Okay, one last dumb question, I promise! It's our first tour, so I am not familiar with all of the ins and outs.
Breakfasts are at the B&B; dinners are either on your own or with the group. Nothing is said about lunches. Do we grab lunch wherever we happen to be that day, or do they let you know to grab a brown bag lunch the day of prior to leaving on the bus?
No dumb questions! I just returned from my first RS tour as well - Germany, Switzerland and Austria - and it was phenomenal!
There were only a couple of days when lunch was provided on our tour, and we were told in advance when they would be. Each other day, the organized group activities normally ended around mid-afternoon/lunch time and lunch was on our own. We didn't have opportunities for brown bag. We had a few longer travel days between cities and on these days, we'd all have lunch in the same restaurant but we paid for it.
Hi, Linda. It's usually the former, but occasionally the latter. If the itinerary says you'll have the afternoon free at a stated destination, then you'll probably be done with morning activities by 13:00. If it's more of a driving day, the guide will choose a rest stop where dining options are available. If you were to have a rural lunch stop, the guide will either help you plan ahead or might go ahead and organize lunch for the group. If you're the type of person who needs a snack handy, you'll have plenty of shopping opportunities. Happy travels!
Hi Linda, are you taking the 8 or 14 day Ireland tour? I just returned from the 8 day tour. No need to pack a lunch. On "bus days" there will be a lunch stop, usually in a quaint village with a few restaurants. There is also often a deli where you can get a sandwich "to go" if you prefer to eat your lunch in a park, etc. At the Blasket Center, we had lunch in the cafeteria (soups, salads, sandwiches). Your guide will post the day's itinerary in the hotel lobby and will ensure that you have all the info you need to get through the day. No worries! Let me know if you need any other specific info. Ireland is beautiful and the people are very friendly. You'll have a great time!
Hi Donna! We are doing the 14-day, and leaving the 16th. I sent you a PM.
My experience was the same as Donna's.
In retrospect, I would have taken a sack lunch for the day we transferred from Kinsale to Dingle. We stopped at Muckross House for lunch but it was touring time as well and I didn't see everything that interested me. Ditto for Blasket Center. We stopped for coffee in the cafe, did some of the Center, then went back for lunch. In retrospect, I would have skipped coffee, had a quick lunch and spent more time looking around there.
The guide I had never mentioned/suggested grabbing a bag lunch.
This was my 2nd tour so I am more adept now at figuring out where I might need food. If I have a question about timing I will ask the guide a few days ahead if a stop is just for lunch or lunch and touring.
We did the 8 day tour in early May. As a group we had soup and sandwich together at the Rock of Cashel which we had not expected. Cliffs of Mohr and Great Blasket Islands had cafeterias to eat on your own. We did make a stop (the drivers have to stop every 2 hours) in a little town one day and had about an hour to grab lunch wherever we could find it. Remember grocery stores/markets are always a great place to pick up a quick meal!
