The biggest mistakes you can make while traveling in Ireland

The biggest mistake is to NOT go to Ireland because of what you've read here. The people are wonderful, the language beautiful, the country gorgeous, and if you do the VAT tax rebate properly, you get ALL your VAT money back, normally in cash, there and then. Driving is different, but you do get used to it. If it's a problem, there are always tours you can take from the larger towns. Be yourself. The Irish are normally as enthralled with us, as we are with them. Go, and enjoy yourself!

Remember that most credit cards do NOT cover colllision damage on rental cars North or South. In May of 2009 I made my first trip to the North, accompanied by my wife who has connections with those of the 'other persuasion' in that part of Ireland. In the Church of Ireland cemetery in Downpatrick, she led me to the reputed burial spot of Sts Patrick, Bridget and Colm Cille. Ireland is a single political entity for all Christian dnominations. And despite what the Partitions would have us believe, Fermanagh and Tyrone bear a much stronger similarity to Cork and Kerry that to Sussex and Kent. It would be much more convenient for U.S. tourists in Ireland if the South had remaing with the £ sperling.

@@@jamieLM | Apr 24, 2012, 11:08 AM EDT @Stevenstar, "Heathrom"??? I could give you plenty of examples of ignorant things that some Irish tourists have said when visiting America. Ha, Ha, Ha. So what. Here's who's really ignorant - you - thinking you're God's gift to Ireland. You're the last person Ireland would want to represent what it has to offer. We get it. You hate Americans and America. You should see a psychiatrist about all that insecurity - putting Americans/America down, in all caps, to make yourself feel better. Pathetic. The Irish and Ireland don't need your nasty comments about us to make them look good. The Irish can promote Ireland without any help from you >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> YOU SOUND LIKE A GUEST OFF THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW.... haha!!

ciaradexy, thank you for the kind words. I know tourist can be irritating, Most mean well, their enthusiasm sometimes gets in the way of the very experience they are looking for. Those planes fly both ways and a lot of us on this side of the Atlantic have dealt with the same situations. The stevenstars of the world are loud and obnoxious energy stealers you know like the quintessential"ugly American" but I wouldn't paint all Irish by his example. You know a lot of foreigners think we're singing Johnny Cash tunes all night, or rapping with the home boys, life is a funny journey.

billie061, of course you're so encouraging of antiquaated Irish American ideas about Ireland because you're in the tourism business. You make your money off them. I bet you wear a tweedy cap and a wooly jumper and carry a blackthorne stick, begorrah!! Laughable.

@Stevenstar, "Heathrom"??? I could give you plenty of examples of ignorant things that some Irish tourists have said when visiting America. Ha, Ha, Ha. So what. Here's who's really ignorant - you - thinking you're God's gift to Ireland. You're the last person Ireland would want to represent what it has to offer. We get it. You hate Americans and America. You should see a psychiatrist about all that insecurity - putting Americans/America down, in all caps, to make yourself feel better. Pathetic. The Irish and Ireland don't need your nasty comments about us to make them look good. The Irish can promote Ireland without any help from you.

@@@billie061 | Apr 24, 2012, 08:03 AM ED>>>>>>>>> WE HAVE A RUNNING JOKE HERE IN IRELAND...WHEN ONCE AN AMERICAN CAME OVER ON A TRIP FROM LONDON ASKED WHY DID THE QUEEN BUILD WINDSOR CASTLE SO NEAR TO HEATHROM AIRPORT ?? HAHAHA .. IF THATS NOT IGNORANT I DONT KNOW WHAT IS

Having worked on tours for the last 12 years, I have never had an American jump off and go looking for leprachauns, have had the odd single woman looking for a husband (why is beyond me) but on the whole tourists from the U.S. quite educated about about the country-side and culture of Ireland. the most un-educated were Aussies but there again you will get good and bad from all countries and cultures. Including Ireland so STEVENSTAR you don't speak for me when you say most Irish laugh at the Americians, I wouldn't be that ignorant with any visiting nationality

@@@@@@@@@@ciaradexy | Apr 23, 2012, 04:33 PM EDT Theres no issues with Americans using Irish expressions when they are here. We use terms like 'fries' and 'potato chips' etc when in the US so why shouldn't people use the terms the locals use?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> WE? WHO IS WE? CAN U STOP LICKIN ASS HERE .. WE NEVER USE THE TERM FRIES OR POTATOE CHIPS U TWAT ... AND MOST IRISH LAUGH AT AMERICANS GOING AROUND IN THEIR RUNNERS AND WOLLY JUMPERS RUNNING ON AND OFF THE COACH LOOKING FOR LEPRAUCHANS ... ITS TIME AMERICANS BECAME MORE EDUCATED LIKE THE REST OF THE TOURISTS WHO VISIT IRELAND

BrianO & Jamie, you both sound like the kinda tourists we love, would start a conversation with and would actually bring on a little tour off the beaten track just like I did with the 2 lads I met from Nashville back in March! We need more like both of you and less like the G.Dildo. Mousemess, again, fair play to you! I attend Conradh na Gaelige which has a pub for members where we can learn different trad dances and play instruments. Its a tourist free zone unless you are signed in by a member and all we ask is that you speak Irish or at least make an attempt. Same goes for Aras Chronain which I have been attending since I was 4. We have plenty of foreign people taking Irish classes here these days along with older Irish people who grew up hating Irish because of its link to poverty and it was beaten into them in school by Christian brothers. They were not taught to speak it, they were expected to learn poetry instead and that is not how a language should be taught.

Mousemess: That's pretty good quality Irish, better than Ciaradexy can offer, indeed better than what 98% of Irish people could do. My only criticism is the last sentence. That won't work. I'd suggest "... “ i limistéar Washington DC chun bheith á labhairt leo”. Go n-eiri go geal leat leis an nGaeilge.

mairint: Good to see you menetioning the Tax Rebate rip-off. The place at Dublin Airport is staffed, using that term loosely, by incompetent and rude people. They have bilked me out of rebates also. American tourists should realize that they have no friends in Ireland. The Irish don't like us, they just want to relieve us of some of our dollars.

A Chiara, Usaidim Gaeilge reasunta glan gach la. Ta grupa Gaeilge againn inar limistear. Leann agus aistrionn an grupa s'againne scealta Gaelacha i ngach leibheal deacrachta gach oiche Cheadaoin. Ni theastaionn laethanta saoire uaim le haghaidh an Ghaeilge a labhairt le daoine. Ta gaeilgeoiri agus muinteoiri na Gaeilge anseo sa limistear Washington,DC seo a labhairt le. Oiche mhaith. Ciara, I use reasonably good Irish every day. We have an Irish language group in our area. This group of ours reads and translates Irish stories in every level of difficulty every Wednesday night. I don't need holidays for an occasion to speak to people in Irish. There are Irish learners, speakers and Irish teachers here in this Washington DC area to speak to. Good night.

ladies ask for a lift not aride

@ciaradexy, the first time I was in Ireland with a group we thought we'd order sandwiches "to go" because we were in a hurry. I couldn't see the menu board at the outdoor counter. Someone asked if I'd eat an "egg salad" and I said yes. We all got a laugh when I was handed a lettuce salad with a hard boiled egg on top. No big deal, but a lesson for all of us. In the U.S., under "sandwiches", you can get egg salad, ham salad, chicken salad, & tuna salad. Really, it makes no sense to call them "salads", but I didn't coin the terminology. From then on, I made sure I knew what I was ordering if there could be any doubt. When I'm in contact with Irish tourists, I don't care what terms they use. I just make sure that we're all on the same page. When I'm in Ireland, I always try to use the Irish words for things. The difference in terminology is part of the charm for me in traveling in a foreign country. If everything was the same, there would be no reason to leave home. Btw: "biscuits" is another one of those things that have a different meaning in the U.S. than in Ireland/England. Lots of words like that.