Belfast....silly question!

mintymoneysaver

I've booked a weekend in Belfast for my husband's birthday in June as he's a bit of a Titanic buff and was wondering what currency it is? I'm assuming euro but just checking?
We're staying at the Park Inn which has great reviews, for anyone who's planning the same thing....

than4

Belfast is in the United Kingdom and the currency in Brittish pounds (£) - although you do get funny Northern Ireland notes, like you do in Scotland.

mintymoneysaver

Thankyou! I told you it was a silly question..... I knew it was UK but just thought I'd better check!

RaiderHammer

Maybe best to take £'s with you. If you use an ATM there you will get Northern Ireland £ notes. You may have to exchange them in a bank in England, Scotland, Wales when you return if you have any.

mobby-2554

My husband came back from Belfast on Monday, he gave me a Irish £20 note & I spent it in Tesco with no problems.

RaiderHammer

mobby-2554 wrote: »

My husband came back from Belfast on Monday, he gave me a Irish £20 note & I spent it in Tesco with no problems.

yes I think shops should take them but some shops don't like to. The reason being is (I think) they have to be banked and can't be given back out as change.

seatzie

if you have one of the national banks, Halifax, Alliance & Leicester etc you could lodge the "Irish" notes into your account before you head back to the airport - if you're flying from the International, the cash machine there gives out "English" notes - an easy swop

raiderhammer - the problem with our notes is uninformed staff seeing Bank of Ireland, Northern Bank etc on notes and thinking oh that says Ireland, therefore must be Irish.................

omelette451

RaiderHammer wrote: »

yes I think shops should take them but some shops don't like to. The reason being is (I think) they have to be banked and can't be given back out as change.

The majority of shops in England take them with no problems - and as more people become aware of them it's getting less and less fun deliberately trying to confuse them!

I'm not sure what the rules say but English shops often do give out Irish and Scottish notes as change - they handle them in the same way they do English notes.

wayne77

mintymoneysaver wrote: »

Thankyou! I told you it was a silly question..... I knew it was UK but just thought I'd better check!

You KNEW it was UK...but you thought we used Euros. Wise up.

Of course Northern Ireland is part of Britain.

sturll

omelette451 wrote: »

The majority of shops in England take them with no problems - and as more people become aware of them it's getting less and less fun deliberately trying to confuse them!

I'm not sure what the rules say but English shops often do give out Irish and Scottish notes as change - they handle them in the same way they do English notes.

I lived in Antrim (NI) for 3 years and it used to be an absolute nightmare using the notes over here. I seem to remember there being one garage that used to take them and that's it.

Lobell

It is very difficult to use NI notes in the majority of the rest of the UK. There are a few cash machines around Belfast city centre that issue English notes plus ones at the Central train station and both airports.

Most shops in Belfast will be happy to swap an NI note for an English one if they have any in their tills. And, of course, the banks will change them too.