat.
If you're seated with a group of
people in a lounge setting or at a table and one
wait person has been serving you for the evening.
In this case the customary tip is a couple euro
every time the wait person brings a tray of drinks
to the table. If you're sitting alone or with
one other person then a couple euro every other
trip made by the wait person is OK.
.
This currency came into use January 1, 2002 and is the
common currency shared by many EU countries. If you
are traveling between Ireland and mainland Europe check
to see if you can use your Irish Euro in that country.
