ATMs in Ireland
 

For anyone that has been to the Republic recently: how easy is it to use a U.S. credit card (Mastercard/Cirrus) at ATM machines? I have been to the ATM locater web site but I would feel better hearing first hand from someone who has actually tried it. Thanks.

Erin <BR> <BR>We traveled all over Ireland last year and used ATM machines everywhere, even in some smaller villages. You will have no trouble. <BR> <BR>We fell in love with the country and are leaving next week to visit the West of Ireland. You'll love it!

Erin, <BR>We used our usual ATM card with no trouble. I assume a credit card with the Cirrus designation would also work. You might want to check with the company that issued the card. <BR> <BR>Ireland is perfect. Have a wonderful time.

As the other posters said, you won't have any trouble. But do remember that not all towns have an ATM machine.

Of all the ATM's my daughter used in Ireland she only had one problem and that, unfortunately, was in Dublin the day before they flew home...they put their card in for money and went to retrieve it and it shut before they even knew what happened. They went into the bank and were assured by someone that if they did not receive money then it would not be taken out of their account...they took him at his word and when they returned to the states she found that almost $80 in US money had been taken out...after repeated calls from her main bank to the Dublin bank and numerous times it was deposited back into the account and then taken back out, she finially ended up taking the loss....they would not take her word for it and unfortunately the bank in Dublin would not cooperate either...she failed to get the mans name so that did not help...so, word of caution, if you have anything similar happen make sure you do not leave without restitution.

While ATMs were not a problem, the use of calling cards was much more difficult. And if you choose to purchase a calling card while you're there, be very careful in your selection. Many of my friends purchasd various cards at the local stores and only one of the cards ever worked. And don't expect to find a lot of internet cafes. On occasion an hotel employee was kind enough to let us send a quick e-mail home.

Thanks everyone--Cathie, you give such great advice! I just applied for an AT&T Universal Mastercard/calling card. Is anyone familiar with that and if it can be used successfully in Ireland? Thanks again!!

Erin, <BR>While I have not personally used the particular card you are talking about, I have always been told by friends that visit Ireland often not to use your states calling card there because the fees are enormous. I have always bought the calling cards sold in the gift shops and have never had a problem...lucky maybe? And there really are ATMs in places I never would have expected them. That's what we always use! Have a great trip! <BR>Angie

Hi Erin <BR> <BR>We had no trouble using our bank ATM card which is also a VISA check card. I went on web sites about Ireland and was able to find lists of places where there were ATM machines...I started with looking for bank locations. There were plenty of locations and finding one was never a problem...also the exchange rate is the best. <BR>Wish I was going again right now! Have a wonderful trip. <BR>

Erin, <BR> Thanks for the compliment. Was just remembering, like one of the above posters, that all the B&B's that my daughter stayed at were all very accommodating as far as letting her send us a quick email to let us know that she had arrived at that particular place. Even the small hotel she stayed at in London let her do that...she did find some cyber cafes to email from which were pretty reasonable. <BR>They purchased a calling card here at Walmart which they never could get to work over there so did buy one in Ireland and had no problems using it.. <BR>I also let her use my calling card (AT&T) and only had one problem with that when she used it at Jury's Christchurch Inn in Dublin they tacked on some kind of local long distance charge when she used it to call from their room, which she found out about when she checked out and they added another $60 to her bill..I emailed the hotel manager and inquired about it when they returned and they were quite nice about it but never did fully understand the charge since she used our 1-800 CALL ATT - he had some explanation that I guess made sense to them...thought I might have saved the email from them explaining it but, sorry, could not find it. They had no problems using it from the pay phones.

I've used ATM's quite frequently with no problems. In fact, I find it a convenient way to keep track of my cash and the exchange rates. <BR>As far as calling cards go, I usually buy mine at Dublin or Shannon airports upon arrival. Most of the currency exchange counters sell them. They are also available in vending machines at the airport. <BR> <BR>Good luck!

Hi Erin: <BR>Have a great time in Ireland. <BR>As for phone calls, The phones I used in Ireland allowed me to use my regular credit card. I just inserted it, waited for authorization and was give 20 minutes of talk time. If I went over 20 minutes and very very rarely did I had to recall the person I was talking to. I was very pleased with this. It was simple to use and no additonal codes to decipher. My credit card bills reflected where I had called from and how long I spoke and I was charged the current exchange rate on the day I made the call. Painless! <BR>MY ATM card worked everywhere with no problems! Enjoy!

A few posters have reported a problem in that after their first foreign ATM use their bank cancelled the card(!), some kind of anti-fraud measure. <BR>Doesn't seem to happen often, but its easy to notify them. <BR>Mastercard, Visa, Cirrus,Switch all seem well accepted. <BR>Dont rely on Amex in Europe, many places refuse them