Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Republic of Ireland:
To convert prices in euros to dollars, add about 30 percent:
€20 = about $26, €50 = about $65. Just like the dollar, one euro (€) is broken down
into 100 cents. You'll find coins ranging from €0.01 to €2, and bills ranging from
€5 to €500.
Northern Ireland:
To convert prices in pounds to dollars, add 60 percent: £20
= about $32, £50 = about $80. The British pound (£), also called a “quid,” is broken
into 100 pence (p). Pence means “cents.” You'll find coins ranging from 1p to £2
and bills from £5 to £50. Fake pound coins are easy to spot (real coins have an in-
scription on their outside rims; the edges of fakes resemble tree bark).
Northern Ireland issues its own currency, which is worth the same as an English
pound. If you're traveling on to Great Britain, note that English and Northern Ire-
land's Ulster pounds are technically interchangeable in both regions, although Ul-
ster pounds are “undesirable” in Britain. Banks in either region will convert your
Ulster pounds into English pounds at no charge. Don't worry about the coins, which
are accepted throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Get your bank's emergency
phone number
in the US (but not its 800 number, which
isn't accessible from overseas) to call collect if you have a problem.
• Ask for your credit card's
PIN
in case you need to make an emergency cash with-
drawal or encounter Europe's “chip-and-PIN” system; the bank won't tell you your PIN
over the phone, so allow time for it to be mailed to you.
Chip and PIN:
Europeans are increasingly using chip-and-PIN cards, which are em-
bedded with an electronic security chip (in addition to the magnetic stripe on American-
style cards). With this system, the purchaser punches in a PIN rather than signing a receipt.
Your American-style card might not work at automated payment machines, such as those
at train and subway stations, toll roads, parking garages, luggage lockers, and self-serve
gas pumps. Luckily, in Ireland, automated payment machines are less prevalent than in the
rest of Europe, and so far, Irish ATMs are usually not a problem for American-style cards.
If you have problems using your American card in a chip-and-PIN machine, here are
some suggestions: For a debit card, try entering your ATM PIN when prompted. For a
creditcard,tryenteringitsPIN.(Thisisnotthesameasyourdebit-cardPIN;you'llneedto
ask your bank for your credit-card PIN.) If your cards still don't work, look for a machine
that takes cash, seek out a clerk who might be able to process the transaction manually, or
ask a local if you can pay them cash to run the transaction on their card.
Anddon'tpanic.Manytravelers whouseonlymagnetic-stripe cardsneverhaveaprob-
lem. Still, it pays to carry plenty of euros (you can always use an ATM to withdraw cash
with your magnetic-stripe debit card).
