Visas:For
citizens of the EU and most Western countries no visa is required. UK nationals born in
Great Britain or Northern Ireland do not require a passport to visit the Republic
Health risks: None - the Catholic distaste for contraception does not prevent
condoms being sold through pharmacies, although abortions can only be had (legally) in the
North.
Vaccinnations:
No vaccinations are required and the water is generally safe to drink. However, visitors
would be wise to have medical insurance cover
Time: GMT/UTC
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Imperial and metric
Tourism: More than 4 million visitors annually
Currency: Irish pound (or punt) IR£, euro ('paperless' until 2002)
Relative Costs: Meals
Budget: US$4-8 Mid-range: US$8-20 Top-end: US$30 and upwards
Lodging
Budget: US$10-20 Mid-range: US$20-65 Top-end: US$65 and upwards
Ireland (especially Dublin) is expensive, but costs vary around the country. Assuming you stay at a hostel, eat a light pub lunch and cook your own meal in the evening, you could get by on US$25 a day. Once you factor in moving around the country, you'll need to increase your budget a bit. Added extras to watch out for include the awful practice of charging an extra pound or two for a bath and the more pleasurable ruin of buying the assembled company a round of expensive pints of Guinness.
Most major currencies and brands of travellers' cheques are readily accepted in Ireland, but carrying them in pounds sterling has the advantage that in Northern Ireland or Britain you can change them without exchange loss or commission. Banks generally give the best exchange rates, but change bureaus are open longer hours. Many post offices offer currency-exchange facilities and they're open on Saturday mornings. Credit cards are widely accepted, though many B&Bs and some smaller remote petrol stations will only take cash. There's quite a good spread of cash-spewing ATMs in the both the North and the South.
Fancy hotels and restaurants usually add a 10% or 12% service charge and no additional tip is required. Simpler places usually do not add service; if you decide to tip, just round up the bill or add at most 10%. Taxi drivers don't have to be tipped, but if you want to, 10% is fine. Tipping in bars is not expected.