Dublin's climate is characterized by mild, temperate weather with frequent, unexpected rainfall. July and August experience the warmest temperatures, with daily averages between 12-15 degrees Celsius, while the year's coldest days occur in January and February, when average temperatures range from 4 to 8 degrees Celsius. Snow is uncommon in Dublin.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce

Brazil

France

Germany

Japan

Royal Netherlands Embassy

U.K. Embassy

U.S. Embassy

Most large hotels also have business centers that offer many of the same services that independent centers provide.

Abbey House

Associated Business Centres

Business Centre

Premier Business Centres

The Gresham

Dublin Castle Conference Centre

Global translations

Abbey Translations

Askus Translations

DCU Language Services

Words Language Services

DHL

FedEx

Pony Express

UPS

TNT International

All upper-range and most medium-priced hotels are equipped with dataports that allow guests to use laptop computers. Many hotels also offer business centers equipped with computers and Internet access. Outside hotels, cyber cafes are available including:

Cyberworld Internet Cafe

Internet Cafe

The Connect Point

Citizens of Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the U.K., and the U.S. do not need a visa. Citizens of the People's Republic of China must apply for a visa.

Duty-free allowances are 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarrillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1 liter of spirits with an alcohol content exceeding 22% by volume or 2 liter of spirits or liquors, including wine, with an alcohol content not exceeding 22% by volume or 2 liter; 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette, and; a reasonable amount of personal goods. However, there are now no limits imposed on tobaccos and alcohol from one EU country to another.

The international calling code for Ireland is 353, and the area code for Dublin is 1. When dialing from abroad, drop the first '0' of the area code.

Police (gardaí)/Ambulance, Fire

The international access code is 00. To get an Irish operator, dial 10. Irish subscriber telephone numbers contain five to seven digits. Toll-free service numbers start with "800". Premium services start with "1550" or "1570". Most public telephones take only phone cards, although many pubs and tearooms have coin phones. Read the instructions, and be sure you insert your money at the right time--usually once the other party replies.

The cellular standards are GSM and TACS. Vodafone, O2, and Meteor are the main providers. Mobile phone numbers start with 85, 86 87 or 88. If you choose to bring your cellular phone into Dublin, be sure to check with your home cellular service provider to establish compatibility of your phone with systems abroad. Rent a locally compatible cellular phone before you arrive to obtain reasonable rates and reliable service.

The euro is the official currency. Euro notes are available in denominations of EUR5, EUR10, EUR20, EUR50, EUR100, EUR200, and EUR500, while coins are in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents, and EUR1 and EUR2. The euro is divided into 100 cents. Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, airports, hotels, or other authorized foreign currency exchange dealers. ATMs are widely available. Most businesses accept traveler's checks as well as major credit cards, including Visa and MasterCard. American Express and Diners Club are less widely accepted.

Irish time is the same as Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight Savings Time begins at midnight on the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in September.

VAT is assessed at different rates for goods and services. The average rate is 21%.

The current in Ireland is 220-240V, 50Hz AC. Irish plugs are square and fused, with three prongs.

You will hardly need a car for Dublin. Dublin has a fair number of taxis, many of them vans. You can hail one, or find them at taxi stands located every few blocks in the city center--just ask--or book one by phone, although allow a good half-hour for one to come during working hours. Dublin has a very efficient bus service (daily from 6am through 11pm) running through the city to points in the surrounding county. Schedules for individual lines are posted at each bus stop. The city also has a special double-decker hop-on, hop-off tourist bus--passengers can get on and off at will--that circles the city's highlights, with a running commentary of the sights. DART, Dublin's rail transit system, links the city to Howth and Bray, following the coast, and is useful for getting to the beach, the ferry port at Dun Laoghaire, and some of the outer attractions.

No special health precautions or vaccinations are required for Ireland.

To taste upscale Irish cuisine, try award recipient Thornton's. Located within the arched basement of the Dublin Writers' Museum, Chapter One is a smart restaurant, decorated with paintings of local literary celebrities, and serves modern Irish cuisine. Patrick Guilbaud purveys traditional French-style fine dining and impeccable service, while Northern Italian cuisine is on the menu at Romanza, often labelled Dublin's best Italian restaurant. Halo, the trendiest dining room in town (designed by John Rocha), boasts an imaginative menu of Asian-influenced fusion food in an atrium setting enhanced by smart minimalist furnishings. The New England-themed Mermaid Café is recognized as one of the city's best tables. East meets West with Kelly & Ping's unique blend of Asian cuisine, served in modern Irish surroundings.

Ireland's poshest department store is Brown Thomas sells beautifully woven double damask tablecloths and other fine Irish linens and delicate handmade Irish lace. They also carry many Irish and European designer brand clothing for women, men and children. Ireland is also known for its tweeds?Blarney's Woolen Mills have a good selection. Another unique Irish artifact is the bodhram, the traditional Irish drum. John McNeill has been the retail reference for these instruments since 1834. The Irish Georgian Society sells other various items evoking Ireland's rich history. Browse through the Kilkenny Design Shop for handcrafted pottery, handblown Jerpoint glass items, raw tweed and other locally made crafts. Design Yard offers a range of contemporary design objects including furniture, home objects and jewelry. Ireland's wild smoked salmon can be purchased at McConnell's, which also offers a mailing service.

Christchurch Cathedral, dating from early medieval times is the oldest building in Dublin. Dublin is also host to the largest church in Ireland, St Patrick's Cathedral. Paintings by renowned artists including Gainsborough, El Greco, Vermeer, Caravaggio, Rubens, Velazquez, Poussin and Picasso are on display at the National Gallery. The collection of prehistoric gold artifacts at the National Museum of Ireland is unrivalled in Europe. One of Ireland's many literary legends, James Joyce, renowned for his novel Ulysses, is honored with a museum devoted to him. Irish legends of another kind?its freedom fighters from throughout the ages?can be remembered at Kilmainham Gaol, where they were imprisoned. A site of architectural interest is the Casino at Marino, located on Lord Charlemont's estate. For a glimpse into Ireland's distilling history, both the Guinness Hop Store and the Old Jameson Distillery/Whiskey Corner offer tours.

The artistic, bohemian area of Dublin is without a doubt Temple Bar. Many hours can be passed simply browsing the galleries, shops and cafés that dot the cobblestone streets that make up this neighborhood near the River Liffey.

Croke Park is the place to catch the action of two typically Irish sports; hurling is practiced from early summer to the end of September, and Gaelic Football is played from mid-February to mid September. Otherwise, for more typical park excursions Dublin's Phoenix Park is the biggest park in an urban European center, while St Stephen's Green is lovely for a stroll.