C3pon

We will be renting a car in Dublin and going into Northern Ireland. We were thinking of taking a car ferry over to Scotland for a few days. Has anyone done this before? Is the ferry/customs a big issue with the rental car? Is there an issue taking pounds ($) from N. Ireland to spend in Scotland? Does Scotland accept N. Ireland pounds? Any info would be helpful!

Thanks!

alanRow

<<< Is the ferry/customs a big issue with the rental car? >>>

Have you checked how much a ferry would be with a car and compared it to the cost of flying with a low costs airline or going as a foot passenger.

And what does the intended hire company say about it

As for NI £ - try to have as few as possible and withdraw some £ when yiu arrive. You might not have any problems especially near the ferry ports and in the major Scottish cities but why take the risk

flanneruk

There's no restriction on taking a Republic-hired car into Northern Ireland (and really no Customs on the land border anyway). There's generally a substantial insurance premium to pay the hire company if you move a hired car (in either direction) between the island of Britain and the island of Ireland, though this can vary by hire company.

UK banknotes are accepted everywhere in the UK. The notes issued by allegedly local banks (in fact, all Irish, Danish or Scottish - at least till they get nationalised by the UK government) in Northern Ireland can sometimes be difficult to get accepted elsewhere in the UK: it's wise to ask a bank in Northern Ireland to swap them for proper UK notes before leaving the province.

Alec

There is often outright ban on taking ROI-registered hire cars to Great Britain (UK mainland), stipulated by the hire company. Even if they allow it, you have to arrange this in advance, and pay insurance and sometimes breakdown cover supplements. Check with your hire company. Plus you have to pay car ferry charges both ways.
As there is substantial traffic between NI and Scotland, NI banknotes are usually accepted without question. You may want to exchange them at a Scottish bank to either Scottish or English notes.

janisj

Do you really want to deal w/ the hassle/expense of taking a ROI rental car to the UK mainland? Instead of paying to transport the car over and back - why not just rent a different car once you get to Scotland?

What is your itinerary like in Ireland? If you are returning to Dublin after traveling to Scotland options would include flying to Dublin, or taking a ferry back to Belfast and then a train to Dublin.

travel_buzzing

It's illegal to refuse legal british tender, keep that in mind if you get any problems with using N.I STeRling bank notes in Scotland.
Or in the UK for that matter.

If you decide on alternate transport between belfast-dublin i would recommend the bus, as it is about a third the price of the train and only takes about 20 minutes longer thanks to the new motorway. It also stops at the airport, i dont know if that's useful for you.

Remember to get an Ulster fry when in Belfast!

joe4212

I always understood that Northern Irish and Scottish bank notes are not legal tender but simply notes of convenience.

alan, flanneruk, have I got that wrong?

If I have, then I blame by Scottish/Canadian schoolteacher!

joe

historytraveler

Since I have done this, thought I'd provide a couple of comments.

1) Had no trouble with transporting a rental car. However, we had rented in Oxford ( perhaps this made a difference), drove through Wales, ferry across to Dublin,headed west to Connemara, then Northern Ireland and the ferry from Larne to Cairnryan.

2) The most expensive aspect will be the cost of transporting the car via ferry. It is expensive unless you have several people chipping in.

3) While you could probably returm car in Belfast and rent one in Stranraer, it might be a bit of a hassel. Cairnryan (via Larne) is too small for a car rentals. But someone may just prove me wrong.

4) If cost is no problem, do it.

5) As far as the monetary issue, in my experience flanneruk has it right. On a recent trip to Scotland I got rid of all my Scotland Bank notes before heading back to England. I've had trouble in the past with places accepting Scottish notes, regardless of the legality of it.

travel_buzzing

Joe- Notes of convenience?
I don't follow?

flanneruk

"It's illegal to refuse legal british tender, keep that in mind if you get any problems with using N.I STeRling bank notes in Scotland."

Bullshit. Total, utter and complete nonsense.

First, "legal tender" is a concept that's got nothing at all to do with using banknotes in the UK. Don't use words you don't understand.

Second, a merchant may refuse to accept anything he likes. <b> Especially </b> notes issued by private banks - in this case, probably banks owned by companies from Denmark or the Irish Republic - to maximise their profit. Many merchants outside Northern Ireland won't touch Northern Irish notes with a bargepole, because English and Scottish banks charge merchants a premium for the trouble of handling Northern Irish notes - and their retail customers won't accept them as change.

Cholmondley_Warner

NI and Scotch notes aren't legal tender. They are simply promises to pay backed by the respective banks (one of which ceased to exisit this week - but it's still going to issue notes).

You will find it hard to spend NI notes in the mainland, and scottish notes are not welcome in England (although people will grudgingly take them) This is because there are a lot of fakes about.

joe4212

hi travel_buzzing

Our old teacher always told us that Scottish and Northern Irish notes were not legal tender but referred to them as 'notes of convenience'. Perhaps they were there, and convenient to use?

Now that you've asked the question I've done some searching on Google.

Here's an interesting page that mentions convenience and the fact that the notes are not 'legal tender'.

http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v08n38a15.html

Joe

Mimar

flanneruk, Danish notes? Is there something I don't know here?

doonhamer

When I sat my Institute of Bankers exams in the 70s, I was taught that the only &quot;legal tender&quot; was a Bank of England &pound;1 note, all others being notes of convenience.
Since the demise of the &pound;1 note, I assume there is no such thing as legal tender in the UK ...

alanRow

&lt;&lt;&lt; I assume there is no such thing as legal tender in the UK ... &gt;&gt;&gt;

Coins are legal tender throughout the UK - though a retailer may refuse more than 20p in copper

Bank of England issued notes are legal tender in England &amp; Wales.

No bank notes - not even those issued by the 3 &quot;Scottish&quot; banks are legal tender in Scotland

As for Northern Ireland - haven't the foggiest

zippo

Legal tender only applies to debt. In a live transaction the vendor may refuse anything.
It only applies in England.
NI notes can be problematic, less so for Scottish notes, though some moneychangers (bad ones) will charge extra.

travel_buzzing

well flanner what the f*ck is the point in having the queens head on our currency if it is not &quot;Legal&quot; in the rest of the British isles.

I used to get very pissed off by fuss being kicked up on presenting a Northern Irish banknote in big stores etc in London, which were examined with suspicion and then accepted.

I did believe that having &quot;pounds sterling&quot; on the note qualified it as being legal British tender.
Apparently its not as easy as that.
My mistake.

It adds to the general confusion of Northern Ireland being recognised as part of the British Isles by the UK. Yes, lots of people have no idea of this.

Or maybe my general angst and confused nationality.

Cholmondley_Warner

The reason that notes from Norn Iron get looked at funny is we never see 'em. They don't make their way to the motherland from the provinces. That and the fact that it looks like the &quot;money&quot; they give you in places like Spearmint Rhino.

Sweatty money does get seen - so is accepted.

cambe

Travel Buzzing,

Have a good look at your NI or Scottish bank notes. They do not have the Queens head on them.

That is the whole point, only currency with the Queens head are legal tender. Bank of England notes are the only ones that have this.

C3pon, before you leave NI ask in a shop for change in english notes as they usually have some in the till.

BTW, I would fly unless there are lots of people travelling.

travel_buzzing

I was thinking of a particular ni banknote when i said about &quot;queens head on it&quot; but i checked, its not liz.

Other than that, i still think its pretty indecent.
Maybe not very politically sensitive.