Points for attention Dublin

In Ireland, tap water is safe to drink.

You must drive on the left in Ireland, people drive fast in the city center and most people in Dublin do not wait for the traffic light to cross the road, thus you must care about pedestrians. There are few special bikeways in the roads of city center, so be careful when a riding bike.

The rainy days and changeable weather are characteristics of Ireland. It is advised to keep an umbrella nearby. In addition, Dublin is located in a higher latitude area so it gets dark at 4 PM in winter, while there is still light at 9 PM in summer.

Smoking is banned in indoor public places in Dublin.

No alcohol will be sold in any stores and supermarkets after 10 PM in Ireland. Most bars stay open until 2 or 3 AM but the supply of alcohol ends at 11 PM.

Convenience stores can be seen everywhere in city center but few are open 24 hours.

The best month to travel: March, May, July and August

Early March is regarded as one of the best month to travel in Dublin, because it’s the season of St. Patrick's Day. The temperature in spring is about 20°C, which makes it not too hot and not too cold. As it’s not the peak time for traveling, you can enjoy travelling in Dublin without crowds.

July to August is another ideal travelling period of Dublin, the days are long and the temperature is the highest in a year. Also there are many festivals during these two months.

The consumer price in Dublin is very high, second only to Northern Europe and Switzerland and equivalent with London and Paris. The cost of hotel Accommodation is usually around 60 euro, but don't worry, the city center is filled with many hostels and it would not be difficult to find a 15-euro place to stay in.

Tax Rebate

The tax rebate in Ireland has no requirement on the minimum amount and the general proportion is 17.36%, the premise is that the items should be the ones you purchase within three months before departure.

Global Blue and Fexco are the two well-known tax rebate companies in Dublin. There are usually signs of these companies in the counters and doorways of stores and remember to ask if it is provided with tax rebate service.

If you spend more than 2000 euro per purchase, you are required to call customs and show the goods you have bought and related receipts after getting the boarding card at airport, and then customs officers will sign and seal the receipts.

If you spend less than 2000 euro per purchase, you don’t need to contact customs and go directly to the security checkpoint.

Network

Most parts of Dublin offer 3G signal coverage, different operators have different levels of signal strength, and Vodafone is one of the best of them. Fast food chains such as McDonald's and Starbucks provide free Wi-Fi with acceptable speed. Some long-distance coaches and buses offer free Wi-Fi as well.

Emergency Rescue

Emergency rescue services: 999 (ambulance, fire and police). The medical system in Ireland is divided into two parts, public and private. It usually takes a long time to confirm the appointment; general practitioners will diagnose first and then recommend patients to related hospitals according to their conditions.

Postcard

The mailboxes in Ireland are green; postcards can be bought in all tourist attractions and commodity stores while stamps are sold in many post offices and convenience stores. The postcards sent to Ireland should cost 55 euro cents and to other countries is 82 euro cents.

Tip

Tipping at restaurants is required in most restaurants of Ireland, if the service charge (usually 15%) has been included in the bill, you don’t have to pay additional tip.