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The main tourist office in Dublin is very helpful with information on tourist sights, hotel accommodation and any other visitors’ questions about the country.

There are reductions on entrance tickets to many historic sites and attractions, on some transport, and even on some accommodation and travel packages within Ireland, for students, children, the unemployed, senior citizens and families. Carry appropriate photo ID. To visit several sights at a discount, buy a Heritage Card (see Sightseeing at a Discount).

Most shops and businesses are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Banks open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm (sometimes until 5pm on Thursday); post offices Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm, Saturday 9am to 12:30pm. Pubs open Monday to Thursday 10:30am to 11:30pm, Friday to Saturday 10:30am to 12:30am, Sunday 12:30pm to 11pm.

Ireland is fully online, with cyber cafés in most towns, and several in Dublin. Charges are generally around €2 for 15 minutes. Public libraries also offer Internet access. Most major attractions have their own websites.

Ireland has one of the highest percentages of driving fatalities in Europe. Drink-driving is a problem and speed limits are often ignored, though a new “penalty points” system is improving the situation. Congestion in towns is high, but rural roads are relatively traffic-free. Even main roads may have only two lanes – pull onto the hard-shoulder to let others overtake. Speed limits are 120 kmph (74mph) on motorways, 100 kmph (62 mph) on main roads, 50 kmph (31 mph) in towns. Drive on the left. Yellow lines indicate parking restrictions. All types of fuel are available.

Ireland uses Europe’s international pictorial system of road signs. Confusing signs that give two alternative routes to the same place without stating the distances are commonplace in rural Ireland. When given, distances may be approximate. Officially, the Republic uses kilometres (green signs), but many roadsigns are in miles (white signs). Often, place names are given in Irish and English.

The weather in Ireland is wet and mild all year round, but generally without extremes. It rarely freezes except on uplands, while summer can see some hot spells.

Britain and the US both have embassies in Dublin (see Sources of Information). Most other countries have an embassy or consulate in the city – consult the Yellow Pages .

Service charges of 10–15 per cent are added to bills in hotels and restaurants. Tip taxi drivers around 10 per cent, porters 50 cents or €1. Bar staff need not be tipped.

The border crossing between the Republic and Northern Ireland is normally simple, with few formalities. However, check with car rental companies that you may take the vehicle across the border, which is still a national frontier.