We will be spending some time in Nothern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland. Do they take euros in both countrys? Or should I get travelers checks in both pounds and euros?

Northern Ireland is in the UK, so they take pounds. Ireland uses the Euro. As for travelers' checks, don't take any. Your ATM card gets you the best rates and it will be widely accepted, which is more than you can say for any type of travelers' check.

I would get traveler's checks in neither pounds nor euros. They are hard to pass. I quit using them in 1998.

I use the ATMs when I need folding money.

I think otherw will tell you the same.

DonnaTra, like BobBrown, the last time I took travelers checks to Europe (Italy actually) was in 1998. Thankfully they were US Dollar Travelers checks so I redeposited them in to my account when I returned home.

I agree with all of the above. Always use the local currency. Even if they do take euros in NI, they will give you a terrible exchange because it is not local. And speaking of lousy exchanges, you will also get that when buying TC's in euros or pounds. All seasoned travelers these days get cash from the ATM. Even if your bank charges an ATM fee, you will still save money because you will get a much better exchange rate.

If you do get traveler's checks at all, get them in US$, but bring them only as a back-up to your ATM card. Odds are slim that you will need to cash a TC, as you're not likely to have any problems using the ATM. As LoveItaly said, when you bring your US$ traveler's checks back home, you can easily cash or deposit them into your bank.

As you can see this is our first trip out of the USA. I have so many questions.
Thanks for your help.
Donna

If you belong to Triple A, you can buy your travelers checks there for free. I usually take some, as backup to my checking account/ATM supply of cash. If I don't use them all, I can deposit them when I get home.

It's not the case that you get a universally awful euroound rate in Northern Ireland. Euros are accepted at very close to parity in border areas like Strabane. But cash machines are, if anything, even more ubiquitous in the North than in the Republic.

If you're based in the South and just popping across, say, for a couple of hours in Derry you can decide on the spot whether it's worth using your euros or getting pounds out of a machine.

I agree with the others about getting cash from ATMs. There are some important things to do before leaving home to make sure your ATM cards and credit cards will work in Europe. Read this helpful article: www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/moneytip.htm.