Vacation Tips - Ireland travel advice

Tips

What you should know before you travel to Ireland:
Documentation
Pets
Tax Refunds
Health Insurance
Time
Health Care
Tipping

• Documentation; Passport & Drivers license:
  A valid US passport is required to visit both the Republic and Northern Ireland. To drive a car, you need also a valid US drivers license.
  
  
• Pets
  Pets entering Ireland from North America are quarantined for a peroid of six months. More information on the website Pet Travel Scheme .
  per E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
  per Fax: 0044 20 7904 6834,
  address: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1a Page Street, London SW1P 4PQ
  
  
• Tax Refunds
  Visitiors from the US are eligible to receive a refund of Value Added Tax(VAT) on goods purchased. The price of the most goods includes value added tax, so when you are shopping be sure to ask for a tax-free shopping form with each purchase and present these forms, along with your receipts to either 'Global Tax Free Shopping' or 'Tax Back' at the airport prior to your departure. Visitors from the US can take home US$ 400 worth of goods per person including 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, 1 liter of spirits or 2 liters of wine.
  
  
• Health Insurance
  The Irish National Health Plan does not cover US visitors. Ask your insurance agent before you travel if your health plan is valid in Ireland.
  
  
• Time
  Time is 5 hours ahead of Eastern USA time.
  
  
• Health Care
  The standard of the health care in Ireland is in accordance with the European standard. When you are searching for a doctor or a hospital you can get information in every tourist office. If you want to know where the next doctor or hospital is you can visit the website www.oasis.gov.ie 
  There are many wheelchair accessible hotels and other accommodation in Ireland. 
  myguideIreland can give you more information concerning your accommodation, as well as information about Irish heritage sights, for example Dublin Castle which provides special facilities for handicapped.
  
  
• Tipping
  Many hotels and restaurants add a service charge of around 15% to guests' final invoice. However, this is not universal. When service is not included in your bill, a tip of 15% is appropriate. Taxi drivers should be tipped 10% of the fare and porters about 75 Cents per bag. In Pubs tipping lounge staff is at the customer's discretion.