I'm traveling to Ireland soon and I have a couple of questions: 1. I'm taking a certain amount of cash with me and was wondering if it's better to exchange U.S. dollars for Euros before I go or when I get there. Or does it not make any difference? I don't like to use credit cards or bother with ATMs, so I'd prefer to rely mostly on cash that I already have on hand. Do you think this is a really bad idea? I might end up with a really fat money belt, but I just don't like using credit cards or debit cards anyway. 2. Which companies produce the best maps for traveling in Ireland? We're traveling from Shannon Airport to Cork, then traveling to Dingle, then on to Galway, and ending for one night in Limerick. There will be day trips to Adare, Cobh, Connemara, Kinsale, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, the Dingle Pennisula and elsewhere. I've read that GPS systems are not very helpful in the more remote areas of Ireland, so I think we need good maps. Which companies make the best? Are there any other resources I can use for getting directions that you highly recommend? Is AAIreland's Route Planner very helpful?
Posted by
Atlanta
1358 posts
You might have to get over your fear of ATM's. 2 problems with exchanging cash: 1) you have to carry a lot of cash with you. You lose your cash, you're outta luck. You lose your debit card, then, if you've planned ahead, your travel partner will whip theirs out for cash instead. 2) you're going to get a really lousy exchange rate for the cash, and possibly have a hard time finding a place to exchange it. The days of banks on every corner willing to exchange dollars for euros are long gone.
Posted by
OP
USA
69 posts
But if my debit or credit cards were stolen/lost wouldn't I be in even bigger trouble? I'd have to scramble to cancel them before someone else used them. Also, I'm concerned about the availability of ATM machines in the smaller, more remote areas of Ireland. I didn't want to waste time trying to find a machine. I was planning to exchange my dollars for euros at my local bank before I go. I was wondering if it's better to exchange the dollars at a bank in Cork for whatever reason.
Posted by
Atlanta
1358 posts
Canceling them usually involved just a phone call. Either make copies of the front and back, or store the info in your phone. Make sure you get the international number to call, the 1-800 numbers won't work. You'll be surprised at where you'll find ATM's. And if you're going somewhere that remote for a couple of days, just make sure you stop before you go to have enough cash.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
I use either Michelin maps or the ones they give you at the car rental counter to get around in Ireland, and I have been to quite a few of the out-of-the-way parts of it over four trips. I use www.viamichelin.com for planning but I add maybe 25% to their time estimates. And GPS systems are immensely helpful, particularly because if you get off your planned route (by, say, making a wrong turn or wanting to investigate something you saw signposted along the way), it will get you back on track. Also, GPS gives you additional information, like the nearest gas station, restaurants, hospitals, etc. None of the places you mention will be problematic for finding ATMs either.
Posted by
Spring, Texas
635 posts
1) Use the ATMs. We'd get several days of euros at a time to pay for B&Bs, food, etc. I had cards for 2 different accounts and my wife had a 3rd as an emergency back up. We didn't have any problems. You'll get the best exchange rates using ATMs. ATMs are everywhere. I recall 3 in Dingle and I wasn't looking for them. I think Rick's book says that there aren't any in Doolin. I suggest you always leave a town with enough for the next one just in case you have trouble finding one or you're too busy to look. 2) My Garmin with the Europe card worked well. Rural roads were all there except some little side road in the Burren. It didn't have some of the latest major road revisions but that's understandable. It didn't know about the Dublin Airport construction but it was still going on when we were there. We also had the AA Road Atlas for Ireland. It was a good supplement.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
When I drove in Ireland six years ago I found the Michelin Ireland map to be detailed enough. Portions of roads that are especially scenic are highlighted in green. For even more detail you could buy the Ordnance Survey Ireland spiral-bound road atlas. It's wise to bring two debit cards linked to different checking accounts and two credit cards linked to different accounts. Any town big enough to have a bank will have an ATM you can use. Be sure to let your card providers know when you will be in Ireland so your cards aren't blocked for suspected fraudulent activity.
Posted by
Phoenix, AZ, USA
1035 posts
You could lose the cash just as easily as your ATM or credit card. Then you'd be in deep Dutch. You will never be far from an ATM even in the most remote parts of Ireland.
Posted by
Santa Clara, CA
252 posts
Katie, think of it this way. The people of Ireland need cash and accurate GPS units too, right? So, it makes sense that these things are made readily available for the local population's needs...and therefore, easily accessible to tourists.
Posted by
Atlanta
1358 posts
The Let's Go books will let you know where the nearest ATM is for where you'll be. We spent a week in Doolin, where there wasn't an ATM, but we knew there was one near the grocery store in Ennistymon, a 10-minute drive from Doolin. We had problems with the GPS taking us down some little cattle paths in Ireland. I'd have a back-up map, study them a bit before you go, then you know whether you need to ignore the GPS and have it redirect you.