Amazing Ireland

On this tour, two nights was spent in each of our stops. We never got on the road before 8.30 or 9am so it was quite relaxing. We even were able to get our laundry done about half way through. Our guide was very knowledgeable and easy going. The majority of our hotels provided excellent accommodation. It was a large group of 48 and we didn't use name badges and we were left to our own devices as far as mixing was concerned, as we usually sat at tables of 2 or 4 even at the Welcome Reception....read more
The included meals were usually good and the Be My Guest lunch/dinner was a highlight. My favourite town was Kilkenny which came towards the end of the tour but we did also very much enjoy all of the west coast. The biggest disappointment was the Giant's Causeway as it was so dangerous, especially for older people scrambling over rocks. There were quite a few optional excursions which we did not feel the need to participate in. However the dinner on our last evening was most entertaining.
Ireland doesn't really have seasons.... it just gets a couple of degrees colder in winter. In September it was between 10 and 17 degrees and short passing showers on most days.

The trip was well organised and backed up with excellent drivers and knowledgeable resident tour guide. The hotels were comfortable and staff very helpful. (We used to get an extra jug of milk each night for extra cups of coffee/tea in the rooms.) Some of the hotels were a bit out of the way, but this did not present a problem. The major problem with travelling in Ireland is that there are few public conveniences, even in the major shopping areas. At one of our stops we had to use one in a gift...read more shop, where the coaches stop regularly, there was only one toilet (50cents) and insufficient time for most of the passengers to use it!!!
We travelled 14 days mid June and were hardly affected by the weather, only at the Cliffs of Moher where it was misty. We had some rain, but each time we stopped, so did it, and we were able to enjoy the sights. We had a lovely group of people on our coach, American, Canadian, New Zealand and us Australians (5 of us). There were many highlights, but the Titanic experience was amazing and the final night dinner and cabaret topped the whole holiday off - an excellent optional extra. Would we travel with Trafalgar again, definitely. Thank you to Jemma from Global Journeys for her patience with our booking. We always use Global Journeys when planning a trip.

On a large coach I was one of three Aussies, and the other 2 had Irish background and accents! The guide was also an Aussie and I came to appreciate his presence because we shared a sense of humour. Most passengers were from the U.S. and divided along party lines, and there were some Canadians.
The itinerary was geared a bit to American interests and their Irish heritage (but I did realise this before booking), and boy did they love to shop! The weather in June was...read more quite warm and most hotels did not have air-conditioning. It was sometimes a scramble at the front desk to get a fan. In one place they went out and bought some fans to keep everyone happy. I have travelled with Trafalgar before and it was fine, but this trip was not a favourite.