We'll in exactly 3 weeks time we should arrive in Dublin and a few hours more we'll be back home in the North of Ireland, freezing I expect . Well freezing compared to the weather here in Florida We're renting a wee car (economy 5 door) from budget ($215 for 10 days) at the airport in Dublin. Anyone got any advice regarding car rental back home, couldn't find much info on google. We both can drive a manual or "stick" as the yanks call it .

This will also be my first trip outside the US in about a year and a half. I haven't used the green card before other than confusing people when buying alcohol at the store I'm assuming I use the white I-94 arrival departure record when coming back in? I'm not sure and don't remember if there is a citizens only line or if it's a citizens and residents line or do I file into the non citizen line and wait for an hour .

One final thing, anyone know where to get a decent rate on UK Pounds and Euro. Last time I checked online it was like $2.00 per UK Pound! That isn't a great thought, our cash being halved!

Hey Aidan,

It's always exciting to plan a trip home. Can't answer your travel questions but, based on my own experience, I can respond to your I-94 and line questions. As a green card holder you do not need to fill up an I-94 (yay!) and you go to the citizen/permanent resident line.

Good luck!

The rates are pretty much the same everywhere - the difference will be the fee/commission you'll have to pay (if any). I've always read, one should always try to have some 'walking around' cash and to use a credit card to pay for larger items to get the most current exchange rate. Course there are places where a CC is not an option.

Sometimes people say the airport is the worst place to exchange, but that sometimes depends on the amount your exchanging - the higher the amount, the less they charge you (sometimes).

Current Exchange Rates (April 26)
1.00 USD = 0.502181 GBP
1.00 USD = 0.735277 EUR
1.00 EUR = 0.683047 GBP


Hope you have a great trip...

Credit cards ussualy give the best rate (market rate) until they tack on the international service fee, then it sucks. But not all banks do that.

Sorry I cannot answer your questions here but I'm really excited for you. I'm also going back home in about 3 weeks..it's suck a great feeling since I haven't been back there for 2 years..but I only stay there for 3 weeks it's too short...

How are things for you now, Wong?

I'll be back home in about 2.5-3 weeks myself Aiden. I arrive in Cork on May 14 and head back to Charlotte on May 21. I'll be renting a car from Budget also. I'm a little nervous about driving on the other side with a stick shift even though I was driving a stick shift in Ireland for years, but have been driving an automatic in the US for the best part of a year now on the 'wrong' side but I noticed the quote for an automatic is a lot more than a stick shift so I'll have to drive around the airport/rental car parking lot a few times to get used to changing (grinding) gears and to remember that the car coming straight at me is a reminder to drive on the left.

Not sure about the pounds/euro conversion. Thankfully Cork uses Euro these days. Or at least they did when I left last June.

On the way back to the US I thought it was only the white customs form I had to fill in, same as everyone else with no need for the I-94W anymore. On top of that I'll join the Citizens line (unless told otherwise by CBP!).

Have a great trip and at least we won't crash into each other since we'll both be driving on the wrong side in first gear )

Enjoy your holiday!
Where in N. Ireland are you from?

Gary

Thank you for asking. Things have been quite good, actually. My husband's been normal and my cats are still alive..lol..just kidding.
Things between us got really rocky but we are both working it out and our marriage is actually getting better. My husband brought all his guns to his dad's last week because he's going to be on probation and he's not supposed to have any firearms..and he said he doesn't even want to take the risk to get into any kind of trouble..just from this I can see he's trying to be better...but ya know..we'll see

Thanks for all the responses!

We are heading back on the 16th May and going home again on 27th May. Ah we're not along then renting from budget, we also looked at the price for a automatic.. it's a bit much alright. We're ok we've been driving a manual here in the US. When I say we I mean the wife has I'm only going for the driving test before we go back home

Need Euros for the south and Pounds for the north They need to hurry up and get the Euro up north, I'll be a walking bureau de change by the time I get home

Not too far from Derry City, on the border with the Republic.

Right, I'm from Antrim.

Hey guys,

I went back to N.Ireland for a wee week in February and the rate was horrid! It was better though to exchange over there at Thompson travel agents than it was to pre-order at our bank. It literally was about half. Poor Shannon was amazed at how expensive things were compared to Texas. Budget must be the car rental of choice because we also used them lol. We got a cracking deal through the internet of 90 pounds for 7 days with insurance included on a 5 door economy plus. For some reason the nice lady at Belfast airport seen how knackered we were and upgraded us for free.

After I stalled the damn car about 5 times... (no joke... I hate manual cars now with a passion)... we drove out... and I was on the wrong side of the road. After an 11 hour plane trip, my brain was fried and the thing that I was determined not to do, I did! It was very weird being back on the wee country roads again I have to say. I much prefer I-35 here!

If you have a GC, you can go in the citizens line and just have to fill out the customs and Border form to declare your goods. In Gatwick, I stood with my husband in the non-EU citizens line (definitely shows that I love him as it was miles longer than the EU citizens one ) and they asked the usual questions.

The one thing that struck me hard about being back "home" was that I really didn't regard it as "home". I have a super relationship with my parents and family and it was wonderful to see them all but being in Belfast and Lisburn and around the coast kind of made me feel as if I was someplace foreign. Plus my accent has totally changed now and people thought I was American I was quite eager to get back to Texas again I have to admit.

Have a super time back in Norn Iron

Kat