Basics

• The currency is the Euro.
• English is the dominant language in the country.
• There is an Irish language and bilingual signage is normal, but Irish is not in common everyday use in Dublin.
• Vehicles are driven on the left.
• The international phone code for Ireland is 353.
• To make an international call from Ireland use 00.
• There are area codes within the country, the code for Dublin is 01.
• 083, 085, 086, and 087 numbers are for mobile phones.
• For emergency services ring 999 or 112 (the latter is more commonly used for mobile phones (cell phones)).
• Ireland uses the same electrical plugs as Britain and the same phone jacks as the United States. The electricity is 240V at 50 Hz.
• The weather is mild but changeable, rain showers can occur at any time of year, but rarely last long.
• People generally tip ten to fifteen percent for meals and bars with table service but only tip bartenders if they have won on the horses. A 2 Euro tip is appropriate for a good haircut. Irish people don't routinely tip taxi drivers, though they will often round up the fare. Often, bus passengers thanks the driver as they leave the bus.
• Shopkeepers are required by law to charge a 15 cent environmental levy for plastic bags.
• Workplace environmental law bans smoking in all places of work, including pubs.
• In addition to suburban commuter lines, Dublin has an urban commuter rail line called the DART which runs along the coast, it also has two tram, or Luas, lines, one running south from Stephen's Green and one running west from Connolly Station to Heuston Station before carrying on towards the south-west of the city.

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From the Airport to Town

The airport is on the northern edge of the city. The easiest way to get into town is to take a taxi, this should cost about 25 Euro and usually takes a half hour. There are two express buses which bring you straight into town, the 747/748 is a Dublin bus service (www.dublinbus.ie) and will bring you as far as Busáras, the central bus station. Busarus is just north of the Liffey on Amien Street. This cost 5 Euro. The Aircoach, which many people, with reason, call the blue bus, (www.aircoach.ie) costs 7 Euro and goes through the city centre, stopping outside the front of Trinity before carrying on down past Stephen's Green. There are also local bus services between the airport and town, these are slower because they stop frequently and must follow a specific route, but are much cheaper, the 41 costs 1.80 Euro and runs between the airport and its stop outside the Irish Life building on Abbey Street Lower.

Orientation

Dublin city centre can be thought of as a cross, with an east-west axis provided by the river and a north-south axis provided by O'Connell Street north of the river and Westmoreland Street and Grafton Street south of the river. O'Connell Street is easily recognized because it is marked by a 120 metre stainless steel spike: the Spire. Grafton Street is also easily recognized, it is a pedestrian shopping street with a railed park, St Stephen's Green, at one end and the Palladian front face of Trinity College, Dublin at the other. The other main pedestrianized shopping area is Henry Street, running west from the Spire on O'Connell Street. The area to the west of Westmoreland Street, called Temple Bar, has lots of places to eat, as does South Great George's Street. A city centre map can be found at www.tcd.ie/Maps. Further maps can be found on the official tourist site at www.visitdublin.com/Maps.

Dublin is a reasonably safe city, beyond the usual common sense, visitors should be aware that the Temple Bar has the petty crime normally associated with a tourist area and that Monto, the rectangle to the north of Talbot Street between Gardiner Street and Amien Street is probably best avoided at night.

Tourist Information

The main tourist office is on Suffolk Street near Trinity, it is marked with a blue i on the City Center map mentioned above. There is also an official tourist web site: www.visitdublin.com.

Other websites of possible use include:

• The general Dublin web portal is www.dublin.ie
• A guide to Irish architecture: www.irish-architecture.com.
• The Irish Times, one of the daily newspapers, has a good general information site: www.ireland.com. The Irish Times always has Theatre and Cinema listings on the last few pages and has a listings pull-out on Fridays.
• For listing there is www.entertainment.ie or www.art.ie
• The Event Guide (www.eventguide.ie) is a free listings paper, it is good for music listings.