Help with trip
 

My husband and I are planning to travel to The British Isles and Ireland later this month and need some advice on the best way to get an international phone. Also, what currency does each country have ? I am aware of the British unit of currency,but not sure about Ireland. If we purchase other articles, is it better to use Traveler's Checques or a credit card? Thanks, CSG

Please see http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34638308

Best wishes,

Rex

OK - besides needing a better title ( "Help With Trip" could be asking anything about anywhere in Europe ) -- you are going to the UK and Ireland THIS month and you don't even know what currency is used?

Your questions about phones and ATM/Credit Cards/Travelers Checks have all been answered on here a thousand times. Do a search and you will find many threads w/ all the info you need.

And BTW - Travelers checks are pretty much a thing of the past. Use an ATM to get cash and a credit card for everything else.

This probably sounds harsh - but it doesn't seem you have doen any research for this trip.

Ireland uses € and the UK uses £

Hi--I just got back (7/3/05) from a trip to London and then the Irish countryside. My cell phone provider (T-Mobile) is supposed to have access to the system in the U.K. You need to arrange this a few days before leaving the States. They give you a code to "unlock" your phone so that you have access. That said, I was never able to get a signal! Amy

And another point of information: Ireland is part of the British Isles (but not part of Great Britain or the United Kingdom).

Thanks for the info. I will post my inquiries in a clearer form next time. I have posted questions correctly before,but I don't know what I was thinking. Also. we aren't leaving until July 26 so I feel that I have a couple of weeks to get my act together. It is a tour so all we do is show up with some spending money. CSG

<<It is a tour so all we do is show up with some spending money.>>

I would as respectfully as I can add that that is a rather sad statement.

In the three weeks you have before your departure, even a minimal effort to do some basic research should reap at least a few rewards (such as knowing what the British Isles consist of) that might enhance your appreciation of the trip.

Ireland is part of the EU and therefore uses the euro. Traveler's checks are a dinosaur; use a debit card to get cash from ATM machines. The best way to get an international phone is to buy an unlocked one on E-bay or elsewhere and then purchase the appropriate SIM cards once you get there.