The Ultimate Cheat Sheet to Saving Money in Ireland

IRELAND ON A BUDGET

THE ULTIMATE CHEAT SHEET TO SAVING MONEY IN IRELAND o

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WHY GO TO IRELAND?

So you’ve made the leap to visit Ireland.

Congratulations!

You won’t be disappointed.

There is a lot to do in Ireland, so much in fact that you may not know where to start.

No need to worry. I'm here to show you what to see and do - all on a budget.

Take a moment to check out the following tips.

You’ll be glad you did!

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WHERE TO WHERE TO LAND LAND?

WHICH AIRPORT TO CHOOSE? There are two main destination points that serve travelers from the U.S. to Ireland.

They include Dublin, Ireland's capital, and Shannon, which is located in the southwest of the country.

You can also fly to Belfast, which is in Northern Ireland, part of the U.K. Some flights also go directly to Cork at the southern tip of the island.

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FLIGHTS TO IRELAND

BOOK DIRECTLY WITH THE AIRLINES

Direct flights to Ireland from various U.S. cities are available from Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Norwegian, and United Airlines.

Other airlines that fly to Ireland but include a lay-over are Air Canada, Air France, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Finnair, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and WOW Air.

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FLIGHTS TO IRELAND

USE A TRAVEL SEARCH ENGINE Travel search engines are a great way to book tickets to Ireland and allow you to plan ahead.

These are my Top 3 choices: Momondo, Google Flights and Skyscanner.

Momondo provides shortcuts to the cheapest, quickest and best overall fare results.

You can check flights a week before and two weeks after the date you want to fly, which may result in greater bargains.

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TOUR COMPANIES

PLANNING THAT PERFECT VACATION You might have thought that travel agents and tour companies were dead in the age of the Internet. Not so.

CIE International Tours is a well-known tour company selling vacations to Ireland, but there are many more to choose from.

All of them will give you a package deal that includes accommodation and some meals, as well as transportation to various tourist attractions. CIE Tours and others will also book flights for you if you wish.

Photo courtesy of CIE Tours WWW.IRELANDONABUDGET.COM

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

DON'T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT Be sure that your passport is valid for the length of your stay in Ireland.

Americans visiting Ireland are not required to get a visa to enter the country.

If you don't have a passport, find your nearest post office where you can apply for one.

If you already have a passport, make sure you've signed it.

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CAR RENTAL

WHAT KIND OF CAR TO RENT? To rent a car in Ireland, you should be between 25 and 70. If younger or older than that, you will pay an additional fee.

There are many car rental companies in Ireland. Some of them include Avis, Budget, Hertz, Enterprise and Thrifty, in addition to Dooley Car Rentals, Europcar, Sixt and more.

Choose a smaller car, preferably a stick shift, to save the most money.

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WHERE TO STAY?

ACCOMMODATION The most common types of accommodation in Ireland include hotels, B&Bs and Airbnbs.

If there are four or more in your travel party, consider renting a holiday home, especially if you are staying in the same area for up to a week.

The advantage of the self-catering option is that you can use the holiday home as your base and then explore the surrounding region.

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GETTING AROUND

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Getting around Ireland on public transportation can be done by either bus or train. However, in rural areas, it's best to have a car to get around.

Irish Rail operates a service between Dublin and major cities, including Belfast.

Bus Eireann operates a bus service throughout the country.

If you’re staying in Dublin, take advantage of Dublin Bus, the Luas tramline service or the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport).

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TAX BACK

REFUNDS ON PURCHASES Visitors to Ireland from the U.S. can get tax relief on the goods they buy in Ireland.

Tax relief is not available on hotel accommodation, meals or car hire.

When making a purchase, be sure to provide proof that you live outside of Ireland in the form of a passport or driver’s license, a record of your inbound and outbound flights, as well as a signed declaration form.

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EATING OUT

DINING IN IRELAND Be sure to avail of early bird specials in many of Ireland’s restaurants, especially its cities, where eating out can be more expensive.

Carvery lunches and dinners are popular in Ireland’s pubs and hotels and are generally pretty reasonable. They consist of a meat, together with potatoes, vegetables, gravy and a sauce.

Otherwise, pay a visit to the local shop where you are staying and stock up on essentials. Many chain supermarkets sell sandwiches, coffee in the morning and even hot meals.

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OFFSEASON

TRAVELING TO IRELAND OFF-SEASON

The summer months are usually high season in Ireland. It’s also when fares are highest.

If budget is a true concern, think about visiting Ireland during the remaining months of the year.

Spring and fall are really nice times to be in Ireland, and you’ll get better deals on airfare. You may even get better weather in September than you will in June!

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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

HOW MUCH IS A TRIP TO IRELAND?

Much of it will depend on the length of your stay, your choice of accommodation and where you eat, as well as the currency exchange rate.

Two people traveling together on a 7-day trip to Ireland should be prepared to spend approximately $4,000. That would include airfare, accommodation, meals and money left over for souvenirs.

Remember, that's an estimate and could go up or down. You should plan in advance to get a more accurate idea of how much to budget.

Got questions, email Colette@Irelandonabudget.com.

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