Going hunting in Ireland in November. (Gulp.) Who has advice/suggestions/guidance?!

[Janet]

Irish currency is now Euros.

Check your credit card’s foreign tranactiosn policy / fees.

One of mine charges an x% PLUS $x per transaction.

Another one (from a credit union, if it matters) charges no fee, and a tiny percentage, and the exchange rate (including the fee) was better than the one advertized in banks. I (obviously) used that one. Unless things have changed, the ATMs (aka cash points) there do NOT charge any extra fees- check to see if your bank charges a fee.

If a shop offers to run up your charge in dollars instead of euros, don’t do it. You will get charged (from their bank) a fee for the conversion, and still hit be the “foreign tranaction” fees from your bank.

If you are getting cash from ATMs, there is a daily limit. So plan ahead.

A bank here is usually the most expensive option, though it helps to have a FEW euros in your pocket when you land.

[QUOTE=Hunter’s Rest;7169729]
So much good information here!
Thanks!!!
Here’s another quiz question:
How to best convert US dollars to Irish funds (pounds still, right?)
Here at a bank? There at a bank? On my credit card??
I’ll owe the man a goodly bit of cash - he’s not asked for a deposit so I’ll just take him a big chunk of change for when we arrive, I guess.
How best to do this?
I’ll want a bit of spending money I suppose too - a little cash. Where/how to get that?
Is putting stuff on a credit card good or bad overseas?
… discuss[/QUOTE]

[Cammie]

I’ll be sending you an email shortly, but will reply here as well.

Check with your bank and your credit card to see what their rate is for foreign transactions. Some are quite high. You’ll want to let them know you’ll be traveling in Ireland as well, so they won’t think your card has been stolen and block it.

It’s easiest to stop at a bank there and convert money. Cheaper fees than at the airport or here.

If your host doesn’t take credit cards, then traveller’s checks are still probably the safest and easiest way to pay. You can get them from the bank here before you go.

[Hunter_s_Rest]

Erm.
Our host, Cammie.
OUR host.

[whicker]

Oh wow! I’m sooo excited for you!! I do hope you will bring home some lovely horses to sell to us. If not, then grand tales around the fire.

[Feliz]

Carry lots of cash. It’s so much easier to have to look for a money machine every few days, not every day. Easier to pay for all those little things quickly and easily. Plus sometimes money machines and your card are incompatible!

Not sure about the US but here in NZ a lot of banks offer a traveller’s card - a debit card that works as a credit card (if that makes sense). The one we had for South America came with 2 cards (so when we lost one we had a backup) and you could load it with the currency of your choice (of 5 major ones) and then you didn’t have to pay the exchange percentage every time.

It was great, we did lose one (in a money machine in Argentina), so just phoned and cancelled that card, the other one was good to keep going with.

[lily04]

I don’t know if it has changed or not but 20 yrs ago my sister wore all of the new clothing she bought home on the plane. She said she didn’t have to pay customs if she was wearing it. She had on a few layers

[john_l]

Bring cash to the meets, if you are hiring a horse or paying a cap they will expect it. Stay in the middle of the horse and be ready for a very powerful jump when the horse is ready (and the horse will decide this, not you). I once asked the local lads how they got the horses to do such an un-natural thing as jump the ditches and banks, and I was told to be quiet, that the horses did not know that it was special.
You may get your nice riding gear torn up by the thorns; I had a very nice pair of leather boots ripped to shreds.

And yes, every horse in ireland is for sale, I finally succumbed on our third trip and bought one, I am now learning all the tricks of getting him back here to the states!

[vineyridge]

If my sense of Irish geography isn’t too far off, you should definitely ask to go see Cashel.

Congratulations on a dream vacation.

[Chall]

I don’t know about Ireland but using a US phone service in Europe cost about $4.00 a minute. Much cheaper to buy a local phone and add to it ( you put money on it at any of the local corner news stores.). If you get a simple model, you won’t be upset if it breaks or drops in the mud.

[altjaeger]

@john l;7185910

I once asked the local lads how they got the horses to do such an un-natural thing as jump the ditches and banks, and I was told to be quiet, that the horses did not know that it was special.

Lol, that is so funny.

[Equibrit]

[QUOTE=Chall;7186457]
I don’t know about Ireland but using a US phone service in Europe cost about $4.00 a minute. Much cheaper to buy a local phone and add to it ( you put money on it at any of the local corner news stores.). If you get a simple model, you won’t be upset if it breaks or drops in the mud.[/QUOTE]

If you set yourself up poperly (Google Talk or similar) you can use your phone for free when you have Wifi. We have VOIP service at work and can use softphone on the cellphone as an extension, and have push to talk to the UK.

[crosscreeksh]

[QUOTE=Hunter’s Rest;7165148]
I’m starting to plan (mentally!) for 2 weeks at the West Waterford, a few miles from the shore between Waterford and Limerick.
We’re staying with a master of the WWFH and planning to ride-out with him and hunt, as well as go racing etc.
I’ve never been to that part of Ireland (I only went 2x previous - both times to Dublin/Leopardstown, not in the least bit comparable.) So I want to make the most of my visit in terms of seeing stuff and doing stuff while at the same time maxing my riding/hunting in terms of … not dying over the ditch and banks!
Any advice, thoughts, stories, guidance, etc. warmly accepted.
As my mom said, there is a short time period when one is old enough to afford to do this sort of trip-of-a-lifetime but young enough to actually do it![/QUOTE]

The MFH of Cloudline Fox Hounds is over there right now. Friend her on FB and she what she is doing!!

[Willesdon]

Sound advice from Horse and Hound: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/take-a-hunting-holiday-in-ireland/

Which might inspire others to have a go