And Don't Forget...

When you travel to Europe there are several things to prepare and packing is a little more complicated than a quick weekend visit to the next state over. Ireland is no different. There are a few specific things you should remember to bring with you. If you don't you will see that it may be difficult to find these items or they will be very expensive.

First, if you plan to bring any of your electrical appliances you will need an adapter plug. This is essential because I guarantee almost all of us will be bring some sort of electrical gadget that will need to be plugged in at some point during the trip (cell phone, etc.). Also, the voltage current in Ireland is different (230 Volts) so if your electrical appliance does not have a voltage adjusting transformer you will want to pick one of these up too!

Second, to keep contact back home you probably will want your cell phone. If your cell phone is not an unlocked GSM (aka world phone), I would suggest either picking up one cheap on eBay or waiting until you get to Ireland (trust me there is a shop as soo as you step foot of the airplane). If your cell phone is an unlocked (meaning it can be used on any cell network) GMS (meaning it uses SIM cards) phone then bring it, but wait untill you get there to buy a SIM card. If you have a locked non-GSM cell phone that has an international calling plan that will work in Europe and are planning on bringing it... please take my previous advice and don't bring it! Your pocketbook will thank you later!

Third, be sure to bring a raincoat (or some sort of rain gear). This may sound like a funny thing to pack, but it rains quite frequently in Ireland. Of the five weeks I was in Ireland there was a minimum of one full week of rain and it was summer.

These are the three main things I would suggest that you don't forget if you are planing a trip to Ireland. The rest of your packing strategy you can tailor to your needs. But, these three things are items on the do not forget list. Of course, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to exchange some money prior to your trip and bring a few Euros with you. However, don't exchange all of your money as the exchange rate did seem better in Europe because of the fees charged by the banks here (I used AMEX). Also, bring good walking shoes because most European cities have an infrastructure that will require you to walk more unlike America where we get in a car to go two blocks down the street. So, get packing and enjoy your trip!