Before You Travel

A few things worth sorting before you head off. None of it takes long and all of it can save you money, stress or both.

What to include:

🛡️ Travel Insurance Sort this before you book anything else. If something goes wrong, whether it is a cancelled flight, a medical emergency or lost luggage, you will want to know you are covered. We recommend getting a policy in place as soon as you book your trip, not the night before you fly.

📱 eSIM As Irish residents travelling within the EU, you are covered by roaming regulations, meaning you can use your existing data allowance in most European destinations without extra charges. However, if you are heading outside the EU, travelling for an extended period or your plan has a roaming data cap, an eSIM is well worth considering. You simply download it to your phone before you fly and switch to it when you land. No physical SIM, no hunting for a local phone shop.

💳 Travel Money Card Avoid the airport currency desk and the fees that come with it. A Revolut or Wise card lets you spend abroad at the real exchange rate, which over the course of a holiday can make a noticeable difference. Top it up before you go and use it like a debit card wherever you are.

🧳 Packing Essentials A few things that make travelling a lot easier once you get used to them. Packing cubes keep your bag organised, a travel adaptor is essential outside Europe, luggage scales save you the panic at check-in and a decent neck pillow is worth its weight on a long flight.

  • Packing cubes
  • Travel adaptors
  • Luggage scales
  • Neck pillows

🔒 Airport Parking If you are driving to Dublin Airport, book your parking in advance. It is nearly always cheaper than turning up on the day and you will have one less thing to think about on the morning of your flight.

✈️ Airport Lounge Access If you are a frequent traveller or simply want to start your trip in comfort, lounge access is more accessible than most people think. Priority Pass and LoungeKey both give access to hundreds of lounges worldwide, often for less than the cost of a few drinks and a meal in the terminal.  You can also book your lounge access directly via the Dublin Airport website.

🏥 EHIC Card If you are travelling within the EU, make sure you have a valid European Health Insurance Card. It is free to get and gives you access to state healthcare in EU countries if you need it. It is not a replacement for travel insurance but it is a useful backup to have alongside it. You can apply through the HSE.