Travel

How Much it Cost to Travel to Ireland

Cost of a Trip to Ireland

Traveling from the United States to Ireland would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for most travelers. Ireland has a truly beautiful landscape but it is no secret that Ireland, but especially Dublin, is a very expensive place to travel to and live in. It has been ranked by Mercer as the 16^th most expensive cities, close after London, Milan, and Copenhagen. The nice thing about traveling to Dublin is the street vendors have higher quality souvenirs and much less rip-off products. Ireland can be an amazing trip but it can be very expensive and there are many factors that affect the cost.

Factors of Cost

The largest expense you’re going to face when traveling from the United States to Europe is the airline ticket. It’s going to be nearly impossible to find a ticket for any less than $1,000 unless you wait until the last minute to book your ticket. Along with the cost of traveling to the country, there are also fees for taxis and other means of transportation while in the city. These can add up quickly as a taxi can cost over $100 per 100 Km.

Hotel accommodations will be the second largest cost of your trip to Ireland. In the city of Dublin during peak season, a small room in the city center will cost upwards of €200 which is equivalent to almost $300. This room will be nicer than some but still not worth that money that it costs. Others can be found for closer to $150 in the off season but those are more if you’re on a tight budget and would like to save more for attractions.

There are many adventures to be had in Dublin along with many tourist attractions and places to go for a good night out. During the day there are many museums that are little to not cost such as the National Museum, Museum of Natural History and the Chester Beatty Library. At these museums you will be able to learn about Irelands history and see beautiful pieces of art. After a day full of sightseeing and intellectual museums there are many places to see at night. Dublin is full of bars and decently priced beer. For a pint, the cost fluctuates close to $6.50.

Additional Costs

When buying your plane ticket, you will have the base price of close to $1,000 but there are many extra fees on top of that. In the past years, baggage fees have been added as an additional cost between $100 and $200 per bag. There are also hidden surcharges that will in total add up to at least $300. Your $1,000 ticket just jumped up to over $1,500 in no time.

Taxes and tips are also very common in Ireland and are expected by both Taxi drivers and servers. If a service charge is not added on to your bill, tips around 10% are expected although they are not mandatory.

Ways to Save

Of course in Ireland, you will not be able to spend American Dollars and must exchange your money for Euros. Be conscious about where you go to exchange currency as some places will give you a much better rate than others. Banks are the best place to exchange currency as they will charge much less commission so you can get the most for your money.

Photo Credit : minniemouseaunt