Hello fellow travelers! I am planning a solo trip (possibly joined by a friend) to Scotland and Ireland during the second half of July 2024 (including one day for which I have tickets for The Open at Royal Troon golf course), roughly 6-7 in each country. I have a friend in Scotland who can be my guide, but plan to fly from Gaslgow to Ireland and joing a group tour (not too expensive; I don't want to rent a car/drive). I am a woman in my late 60s and physically active, enjoy learning about other cultures with locals and visiting the main highlights/points of interest. Has anyone traveled thru "Just Go Holidays" or can recommend another local tour company? Do Americans need a visa to enter either of those two countries?
Recommendations for 3* hotels in the Glasgow area are also appreciated.
Thank you!
Posted by
Freedonia
16272 posts
No you don't need a visa.
Take a look at Rabbies for tours. I've taken a few tours with them and they are popular on this board.
I've never heard of Just Go Holidays.
Posted by
WI, WI
88 posts
I was in my late twenties when I did Ireland, and went with a friend. We did a tour and I honestly can’t remember which tour group we used, but it was one of these two.
Most people were in their 20s-30s but there was no age limit and there were a few people in their 40-50s. And one woman in her 70s who put us all to shame when it came to hiking, climbing, etc.
Most of the group did the hostel accommodations but we did the upgrade to bed and breakfasts, which I would do again.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2280 posts
I've not used Just Go Holidays but have heard negative reports from some people who have used them... Overall they don't get very good reviews on Trip Advisor either. Just Go aren't a local company, they are a national based in Cheltenham and cover the whole country. I would follow up the companies already mentioned. They all get much better reviews!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14723 posts
Be sure to dig in to the Trip Advisor link Wasley's posted. One of the main complaints I see is tour hotels in poor locations with some stating their hotels were in "industrial estates" with no restaurants nearby. You do NOT want that as a solo woman traveler.
I see you don't want a tour to be too expensive but you might look at the Rick Steves Heart of Ireland if it goes to some of the places you are interested in. Rick's tours are great for solo travelers and you can be guaranteed that the hotel locations will be convenient to restaurants and in safe locations.
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/ireland/heart-ireland
I hope you find something that will work for you. I have done a lot of tours, both Rick Steves (12 tours) and Road Scholar (13 tours) and this year have done 2 tours from Seymour Travels. I am a solo traveler and my first concern after itinerary is to make sure the hotels are in a safe and convenient. location. I'd caution you about low-priced tours...seriously you get what you pay for. I'm not up to paying for the very high end tours so go mid-range to make sure I'm in good locations.
Here is a link to the Road Scholar search page for Ireland even though it does not look like any are short enough for your stated time frame. Their search engine is awful as they've included several tours in England, Wales and Scotland but the Irish tours are listed first.
https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure?query=ireland
I guess what I am also suggesting is to look at Rick's and Road Scholar's itineraries AND the hotels listed and use that as a yardstick for other tour companies.
Posted by
20 posts
Check out Vagabond Tours. They have small group tours at reasonable prices. I took an 11 day Driftwood Tour that was great. They have shorter tours, and some that are more active.