Managing Your Money on Your Trip to Ireland
If you are planning a holiday to Ireland you will need to decide how you will manage your finances while you are there. ATMs and banks are widespread so you will never be too far from a source of cash.
If you are traveling from another Eurozone country you do not have to worry about exchanging currency. However, if you are traveling from the United States or the United Kingdom you will need to convert to Euro.
You have a number of choices on how you manage your money while you are away. The most traditional way to bring money is traveler's checks. However, this is one of the more expensive options with responsibilities as high as six percent, but they can be replaced if they are lost or stolen.
Making cash withdrawals is probably the cheapest and most convenient to access cash on your holidays. You can use your credit card, debit card or bank card to make withdrawals in Ireland. Most ATMs in Ireland will accept all three.
With debit cards or bank cards you usually pay a commission of about 1.5 percent. However, you can save money by lodging money into your credit card account before you go and withdraw it while you are away.
All major credit cards, including MasterCard, Visa and American Express, are widely accepted at shops, hotels and restaurants all over Ireland.
It is a good idea to buy some Euro before you leave your country so you have some money for essentials like travel to your hotel when you arrive.
However, try not to carry too much cash at any one time. Ireland is a reliably safe country but a small number of tourists are robbed there every year. Be vigilant and try to bring a spare card in case yours is lost or stolen.
