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Best of Ireland Trip Questions

Posted by (Fort Worth) on

My husband and I are considring going on the Best of Ireland tour for 2027. And I am in the process of performing some logistics. I have a few questions if anyone with 1st hand experience can answer/provide guidance on:

  1. Which hotel did the tour use for the 1st 2 nights in Dublin this past year? Or, if you stayed a few ights before the tour, which hotel did you use?
  2. Was there a convenient town while on the tour you found to do laundry? We ony do carry on and my preference is a laundrette and not hand washing myself. This worked best for us on the Southern England trip.
  3. Was there anything on the trip (planning, self planned excursions etc.) you wish you had done differently? Or, worked out unexpectally perfectly for you!
Posted by
560 posts

If the Best of Ireland tour is the 14 day one, we are signed up for it this April. The first two nights are at Buswell's Hotel in central Dublin.

If it's the 7 day one, then in 2024, we were at The Iveagh Hotel in Dublin, very nice. Would be kinda expensive to arrive a day or two early, though.

Posted by
9 posts

We are on the best of tour starting in April and the first hotel is the Inveagh garden hotel.

Posted by
3677 posts

Long ago, my first tour hotel was the Harding. The company definitely rotates the first hotel on their Ireland tours so you won't know which is yours until you sign up. Here is another thread with the same discussion https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/ireland-reviews/pre-tour-hotel-in-dublin

Assuming you are on the 14 day tour, Dingle is likely the spot to do laundry. I believe there are launderettes in Dingle but your B&B may also offer the service. Galway is another likely spot with options.

I arrived two days before my tour started (one full extra day to sightsee). I regret not adding one more day and going to Newgrange. The itinerary for the tour has changed since I took it, but that stop could be before or after your tour time.

Posted by
6428 posts

In May 2025, my tour stayed at Buswells in Dublin. You’ll get the first and last hotel info when you sign up.

Our laundry stop was in Dingle. There was a laundry service where you filled up a bag with clothes and left it with the front desk of the hotel (we stayed at Benners). The service picked up the clothes in the morning and returned them in the evening. They charged a flat rate (I think it was 20 EUR).

If you like seafood, I’d recommend making a reservation in advance for Out of the Blue in Dingle. It was a really excellent place for dinner but also very popular. You can book online.

In Dublin, I toured 14 Henrietta Street before the tour started and found it very interesting. I visited the EPIC museum on my free afternoon.

Posted by
3491 posts

I haven’t done the RS Ireland tours but I spent 9 nights in Killarney and Dublin in July after the RS South of England tour. In Dingle the Fish Box had the best fish I had in Ireland and England.
https://www.thefishboxdingle.com/
14 Henrietta Street in Dublin is very interesting and worth a visit. It’s best to pre-book your tickets. Also, if possible, tour the Post Office then Kilmainham Gaol which gives you a better history perspective. Tickets for the Gaol are difficult to get so pre-book as soon as your dates open.
Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
87 posts

Thank you everyone! Your comments/recommendations are appreciated!

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