Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [626]
In Northern Ireland, shops participating in the Tax-Free Shopping refund scheme will give you a form or invoice on request to be presented to customs when you leave. After customs have certified the form, it will be returned to the shop for a refund and the cheque sent to you at home.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Natural light in Ireland can be very dull, so use faster film, such as 400ASA, to capture the sombre atmosphere (though 200ASA should do in most situations). Lonely Planet’s full-colour Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures, written by internationally renowned travel photographer Richard I’Anson, is full of handy hints and is designed to take on the road. Film and digital memory cards are readily available in all tourist centres.
In regard to taking photos in Northern Ireland, if you want to take photos of fortified police stations, army posts or other military or quasi-military paraphernalia, get permission first to be on the safe side. In the Protestant and Catholic strongholds of West Belfast it’s best not to photograph people without permission: always ask first and be prepared to accept a refusal.
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POST
The Irish postal service, An Post (www.anpost.ie), is reliable, efficient and usually on time. Some rates for StandardPost service:
In Northern Ireland, post offices are operated by Royal Mail; letters sent by 1st-/2nd-class mail to Britain cost £0.39/0.30 as long as they weigh less than 100g. Airmail letters under 20g cost £0.56 to continental Europe and £0.90 to the rest of the world (£0.62 to the rest of the world for under 10g).
For post office opening hours, Click here.
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SOLO TRAVELLERS
Travelling alone in Ireland is easy. People are extremely sociable, especially in the countryside, and will be more than keen to chat with you in pubs or public places – sometimes whether you like it or not! Hostels and internet cafes are always good places to meet fellow travellers, or you might consider combining independent travel with a short course or activity where you have more chance of meeting people. One disadvantage of solo travel is the extra cost of accommodation: many places charge per room, and if they charge per person, they also slap a single supplementary charge (up to 30%) on to the room rate.
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TELEPHONE
You shouldn’t have any problems in Ireland making phone calls to anyone, anywhere.
Prices are lower during evenings after 6pm and weekends. Phone calls from hotel rooms cost twice the standard rate. You can send and receive faxes from post offices or most hotels. Local telephone calls from a public phone in the Republic cost €0.30 for around three minutes (around €0.60 to a mobile), regardless of when you call.
The number for local and national directory enquiries in the Republic is 11811 or 11850; for international enquiries it’s 11818. In the North, call 118118.
Pre-paid phonecards from Eircom and private operators can be purchased at both newsagencies and post offices, and work from all payphones for both domestic and international calls.
Direct Home Call Codes
Instead of placing reverse-charge calls through the Irish operator, you can dial direct to your home-country operator and then reverse the charges or charge the call to a credit card. To use the home-direct service, dial the codes listed here, the area code and, in most cases, the number you want. Your home-country operator will come on the line before the call goes through.
Australia ( 1800 550 061 + number)
France ( 1800 551 033 + number)
Italy ( 1800 550 039 + number)
New Zealand ( 1800 550 064 + number)
Spain ( 1800 550 034 + number)
UK – BT ( 1800 550 044 + number)
USA – AT&T ( 1800 550 000 + number)
USA – MCI ( 1800 551 001 + number)
USA – Sprint ( 1800 552 001 + number)
Mobile Phones
Virtually everyone in Ireland has a mobile phone. Ireland uses the GSM 900/1800 cellular phone system, which is compatible with European and