My traveling partner and I met this weekend to talk about last minute things. We are now just under 30 days until departure and this was the last time we would have a chance to get together face to face and check to make we had things covered. At least as much as possible covered. No vacation ever goes without a little catch here and there, but that's what makes it all an adventure.
Since this is my 4th trip to Ireland and her first, she had some questions about details that I take for granted. So I thought for anyone following this, I might take a minutes to write about these things so that anyone reading this might find it helpful.
Money....Yes, it's always good to have some. LOL But what everyone needs t think about is exchanging money from dollars to Euros. Where, when, how much? You can purchase Euros from AAA, or your bank. They make it sound great with only a $5 service charge per $1000. What they don't tell you is that the exchange rate they quote you is higher than the standard exchange rate. That's where they make their money. And unless you are at the main branch of a bank in a big city, you need to give them a couple of days notice to get the Euros in.
You can take dollars to Ireland and to to an exchange window at the airport and get Euros there. Again, you will pay a little more for this service also. If you can hold off and use your credit card until you get to an ATM, this is where you will get the best exchange. You are not paying for someone to give you the money, you're just taking it from your account. If you can't find an ATM at the airport, and need cash right away, just exchange a small amount at the airport and stop at the first ATM in the city when you arrive.
Electrical - basically make sure you have adapters with you. If you take a hairdryer, it must have a little place to change the voltage, or even with an adapter, it will burn up! I've only been to one B&B where they had adapters available. As you travel and repack so often, make sure when you pack that the adapters are the first thing to be put in your suitcase. I found a great deal on the ones for Ireland and Britain here:
http://bit.ly/hHeYZ5
The shipping was more than the adapters, but the total price was perfect.
Before you go-- Before you leave contact your credit card company and bank that you will be using your ATM and credit card(s) in Ireland. Some banks have rules about how much you can withdraw per day, or may question the use of the card outside of the norm. Make sure you know their withdrawal rules. They may also charge you to convert your Euro purchases on your credit card back to dollars. Nice to know if you are watching how much you spend.
Speaking of money - So how much money do you take? This is a difficult one. Almost all hotels and B&Bs take credit cards nowadays, but there are a few out there that want cash. If a B&B runs 40 Eruo, and you still need to pay for admissions, and meals and or drinks at pubs, or small restaurants, you might want to have around 100 Euros on hand. That's around $140. That may sound like a lot, but it goes very quickly. And that is only one day! Don't forget the cost of gas for your rental car, or bus and train fares.
If you need to transfer money from your savings to your checking and are using a computer that you don't usually use (or different URL) you may have to go though a verification process that will take a few minutes. This can happen even if you notify your bank. They are watching for hackers.
Internet cafes - If you don't have your own computer with you, you might need or want to get in touch with family using an Internet Cafe. They are not as predominate as they used to be, but you can still find them. If you use a site where you log on, make sure to log off and don't just close the window when you are done. Most Internet Cafes do wipe all info once a person is finished, but some don't. Just to make sure no one can get into your account, make sure and log out.
Make sure someone at home has a copy of your itinerary and a number where to reach you. And carry an itinerary with your that has the phone numbers of all the B&B/hotels where you are staying in case you get lost, or need directions. Make sure your traveling partner has an emergency phone number back home if they need you to call for them.
Oh, and don't forget. Take an small travel umbrella! If you don't have one, it's sure to be raining! :)
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