may also be incurred, visitors to Ireland should take out travel insurance.
Some insurers do not include cycle touring in their basic level of cover, so check this. Most insurers will expect you to access public healthcare where possible. European Union residents should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before travelling. Arrangements for UK citizens may change when the UK leaves the EU, so check the latest situation. The EHIC will give access to the public system for treatment that becomes necessary during your stay. In both Ireland and Northern Ireland this is a good level of free treatment, although you may have to pay prescription charges. Do expect to pay for dental treatment. Some other countries have bi-lateral arrangements, which may give access to either free or below-cost healthcare. Without an EHIC or access to these bilateral schemes, expect to pay the full cost of any treatment.
Barleycove beach (Route 6, Stage 3)
Pharmacists are a good first point of contact for non-emergency problems. As well as being able to supply some medications without a prescription, the pharmacist can advise and point the way to a doctor or hospital if necessary. To access free care in the Republic, it is important to see a GP contracted under the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) scheme. If you can’t find one, the local Health Service Office (www.hse.ie) will have numbers. In Northern Ireland there are fewer doctors working privately, but in all cases it is worthwhile mentioning you want to be treated under the EHIC arrangements.
When appropriate you can go to the accident and emergency (A&E) department of a public hospital, and this is probably where an ambulance will bring you in the event of an accident. EHIC holder or otherwise, if you end up in this situation, the most important thing is to get better and not be worrying about charges, so be insured, keep the details on your person, and get a friend to contact the insurer’s helpline for advice.
TAKE
EHIC
copy of insurance policy and contact card
copy of prescriptions
reasonable supply of regular medication
spare spectacles/contact lenses and an optical prescription
Food and drink
Maintaining a healthy diet with a good calorific intake should be a priority on any extended tour.
If the plan is to eat out, the bigger centres generally have a choice of restaurants where a three-course meal will set you back a minimum of €30. Pubs offer cheaper food, although the quality is mixed, and especially in rural areas some pubs only serve food on certain days, or don’t serve food at all. At cafés and pubs you can usually pick up a meal for upwards of €10.
In terms of specialities, the seafood is worth a try anywhere on the Wild Atlantic Way. Bed and breakfasts usually offer a ‘full Irish’ breakfast. The core ingredients are bacon, eggs and toast, while sausages, beans, potato cakes, soda bread, black and white puddings and other fare is often included. Ireland is not a paradise for vegetarians – count on having to look around when eating out.
Most small towns have a takeaway and if you stick to the busy ones you won’t go far wrong. Some of the international franchises such as McDonald’s have made it to the larger towns.
For food on the road there is no reason to not eat plenty of fresh fruit, breads and cheeses – these are available everywhere. Fresh vegetables are widely available, and, together with staples such as pasta and rice, a big nutritious evening meal can be made for as little as €5.
Ireland’s national drink is Guinness, but there are other similar dark stout beers available – Beamish and Murphy’s are two alternatives. Ireland is also known for its whiskies.
Language
Irish is the first official language of the Republic of Ireland, and, according to the 2016 census, 40 per cent of the population can speak it. This figure is considerably higher in the Gaeltacht – areas where Irish is recognised as the predominant language. The main Gaeltacht areas are all along the Wild Atlantic Way. These include much of northern and western Donegal, the north and west of County Mayo, including Achill Island, a large part of southern Galway plus Connemara and the Aran Islands, the Dingle peninsula and southern and central sections of the Inveragh peninsula (the ‘Ring of Kerry’). In all these places it is common to hear Gaelic spoken in streets, shops and pubs.
In the Irish-speaking parts of Ireland expect signs in Irish Gaelic
In the Gaeltacht the Irish language traffic signs might confuse you a little at first but the intent is usually clear. In other areas, both the Irish and Anglicised names are usually signed. Most maps have both versions of the name.
Visitors for whom English is not a first language find the Irish accent difficult to begin with – but this passes quite quickly. Similarly, speakers of English as spoken in England, the US and elsewhere, might initially have to try to speak clearly to be well understood.
See Appendix B for a useful Gaelic–English glossary and some phrases to try in Gaelic.
Money
Cash
The currency in the Republic of Ireland is the euro. Northern Ireland uses the pound sterling. In border areas, many businesses will take notes in either currency, but you will tend to get change in the local denomination.
Cash is still the most convenient way to pay for small transactions on the island. Paying cash will also keep down foreign currency transaction charges – if your card-issuer levies them.
Cash points are still rare enough in rural areas to make running out of cash a real possibility. Carrying enough money for at least the next four or five days is advisable. Service stations and shops often have ATMs, as do local branches of banks, although these are increasingly rare. The Plus/Visa and Cirrus/Mastercard-linked ATMs are the widespread ones, and UK travellers generally have no problems accessing cash from their home accounts through debit cards.
Whatever card you have, check the charges your bank will levy, and at the same time, check your card will be accepted in ATMs. If travelling both sides of the border, it is worth emphasising when you enquire that you need the card to work in both Ireland and the UK.
Fort Dunree stands guard over the entrance to Lough Swilly (Route 1, Stage 3)
Credit and debit cards
Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards are widely accepted in shops and hotels. Hostels almost always take cards, and sometimes ask for a card number to secure a booking. B&Bs and campsites are more likely to strongly prefer cash.
Budgets
If you are extremely frugal, it is just possible to tour the Republic of Ireland for €30–35 a day if camping or €50 a day in hostels. This is an absolute minimum, and assumes you self-cater and stay away from fast food. Since B&Bs will cost from €35 (per person sharing), and you will also have to buy an evening meal and food during the day, €80 is a more realistic absolute minimum daily budget for B&B
