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Ireland doesn't do bargaining – unless you're buying a horse.

Ireland is safer than most countries in Europe, but normal precautions should be observed.

• Don't leave anything visible in your car when you park.
• Skimming at ATMs is an ongoing problem; be sure to cover the keypad with your hand when you input your PIN.
• In Northern Ireland, exercise extra care in 'interface' areas where sectarian neighbourhoods adjoin.
• Best avoid Northern Ireland during the climax of the Orange marching season on 12 July: sectarian passions are usually inflamed and even many Northerners leave the province at this time.

Following is a selection of embassies in Dublin and consular offices in Belfast. For a complete list, see the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs (www.dfa.ie), which also lists Ireland's diplomatic missions overseas.

Australian Embassy

Canadian Embassy

Dutch Embassy

Dutch Consulate in Belfast

French Embassy

German Embassy

Italian Embassy

UK Embassy

US Embassy

US Consulate in Belfast

Include area codes only when dialling from outside the area or from a mobile phone. Drop the initial 0 when dialling from abroad.

Dublin is the primary point of entry for most visitors to Ireland, although some do choose Shannon or Belfast.

• The overwhelming majority of airlines fly into Dublin.
• For travel to the US, Dublin and Shannon airports operate preclearance facilities, which means you pass through US immigration before boarding your aircraft.
• Dublin is home to two seaports that serve as the main points of sea transport with Britain; ferries from France arrive in the southern ports of Rosslare and Cork.
• Dublin is the nation's rail hub.

Although largely informal in their everyday dealings, the Irish do observe some (unspoken) rules of etiquette.

• Greetings Shake hands with men, women and children when meeting for the first time and when saying goodbye. The Irish expect a firm handshake with eye contact. Female friends are greeted with a single (air) kiss.
• Conversation Generally friendly but often reserved, the Irish avoid conversations that might embarrass. They are very mistrustful of 'oversharers'.
• Round System The Irish generally take it in turns to buy a 'round' of drinks for the whole group and everyone is expected to take part. The next round should always be bought before the first round is drunk.

Comprehensive travel insurance to cover theft, loss and medical problems is highly recommended. Worldwide travel insurance is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online anytime – even if you’re already on the road.

Wi-fi and 3G/4G networks are making internet cafes largely redundant (except to gamers); the few that are left will charge around €6 per hour. Most accommodations have wi-fi service, either free or for a daily charge (up to €10 per day).

Illegal drugs are widely available, especially in clubs. The possession of small quantities of marijuana attracts a fine or warning, but harder drugs are treated more seriously. Public drunkenness is illegal but commonplace – the police will usually ignore it unless you're causing trouble. Should you find yourself under arrest, you have the right to remain silent and contact either an attorney or your embassy.

Once you are charged and cautioned you will either be released on bail (known as 'station bail') or, in the event of a more serious offence, transferred from the police station to the District Court as early as possible (usually within 12 hours), where you will either be bailed or remanded in custody by the judge.

Contact the following for assistance:

Legal Aid Board Has a network of local law centres.

Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland Administers the statutory legal-aid scheme for Northern Ireland, but cannot offer legal advice.

• Newspapers Irish Independent (www.independent.ie), Irish Times (www.irishtimes.com), Irish Examiner (www.examiner.ie), Belfast Telegraph (www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk).
• Radio RTE Radio 1 (88MHz–90MHz), Today FM (100MHz–103MHz), Newstalk 106-108 (106MHz–108MHz), BBC Ulster (92MHz–95MHz; Northern Ireland only).

The Republic of Ireland uses the euro (€). Northern Ireland uses the pound sterling (£), although the euro is also accepted in many places.

Banks 10am–4pm Monday to Friday (to 5pm Thursday)

Pubs 10.30am–11.30pm Monday to Thursday, 10.30am to 12.30am Friday and Saturday, noon to 11pm Sunday (30 minutes ‘drinking up’ time allowed); closed Christmas Day and Good Friday

Restaurants noon–10.30pm; many close one day of the week

Shops 9.30am–6pm Monday to Saturday (to 8pm Thursday in cities), noon to 6pm Sunday

• Natural light can be very dull, so use higher ISO speeds than usual, such as 400 for daylight shots.
• In Northern Ireland, get permission before taking photos of fortified police stations, army posts or other military or quasi-military paraphernalia.
• Don't take photos of people in Protestant or Catholic strongholds of West Belfast without permission; always ask and be prepared to accept a refusal.
• Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Photography is full of helpful tips for photography while on the road.

Public holidays can cause road chaos as everyone tries to get somewhere else for the break. It's wise to book accommodation in advance for these times.

The following are public holidays in both the Republic and Northern Ireland:

New Year's Day 1 January

St Patrick's Day 17 March

Easter (Good Friday to Easter Monday inclusive) March/April

May Holiday 1st Monday in May

Christmas Day 25 December

St Stephen's Day (Boxing Day) 26 December

St Patrick's Day and St Stephen's Day holidays are taken on the following Monday when they fall on a weekend. In the Republic, nearly everywhere closes on Good Friday even though it isn't an official public holiday. In the North, most shops open on Good Friday, but close the following Tuesday.

Most goods come with value added tax (VAT) of 21% (20% in Northern Ireland), which non-EU residents can claim back so long as the store in which the goods are purchased operates either the Cashback or Taxback refund program (the Tax-Free Shopping refund scheme in Northern Ireland), usually indicated by a display sticker on the window.

When calling Ireland from abroad, dial your international access code, followed by 353 and the area code (dropping the 0). Area codes in the Republic have three digits, eg 021 for Cork, 091 for Galway and 061 for Limerick. The only exception is Dublin, which has a two-digit code (01).

To make international calls from Ireland, first dial 00, then the country code, followed by the local area code and number. Always use the area code if calling from a mobile phone, but you don't need it if calling from a fixed-line number within the area code.

In Northern Ireland, the area code for all fixed-line numbers is 028, but you only need to use it if calling from a mobile phone or from outside Northern Ireland. To call Northern Ireland from the Republic, use 048 instead of 028, without the international dialling code.

In winter Ireland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), also known as Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), the same as Britain. In summer the clock shifts to GMT plus one hour, so when it's noon in Dublin and London, it's 4am in Los Angeles and Vancouver, 7am in New York and Toronto, 1pm in Paris, 7pm in Singapore and 9pm in Sydney.

In both the Republic and the North there's a tourist office or information point in almost every big town; most can offer a variety of services, including accommodation and attraction reservations, currency-changing services, map and guidebook sales, and free publications.

In the Republic, the tourism purview falls to Fáilte Ireland; in Northern Ireland, it's Discover Northern Ireland. Outside Ireland, both organisations unite under the banner Tourism Ireland (www.tourismireland.com).

Ireland loves kids. Everywhere you go you'll find locals to be enthusiastic and inquisitive about your beloved progeny. However, this admiration hasn't always translated into child services such as widespread and accessible baby-changing facilities, or high chairs in restaurants – especially in smaller towns and rural areas.

Although there are legal restrictions on children in pubs, restaurants technically should allow kids of all ages at all times. But in practice, many restaurants (especially in the higher bracket, but not exclusively so) would prefer if you left the kids at home, especially at busy times, when high chairs are suddenly unavailable: if you're booking ahead, be sure to specify if you need one.

When it comes to activities for the whole family, Ireland is much better placed than it was even a decade ago, as many providers recognise the important of catering to the whole family. Most activity centres offer kids' programs for all ages; many museums have kid-friendly exhibits and some even cater guided tours to suit younger ages.

Lonely Planet's Travel with Children has lots of useful information.

For further general information check out the following:

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/family-holidays) Useful and extensive resource on travelling with children.

eumom (www.eumom.ie) For pregnant women and parents with young children.

BabyGoes2 (www.babygoes2.com) Travel site with family-friendly accommodation worldwide.

Volunteering opportunities are limited, but there are projects where you can lend a helping hand.

• Weights & Measures The metric system is used; the exception is for liquid measures of alcohol, where pints are used

Ireland should pose no problems for women travellers. Finding contraception is not the problem it once was, although anyone on the pill should bring adequate supplies.

Rape Crisis Network Ireland In the Republic. App available.

EEA citizens are entitled to work legally in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Non-EEA citizens with an Irish parent or grandparent are eligible for dual citizenship (and the right to work), although this procedure can be quite lengthy – enquire at an Irish embassy or consulate in your own country.

Full-time US students aged 18 and over can get a four-month work permit for Ireland, plus insurance and support information, through Work & Travel Ireland.

Most Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born parent are entitled to work in the North (and the rest of the UK) through the 'Right of Abode'. Most Commonwealth citizens under 31 are eligible for a Working Holidaymaker Visa: valid for two years, it allows you to work for a total of 12 months and must be obtained in advance. Check with the UK Border Agency (www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration) for more info.

The Irish postal service, An Post, is reliable, efficient and generally on time. In rural Ireland, the ongoing closure of post offices has resulted in postal services being integrated into convenience stores, or eliminated altogether in smaller villages. In Northern Ireland, the Royal Mail takes care of all postal needs.

• Smoking It is illegal to smoke indoors everywhere except private residences and prisons.

There are no on-street facilities in Ireland. All shopping centres have public toilets (either free or 20c/20p); if you’re stranded, go into any bar or hotel.

Ireland is a pretty tolerant place for gays and lesbians. Bigger cities such as Dublin, Galway and Cork have well-established gay scenes, as do Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland. In 2015 Ireland overwhelmingly backed same-sex marriage in a historic referendum, whereas Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where it's not legal.

While the cities and main towns tend to be progressive and tolerant, you'll still find pockets of homophobia throughout the island, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas. Resources include the following:

Gaire (www.gaire.com) Message board and info for a host of gay-related issues.

Gay & Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland (www.cara-friend.org.uk/projects/glyni) Voluntary counseling, information, health and social-space organisation for the gay community.

Gay Men’s Health Project Practical advice on men’s health issues.

National Lesbian & Gay Federation Publishes the monthly Gay Community News (www.gcn.ie).

Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association Represents the rights and interests of the LGBTQ community in Northern Ireland. It offers phone and online support, but is not a call-in centre.

Outhouse Top gay, lesbian and bisexual resource centre. Great stop-off point to see what's on, check noticeboards and meet people. It publishes the free Ireland's Pink Pages, a directory of gay-centric services, which is also accessible on the website.

All new buildings have wheelchair access, and many hotels (especially urban ones that are part of chains) have installed lifts, ramps and other facilities such as hearing loops. Others, particularly B&Bs, have not invested in making their properties accessible.