Frequently Asked Questions

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You will need both Euros and British Pounds for this trip. The currency in Ireland is the Euro (€). The currency in United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland and Scotland) is the pound sterling (£). 

EURO: Dublin Airport, Cashel, Cork, Blarney, Cobh, Youghal, Carrigtwohill, Cliffs of Moher,  Galway, Cong, Leenane, Kylemore Abbey, Ballyliffen, Glendowen, Famine Village, Buncrana, Donegal, Westport, Killarney

POUND: Derry, Bushmills, Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Mandarin Palace, Belfast

You can get international currency at home several ways. With a bank account: You can request currency at your bank and they should receive your order within 3 to 4 days depending on the bank. Without a bank account: To get the local currency of the country you are traveling in, use any local ATM after you arrive or exchange your home currency for local at currency exchange shops. 

This depends on your budget.  

To give you some idea of costs a lunch of soup and sandwich with tea/coffee would be about €8-10 per person. A pint of Guinness will range from about €5.50 in Dublin to about €4.50 in Cork/Kerry. A Gin & Tonic in a bar/pub would be about €7.00. Souvenirs range from as little as €2.00 for a postcard to €20.00 for a Plate with Irish Blessing.

Banks are typically open between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm Monday to Friday. Some banks also open on Saturday mornings, usually from 10 am to noon. There are ATM (cash) machines outside most banks in Ireland. 

 Major credit cards are widely accepted and we recommend you use them to avoid carrying cash. ATMs are widely available and will accept appropriate cards and dispense cash in the local currency. Additional fees may be charged, so please check with your financial institution before you travel. It’s also a good idea to inform your bank that you are traveling overseas to ensure that they don’t block your ATM / credit cards while you are on the road.  

 You will need to bring a 220V 3 pronged adaptor to recharge your cell phones, cameras, laptops. Ireland uses Type G electrical plugs. Most of the hotels have hair dryers. The voltage in Ireland is 240v. Check that your appliances work on a 240v system. This should be stated either on the device or in its manual. 

Our favorite adapter to use can be found in the product  links section of our website.

Bring a good rain jacket. There can be rain showers on the Atlantic coast. The average temperature is 60-70 F. Not too hot and not too cold. Weather can be changeable but it's rarely extreme. Packing layers, that you can add or remove easily, is advisable throughout the year. For up to date weather forecasts please see met.ie.

During the day as you tour around casual clothing is the order of the day. In the evenings in the hotel dining rooms and bars, smart casual would be the norm. (If you wish to step it up a bit further for example for our Mandarin Palace dinner you would not look out of place).

Ireland is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

 Ireland does not have a strong tipping culture. We only tip in restaurants, taxis and for personal services. All tips are at your discretion and are around 10%

Our bus driver: At the end of the tour, if you are extremely happy with your tour guide/bus driver Eugene  — which we know you will be — then a gratuity of at least 25 Euro or Pound per person would be considered an excellent tip.

 English is the main language spoken, but you will see some road signs and place names written in Irish Gaelic. There are many Irish-speaking areas in the west of Ireland, but everyone who has Irish as a first language also speaks English. 

Donnelly Destinations  does not sell or provide Travel Insurance. 

We would recommend Travel Guard.  

Please contact your cell phone provider for available international plans. They vary from unlimited to pay per minute plans. 

The international prefix used when dialing somewhere outside of Ireland is 00. To call a US phone number from Ireland, the phone number should begin 001. 

Yes.  

(We're going try to limit it to pees only.)

Of course! 

(It's also a great excuse to stop for beverages.)

 You will need a valid passport with an expiration at least 6 months after your travel dates. 

 Breakfast in the hotels are the only meals provided in the cost for the trip.

Check in for the flight, due to it being International, is done at the airline desk in the airport. All you will need to receive your boarding pass is your valid passport.

Per Aer Lingus:  The 10kg carry-on bag policy remains unchanged on transatlantic flights where you can bring the bag on board and store it in the overheard locker. A small personal item (handbag or laptop bag) is also included and must be stowed under the seat in front of you. 

One 23 kg/50 pound checked bag is included in your ticket price.

Yes! Each of our hotels have hair dryers in the rooms.

Most European hotels do not provide washcloths in their hotels. 

Many former travelers buy a cheap pack at Walmart and leave them behind when used.

Yes! We suggest watching each of the following movies. 

We will be visiting locations featured in all of them listed below! 

BLOODY SUNDAY

 Bloody Sunday is a 2002 British-Irish film written and directed by Paul Greengrass based around the 1972 "Bloody Sunday" shootings in Derry, Northern Ireland. 

MICHAEL COLLINS

 Michael Collins is a 1996 biographical period drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as the Irish revolutionary, soldier and politician Michael Collins, who was a leading figure in the early-20th-century Irish struggle for independence. 

THE FIELD

 The Field is a 1990 Irish drama film written and directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Richard Harris, John Hurt, Sean Bean, Brenda Fricker and Tom Berenger. It was adapted from John B. Keane's 1965 play of the same name. The film is set in the early 1930s and was shot almost entirely in the Connemara village of Leenaun. 

THE QUIET MAN

 The Quiet Man is a 1952 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond and Victor McLaglen.