SIM card in Ireland: Internet connection while travelling in Ireland: I'd pick Vodafone SIM card + SIM free mobile router for internet and phone calls

Which SIM do you need to buy when you are travelling in Ireland?

After 10 days of hide-and-seek with cows, running bulls (over-speeding local autos. no, they are not on German autobahns but regular roads) and cell phone signals, here is my suggestion #1: Especially if you will be arriving at the Dublin airport.

Grab a Vodafone's SIM, Pay as you go at the shop called SIM Travel (SIM card €10, €20 or €10 to top-up, €20-30 total. I'm not affiliated with them.) on the arrival floor near the rental car [car hire!] booths. Ask them to activate it and place it to your SIM free mobile router. The shop is on the arriving floor as of March 2013. Alternatives are cellular phone shops, such as O2/Vodafone in the town as well as SPAR convenience store right off the arrival gate. (But it is unclear which SIM the SPAR has or if the shop know enough about SIMs. BTW, regular SPAR outside of the airport don't sell SIMs usually.) Foreign credit cards should be accepted at the all stores I mentioned. (All unofficial information.)

This is one of the best options I know to use Wifi and use cellular phone cheap in Ireland. 

Instead, put the SIM to an unlocked smartphone, such as an iPhone or an Android, to place phone calls and surf the Internet. The same is true for an unlocked regular mobile phones. Phone calls and data transmission actually work most part of this beanie island, except in some of the super-rural areas. (The other cellular phone companies are more or less the same or can't beat Vodafone anyway for travelling purpose, in my opinion.)

Have a happy Irish immersion experience! 

"Time? Guess I just ate it. "

[I'm not affiliated with any phone companies or shops. Too many tasks and cattle to handle in my life. Oh, mighty phone companies. Pay me if ya wound. I'm always open.]

[Personally, I loved using a SIM from the phone company "three Ireland" the best because they gave me 2GB of data usage for € 10 with faster connection than Vodafone. But I hate to say that their connectivity is not for tourists who are obsessed with Irish mysteries in rural area, like Aran Islands (famous for Dún Aengus and all) as of March 2013. three worked perfectly in big and small cities. ]

A heads-up: I'll write about my experience with rental car (car hire) at the Dublin Airport. Stay tuned, if you are interested in extra insurance and using a smartphone/ an iPhone as a car navigation as well as my amazing Irish experience (seriously, they never stop driving me nuts in their charming ways).

Hope it helps.


Updated in March 2013