Euro, cards everywhere, contactless capped at EUR 50 without a PIN. Carry EUR 30 to EUR 50 in cash for the handful of places that still want it. Dublin is expensive and the pint is the fastest way to find that out.
- Ireland uses the euro; Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling, and the two are not interchangeable an hour up the road.
- Cards work everywhere, small pubs and rural shops included, and surcharging a consumer card is illegal - so the price you see is the price you pay.
- Contactless is capped at EUR 50 per tap, above which you insert and enter a PIN. Phone payments have no cap.
- Carry EUR 30 to EUR 50 in cash anyway for tips, a couple of rural pubs and the occasional car park.
- Nobody tips at the bar - doing so marks you out immediately. Restaurants get 10%, but check whether a service charge is already on the bill.
Cards
- Ireland uses the euro. Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling, and the two are not interchangeable an hour up the road.
- Cards work everywhere, including small pubs, market stalls and rural shops. Apple Pay and Google Pay are ubiquitous.
- Contactless is capped at EUR 50 per tap. Above that you insert the card and enter a PIN. Phone payments have no cap because they authenticate biometrically.
- Surcharging a card payment is illegal for consumer cards, so the price you see is the price you pay.
- Carry EUR 30 to EUR 50 in cash anyway for tips, a couple of rural pubs, church candles and the occasional car park.
ATMs
- Bank ATMs are free to use with an ordinary EU card. Look for AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB or Ulster Bank machines.
- Standalone machines in shops and pubs may charge, and they will say so on screen before you commit.
- Always decline the machine's own currency conversion. Choosing to be billed in euro rather than your home currency saves several percent every time.
- Revolut is close to universal among Irish people for splitting bills, and if you already have one it works perfectly here.
What things cost
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Pint of Guinness, ordinary Dublin pub | EUR 6.00 to EUR 8.00 |
| Pint in Temple Bar | EUR 9.00 and up |
| Main course, mid-range restaurant | EUR 18 to EUR 30 |
| Coffee | EUR 3.50 to EUR 4.50 |
| Dublin bus journey with Leap | EUR 2.00, capped at EUR 6.00 a day |
| Hostel dorm bed, Dublin | EUR 30 to EUR 50 |
Tipping
- Restaurants: 10%, and check the bill first because a service charge is increasingly added for larger tables.
- Pubs: nothing. You do not tip for a pint at the bar. Table service in a gastropub is a different matter and 10% is fine.
- Taxis: round up, or 10% on a long fare.
- Hotel housekeeping: EUR 2 to EUR 5 a night if you feel like it. Cash reaches the person; a card tip may not.
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