Ireland Currency
Oct 13th, 2014, 07:12 PM
#1
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Ireland Currency
Hi,
I am traveling to Ireland in May of 2015 from the United States. I was planning on bringing my visa card and my debit card, and also some cash to convert to the euro. I was wondering if I should also bring some traveler's checks?
I am traveling to Ireland in May of 2015 from the United States. I was planning on bringing my visa card and my debit card, and also some cash to convert to the euro. I was wondering if I should also bring some traveler's checks?
Oct 13th, 2014, 07:20 PM
#3
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It is very easy to get cash with your American debit card and i am not sure anyone really would recognize travellers checks anymore. Remember depending on where you plan to travel in Ireland you may actually need two currencies as they use the English pound in Northern Ireland and Euros in the Republic.
Oct 13th, 2014, 07:31 PM
#4
If you take travelers checks . . . you'll carry them back home with you since almost no one (not even banks) will take them.
Your debit/ATM card for cash and credit card for most purchases is all you need. It will help if you have a back up card too just in case (either a 2nd debit or credit card - or both)
Your debit/ATM card for cash and credit card for most purchases is all you need. It will help if you have a back up card too just in case (either a 2nd debit or credit card - or both)
Oct 13th, 2014, 09:38 PM
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It got to be a shrewd marketing to be able to sell a useless product like travelers checks and manage to collect sales fees and keep interest on cash one paid to buy checks until the travelers realize they have to cash out the checks upon returning at the issuing bank. On top of realizing that the checks are useless, the banks perhaps hope that the check buyers would make an additional expensive mistake by using a CC to get cash at ATM.
If you are traveling alone, it is risky to travel with only one Credit and one debit card. There are many possibilities of one of these cards failing to work from the beginning, or during the trip due to theft, bank glitch, someone manage to clone your card from your use at home (remember Target?) and turn your cards instantly into a worthless pieces of plastic. Yeah, you can eventually get a replacement (so says your fraud department), but what good does that do while moving around in Ireland? If you are traveling with someone with similar setup, you can cover each others' misfortune. If you are alone, never put all the cards in one place. Put no more than one CC and one debit card in one place and another CC and debit card from different accounts in another place. If you cannot add redundancies, don't keep your only CC and your only debit card in the same place.
If you are traveling alone, it is risky to travel with only one Credit and one debit card. There are many possibilities of one of these cards failing to work from the beginning, or during the trip due to theft, bank glitch, someone manage to clone your card from your use at home (remember Target?) and turn your cards instantly into a worthless pieces of plastic. Yeah, you can eventually get a replacement (so says your fraud department), but what good does that do while moving around in Ireland? If you are traveling with someone with similar setup, you can cover each others' misfortune. If you are alone, never put all the cards in one place. Put no more than one CC and one debit card in one place and another CC and debit card from different accounts in another place. If you cannot add redundancies, don't keep your only CC and your only debit card in the same place.
Oct 14th, 2014, 01:37 AM
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Permanent TSB are the Only bank in Ireland that will change AMEX (and only Amex) Travellers cheques. They have about a dozen branches on the Island.. Do Not bring Travellers cheques..
Check with your Debit and Credit card providers what their Foreign exchange rate charges are,, Try and find one that has minimal or zero rate.. Your bank charges for currency conversion, you are not charged by Irish ATM (unless in UK Ireland where some machine operators do charge) Give your bank your travel dates or you may get here and not be able to use your card in a machine.. Be aware of Dynamic Currency Conversion which could add 3% to a transaction if you are charged in $ for a € transaction.
Other than that Do Not bring anything lager than a €50 note you will have problems changing €100's, typically €50, €20, €10 & €5 up to €200 in your wallet on arrival should see you through day One.
Check with your Debit and Credit card providers what their Foreign exchange rate charges are,, Try and find one that has minimal or zero rate.. Your bank charges for currency conversion, you are not charged by Irish ATM (unless in UK Ireland where some machine operators do charge) Give your bank your travel dates or you may get here and not be able to use your card in a machine.. Be aware of Dynamic Currency Conversion which could add 3% to a transaction if you are charged in $ for a € transaction.
Other than that Do Not bring anything lager than a €50 note you will have problems changing €100's, typically €50, €20, €10 & €5 up to €200 in your wallet on arrival should see you through day One.
Oct 14th, 2014, 09:12 AM
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NO ONE in Ireland will take Traveler's Checks for anything. And to changeUS $ you will probably need to go to a bureau de change and possible pay a fee as well as getting a very poor rate of exchange (losing 10% of the value).
You should plan on using your credit cards for all larger expenses and pulling cash from your checking account at an ATM (preferably inside a bank). If you want euros in advance suggest you change $100 in your departure airport. You can carry a few US $ in case of emergency but changing them will be a PIA - and expensive.
You should plan on using your credit cards for all larger expenses and pulling cash from your checking account at an ATM (preferably inside a bank). If you want euros in advance suggest you change $100 in your departure airport. You can carry a few US $ in case of emergency but changing them will be a PIA - and expensive.
Oct 14th, 2014, 09:19 AM
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I can tell you that they were almost impossible to use even 10 years ago--friends of ours tried, and found one store in Dublin that took them. It was a tourist-oriented store that had a curated selection of high-end Irish arts and crafts.
These were the same friends who rented an enormous car because they thought it would be safer and easier to drive than a tiny Euro size car--wrong again!
Don't buy travelers' checks. I happen to think they were a pretty good idea, but they just aren't used any more.
These were the same friends who rented an enormous car because they thought it would be safer and easier to drive than a tiny Euro size car--wrong again!
Don't buy travelers' checks. I happen to think they were a pretty good idea, but they just aren't used any more.
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