13 HUGE Tourist Mistakes in Ireland (That You Can Avoid)
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Let this be your ultimate cheat sheet to Ireland!
Whether you're planning your first trip or returning for another adventure, there are always questions that pop up when visiting the country I am lucky to call home.
Today, I'm going to dive into some of the most frequently asked questions by tourists to hopefully make your vacation as care free as possible.
Plus, I'll break down some of the most common Tourist Mistakes in Ireland , so you can avoid the pitfalls and focus on enjoying the beautiful Irish landscapes and culture without a worry.
1. Being Scared to Drive on Irish Roads
The first mistake I want to talk about is being scared to Drive on Irish roads.
Honestly I get it. In Ireland, we drive on the left hand side which can be rather confusing for over 70% of the worlds population. The speed limits here can also feel pretty fast.
On the island, we also have two different speed measurements with the Republic of Ireland using Kilometres per hour and North using miles.
However, in saying that, if you take your time and familiarise yourself with the rules of the road you’ll be surprised at how quick you catch on.
And besides you don’t actually have to drive like the locals. Drive in a way that you are comfortable and if you do happen to be driving at a slower pace, just pull in and let the person behind you pass by.
If this still sounds over whelming, then I have created a detailed guide on driving in Ireland, that will hopefully help put your mind further at ease.
2. Misjudging the pub culture in Ireland…
The next mistake I want to address is misjudging the pub culture in Ireland.
It can be easy to presume that Irish pubs are just about drinking. When honestly that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Pubs are quite literally public houses, somewhere you can actually go with family, children are allowed in pubs until 9pm in Ireland.
They are seen as a place to celebrate our music, our sports, our culture, and our love for having the ‘craic' aka fun. Not the substance…promise.
Yes, you can buy alcohol there but also you don’t have to in order to have a good time.
So don’t skip pubs just because you're not a big drinke. Some of the best memories are created there!
Before you visit Ireland, here's some quick recommendations…
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🏨 Trying to find the best hotel prices for your trip to Ireland? Then compare you options on Booking.com or Hotels.com
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🚘 Renting a car is one of the best ways to explore the beauty of Ireland, check out Discover Cars to compare rental prices.
✈️ You never know what airlines may be offering Ireland flight deals, so make sure you compare before booking your trip using Skyscanner!
🏥 I can't stress this enough but travel insurance is an absolute must! Thankfully SafetyWing have some pretty affordable plans.
3. Misunderstanding the use of Cash in Ireland…
The next mistake I want to address is misunderstand the use of cash in Ireland.
We are quite a modern country, 99.9% of the things you can purchase using a credit or debit card.
However, In saying that I don’t fully advise not having any cash on you at all because there are still some circumstances where you may still need it.
For example, Dublin Bus (at the time of writing) still requires coins, never mind notes… you’ll need exact change to ride to ride or you can purchase a leap card online before your visit.
Another place you might need cash is for parking, especially in more rural towns. Although I must admit that this is becoming less common as the years go by with card options on parking metres or mobile apps being introduced.
A lot of Irish attractions are located on private land, and on the odd occasion you may be asked to pay a small fee, normally a euro or two to help the owner with the up keep of the land. This is normally paid using a honesty box system which will be left at the entrance to the walk or attraction. The owner is pretty much hoping everyone will be nice and pay for access. However, it's not uncommon for the owner to be near by or at the entrance.
Another time it is nice to have cash is when tipping. While you can tip by card (for the most part), I prefer leaving cash. I personally, spent years working in the service industry in Ireland and only saw a fraction of my card tips. So, I leave cash when I have it.
4. Tipping in Ireland
Speaking of tips, tipping in Ireland is NOT like the US.
Yes, it is becoming more common. I think to is due to the high number of US visitors we get each year. However, in saying that it is very unlikely you will see an Irish person tipping 25% of the bill. It’s more common to leave around 10% or to round up the bill.
We also don’t tip in as many places as they do in America, I go into more detail about in my Tipping in Ireland guide but as a rule of thumb, a resturant is the main place you will see more Irish people tip.
I saw more because, tipping is by no means required or expected in Ireland. It really comes down to personal preference. No one will judge you if you choose not to tip.
A little bit of a shameless plug here, but 99% of my online content is provided for free, so if you did want to leave a little thank you tip it goes a long way in helping me to continue to make these guides on Ireland.
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5. Don't Just Visit Dublin…
I wish this wasn’t true, but the number of times I’ve been told by people ‘I've been to Ireland' only to find that they just spent a couple of days in our capital city.
And don’t get me wrong, Dublin is great to visit but the real beauty of Ireland lies on the West Coast…I may get a bit of hate for saying that…but personally, I think you can't beat it.
That’s where you are going to see the dramatic landscapes, the real raw culture and stunning hidden gems.
Now, I know not everyone is lucky enough to have some extended time in Ireland. And if you find yourself in that scenario, I recommend using city as a base to explore the rest of the country, even if you only have a day to spare.
You can visit places like, Wicklow National Park, the Cliffs of Moher and the Giants Causeway all on day trips from Dublin.
Prefer to Watch This Guide? Then Check Out the Video Version on Youtube!
6. Don't forget to pre-book Travel Medical Insurance
The next mistake I want to talk about is travel medical insurance…one thing is for certain, the Irish landscapes are breathtaking but I must admit they are unpredictable, think rugged cliffs, windy coastlines and wild but beautiful hikes.
And odds are on your trip you are going to be out in the elements exploring and unfortunately accidents can happen.
So, please don’t be that person, and make sure you get yourself some trusted travel medical insurance before your trip!
I personally think, Nomad Insurance by SafetyWing is the perfect solution. They have a lightning fast claim process which takes all the stress away, because it’s quick, simple and easy.
And, that’s not all, you can get yourself covered for adventure activities, which is pretty handy considering the range of activities on offer across Ireland's coastline.
Another great feature is $0 deductible, meaning you’re covered even for the smallest claims so you can literally explore Ireland’s hidden gems without a worry.
It’s also a pay as you go subscription meaning you can cancel at anytime.
You can check out Safety Wing for yourself here.
Disclaimer: This is not an AD but for full transparency I did partner with Safety Wing for the video guide of this blog post. As always, all opinions are my own. And only recommend services I think a genuinly beneficial to my readers.
7. Trying to do too much…
Ok, diving into the next mistake which is trying to fit too much into the one trip.
I get it, there are so many things to see and do in Ireland. That it’s hard to choose a small few. And I often see visitors say ‘but I am used to the long drives my country is much bigger’ but you see it’s not the long drives that is the issue with this mistake.
It's just, why would you choose to spend four hours driving in a car when in reality you could visit five new locations because you choose places that are closer to each other.
My best advise is to follow my 7 days in Ireland itinerary if you wanna see as many things as possible in a short period of time OR choose two counties to focus on. That way you will get to see some of the more underrated spots that most people don’t visit.
8. Don't Just stick to the highlights…
Which brings us onto the next mistake which is ‘Don’t just stick to the highlights’.
It can be easy to visit places like the Ring of Kerry and forget about other drives that arn’t too far away but see a fraction of the crowds.
Take the Beara Peninsula in County Cork for example. This drive is STUNNING, it’s also home to quite coastal roads, fun adventure activities and Ireland’s only cable car!
Yet, doesn't see nearly as many people. And to be honest it’s a real shame.
So, make it you mission to discover more of what makes Ireland so special by visiting those less sought out locations.
9. Misunderstanding the weather…
Another common mistake I see tourist make in Ireland is misunderstanding the weather!
Don’t get me wrong it does rain…it’s the main reason why we have those iconic green landscapes but it doesn’t rain ALL THE TIME.
I think people presume that the problem with the Irish weather is that it is always wet, when in reality it is just really unpredictable.
You can quite literally get 4 seasons in the one day, and it can be torrential rain one minute and blue sky's and sunshine the next.
You just don’t really know what you are going to get.
10. Don't pack incorrectly for Ireland
Which brings us onto the next point…packing. What can you bring when the weather is unpredictable…and the best answer is Layers. Lot’s and Lot’s of Layers.
Because not only are you going to get rain, you more than likely will experience intense wind, sunshine and maybe even some snow.
You just never know. It’s also essential that you have a good set of waterproof clothing, including shoes.
Packing is probably one of the most common questions I get asked about in my FREE Ireland facebook group. Which you are more than welcome to join, I try pop in at least once a week to answer as many questions as possible.
11. Assuming all castles are open to the public…
The next mistake I want to discuss is presuming all castle in Ireland are open to the public.
It can be easy to presume that those beautiful castle that you see on social media are easy to visit but the thing is a lot of them you can’t actually go inside.
For example, Lismore Castle in County Waterford, Doonagore Castle in County Clare and Classiebawn Castle in County Sligo.
Which kind of sucks cause they are all really beautiful but it is something to be mindful of.
12. Don't Ignore the scenic routes…
This is a mistake that a lot of people don’t consider. And that is, ignoring the scenic routes…
I’m going to give you an example for this, say you finish you time in Connemara in Clifden and next destination is Westport…the drive between the both towns just over an hour but if you add an extra 30 minutes on…aka take the scenic route.
You will end up driving through Doolough Valley one of the most beautiful driving passes in the country!
So, as a rule of thumb is, check the maps before you drive you never know what could be in the area.
13. Don't use your home roaming plan while in Ireland
Another mistake I see international visitors make all the time is using their home mobile phone plan.
This blows my mind, particularly for US visitors because I personally find the phone bills over there so expensive compared to Europe.
It’s going to be far more affordable to get yourself a local sim or eSim for that matter.
I normally opt into Airalo, I even use them in my van in Ireland because my normal plan only gives me access to my one provider where as Airalo uses the top three.
Which means I am more likely to have service no matter where I am, even if I am in some of the countries most remote locations.
It's a fantastic service which you can activate in a matter of minutes without needing a physical sim card!
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