Money and Practicalities in Ireland

The Republic uses the euro. Card and contactless payment are universal: you can tap for a coffee, a bus fare, or a restaurant bill in almost any town, and contactless works up to 50 euro per tap before a PIN is needed. ATMs are common in towns and cities and generally the cheapest way to get cash if you want some.

You will not need much physical cash, but a little is worth carrying. Some small rural pubs, market stalls, honesty boxes at trailheads and car parks, and the odd taxi still prefer it, and tips are easiest in coins. Prices shown in shops and on menus already include VAT, so the marked price is the final price.

Tipping in Ireland is genuine but modest, and never the fraught obligation it is in the United States. Service staff are paid a proper wage, so a tip is a thank-you for good service rather than a subsidy. In a sit-down restaurant, 10 to 15 percent for good service is normal. Check the bill first: many places add an automatic service charge for larger groups, often around 10 to 20 percent, and you should not tip twice.

Elsewhere it is lighter. In pubs you do not tip for drinks bought at the bar. In taxis you round up to the nearest euro or two. In cafes and for counter service, a bit of change in the jar is plenty. Nobody chases you, nobody sulks, and there is no shame in tipping little where the service was incidental.

Ireland is not a cheap country, and Dublin in particular runs to city prices, but nothing about it is a shock if you have travelled in western Europe. A pint of Guinness is roughly 5 to 6 euro in a rural pub and 6.50 to 7.50 in central Dublin. A casual cafe lunch or a pub carvery is one of the best value meals going; a sit-down dinner with wine climbs quickly, as everywhere.

Accommodation is the line that moves most. Dublin hotel prices spike in summer and around big events, so book early for July and August. Outside the capital, and in the shoulder seasons, rooms are far more reasonable. Public transport is inexpensive, especially with a Leap Card (covered on the Getting Around page).

Tap water from the public mains is safe to drink across Ireland; carry a refillable bottle and skip buying it. On rare occasions a local area is placed under a temporary boil-water notice, which is well publicised locally when it happens, but for a visitor in a town or city the tap is fine and free.

Plugs are the three-pin Type G socket, the same as Britain, running on 230 volts at 50 hertz. Travellers from North America need both a plug adapter and a device that handles 230 volts (most phone and laptop chargers do; check hairdryers and the like). Travellers from continental Europe need a plug adapter but not a voltage converter.

Mobile coverage is good in towns and along main roads, and patchier in the mountains and the remote west, which is worth knowing before you rely on live navigation on a rural drive. Visitors from the EU can usually roam on their home plan at no extra cost; visitors from further afield can buy a local prepaid SIM or an eSIM cheaply for data.

The emergency number is 112 or 999; both work and both connect to Garda (police), ambulance, fire, and coast guard. Pharmacies are widespread and pharmacists give good over-the-counter advice for minor ailments. The public healthcare system charges non-residents, so travel insurance is worth having.