Looking for some advice. We are planning a trip to Ireland and Scotland. We want to do one of them with a Rick Steve’s tour. Which would you choose if you have gone on any of them? We figured we would do one tour with the group and then go to the other on our own for a few days.
Thanks in advance for you input
Julie Lambrou
We've been on both those RS tours.
First, you can't really do justice to either one in "a few days". You need at least a week in each.
Second, handling the logistics of the hotels and transportation will be a nightmare. Not that it can't be done -- it can. I just think doing without a tour will not be very much fun.
Really don't mean to rain on your parade, just offering food for thought based on our three trips there with tours.
If you are going to stay just a few more days beyond a tour, I feel you are best off staying in the same country as the tour. I hope you will arrive Europe a day or two before your tour. As a precaution to travel issues and to recover from your flight.
Neither of those countries would be that hard to do on your own with some forum help. They speak English, that always makes it easier.
It all depends on how much time you have. You could see Dublin (maybe also Belfast) in "a few days." Lots of direct flights from US to/from Dublin. Also, between Dublin and Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh, depending on which tour you're looking at. There aren't as many direct flights from US to Edinburgh (at least not from the West Coast, where I live).
We did the RS Best of Ireland tour and out of 13 RS tours it’s still one of my favorites. Last month we visited Glasgow and Edinburgh on our own with a couple of Rabbie day tours and now want to go back and see more of Scotland. You’re going to have to look at both countries and decide which interests ‘you’ the most.
How long is a "few days"? As long as you understand your not going to see everything, I don't see a problem.
I don't agree that the logistics of hotel and transportation will be a nightmare. We always do our own thing in Scotland and it's never been a nightmare. With a short amount of time you just need to be selective. Are you comfortable renting a car or would you prefer public transportation?
And listen to Jules advice of arriving a day or 2 ahead of your tour start date to get over jet lag/travel exhaustion and to allow for delays.
The logistics of planning your own trip, including hotels and transportation, is not a nightmare. We have been doing that for years. I haven't been on a group tour yet so I can't tell you which country is better for a tour. But whichever country you choose to do on your own, it will not be difficult to do. How many days is a few?
If you do Scotland on your own, you could spend 4 or 5 nights in Edinburgh, or more with some daytrips. If you have a week, and are willing to rent a car, Edinburgh and Glen Coe would be a perfect combination. You can consider the Rabbies tours. I haven't been on one but I know they are very well regarded.
if you do Ireland on your own, Dublin and Belfast make a convenient combination. Or Dublin and Killarney NP and add on either the Ring of Kerry or Dingle Peninsula depending on the amount of extra time you have.
I wouldn't change countries for "just a few days". We love both countries, although Ireland may eek out a win. Both have been largely terraformed by sheep and shipbuilding, so the scenery is quite similar, the whisky/whiskey are vaguely similar, and both have a strong music tradition. There are of course major other differences!
Between Google MAPS, "Things to do" and "nearby Hotels", travel planning is not that hard. I've executed five 3 week trips to Ireland (and four to Scotland) with great pleasure. I have our sixth(2027) all booked, and a seventh sketched out (likewise for Scotland). There are also lots of great websites for both countries (these forums, Irish Road Trip, Hidden Scotland, TripAdvisor etc.) and lots of Youtube adventures. I am retired, so it's far more fun than doom scrolling or playing computer solitaire!
We do an annual trip to either Ireland or Scotland in May (or thereabouts). We do May because I believe the weather is best and crowds are manageable, and we live in fire country and travel later in the summer is a risk. We've always arranged our own itinerary, booked our own lodging, and planned our own stops, and never took an organized tour until our 2026 trip, which had two day tours. We always have a rental car except in the big cities. We also lean towards shorter stays (many one-night and few three night) which is an unpopular style on these forums. We like to get home slightly exhausted. I also start booking things as soon as airline reservations are available (330 days before travel) so I can get extra legroom in economy. I always have several plans in the planning stage at once, and most itineraries are revised scores of times before pushing the button. I currently have a 2030 Scotland trip roughed out. Our 2028 trip is matured enough to book if it was possible.
My daughter and I were in Ireland for about 9 days visiting my son (her brother) and we decided to add on Edinburgh Scotland for a few days. It was great! Yes, there are obviously things we missed but we were so glad we added it on as it was easy to get to from Ireland and it's a wonderful city. So, I would add on Edinburgh if you do the Ireland RS Tour or Dublin if you do the Scotland RS Tour. I don't think you will regret adding it on even if it is only for a few days.
I agree that the logistics are not a nightmare but you have to remember that small offshoot of the Atlantic Ocean that lies between them - transfer will be more than a couple of hours driving!
Looking at the RS Irish tours the 7 day runs from Ennis (Shannon Airport) to Dublin and the 14 day runs Dublin to Belfast. The latter opens up an interesting transfer option, every afternoon there is a direct bus from Belfast to Glasgow - city centre to city centre. So no transfers to and from airports. The bus goes on a ferry for a large part of the travel duration, which is a novelty for many americans - you get off the bus once it's parked onboard and go and find the bar or lounges. The 2026 flat rate price is £49 one way including luggage , which compares well with the cost of flights + transfers + airline luggage fees - and you get to see some Scottish scenery. Other operators offer through ticketing but their bus does not go on the ferry and somebody has to drag the luggage off the first bus, onto the ferry then off the ferry and onto a second bus - guess who?
Very basic website https://hannoncoach.com/2026/06/26/glasgow-express-fare-prices-2026/
this lady explains it better than the advertising! Skip the first 2 minutes when she travels up from Dublin (or watch the whole thing if you start off the shorter RS tour). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRwQCE4Mxnc
In May this year, we did the shorter RS tours for both, back to back -- Heart of Ireland and Heart of Scotland, about a week each, with a couple of days on our own in between. We liked both of them very much, but liked Scotland a little better. Both took us to sights I highly enjoyed, but Scotland had less bus time and fewer "meh" stops. With only a few days for the second country, I would probably recommend Scotland for the tour and Dublin for the extra days.
Thank you. This was exactly what we were looking for. Wanted to know which RS tour was better and then do a week in the other area on our own.
Need two weeks to do just one country.
Also, check out Rabbie's Tours or Gate 1 Travel for great prices.
It's a hard choice between Ireland or Scotland for because I love both countries. I've been to Ireland five times and Scotland twice, traveling independently each time. In June 2026, I was in Scotland for a week. The countries share the richness of Celtic culture.
As part of a Rick Steves tour, the advantage of going on the 14-day Ireland tour is that it goes to Northern Ireland, in addition to the Republic. Some Americans skip the north, though it's quite beautiful in the west part and along the Antrim Coast. However, a guided tour of Scotland would be excellent because Americans are less exposed to Scottish culture than they are to that of Ireland.
Regardless of your choice, I would recommend a hike in either country. I've hiked two 100-mile-long trails in Ireland (Dingle Way in the west, Wicklow Way in the east), as well as the Lake District in England. Scotland also has an extensive system of trails. A day hike is worth the time in either Ireland or Scotland.
