In the fall, I will be among a group from RS Tours that will be touring Ireland. I have the itinerary that was given on the web site. However, was wondering if someone who has already been on one of these tours could fill me in on some of the other sites that we will be seeing. The web site does not mention too many 'stops' that are made during the bus rides from place to place. On the drive from Belfast to Dublin does the tour stop at Bru na Bóinne? What are some of the other sites that we are going to be seeing, if any, ....other than the ones listed on the web sites? Thank you.
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2787 posts
I am going on RS's Ireland tour starting Sept. 2 and have not received any detailed itinerary yet. Last correspondence from RS says more coming about one month before start of trip. If anyone has a detailed itinerary that they would be willing to share please e-mail me. Thanks
Posted by
Spokane, WA
477 posts
If you go to "Tours", "Tour Member Scrapbooks" you will see some quite detailed trip reports that people have posted. There are at least two good ones for Ireland. Of course, things may be different on your tour but it should give you a good idea of what to expect.
Have fun.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2734 posts
I haven't been on the Ireland tour (I did the 3 wk. best of Italy) but a friend did Ireland last year. The RS tour "divas" should be able to help you with more specifics, but my experience is that RS gives some flexibility to their guides to fill in the blanks. It will depend some on weather, time of year, day of the week (e.g. Sunday=bad in Italy), etc. On my Italy tour, we did everything on the printed itinerary, but a large number of other unadvertised things too. I was not disappointed by any of it. Plus, you get plenty of free time to do your own thing - some of my pre-planning was covered by the tour as an "extra" but I still had plenty to do. My friend's Ireland tour did stop at Bru na Boinne, but I would ask the RS folks if it is a for sure thing for your tour. I also concur with the suggestion to look at the online scrapbooks - excellent ideas about what kinds of things you will get to do. Have fun, I'm planning to take the Ireland tour in 2008!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32357 posts
Maureen,
I'd have to check my notes for specifics, but a few thoughts about the Ireland tour that I took a few years ago.
On my tour, Kilmainham Gaol was not included in the tour, but apparently it IS included now (if possible). I assume that's left up to the Guide? I would definitely recommend seeing that.
If you're planning to tour the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, it's worthwhile only if you're a huge Guinness fan. I found it interesting, but not something I consider a "must see". There are often huge queues to get in, so choose your time of day carefully.
My tour visited Powerscourt Gardens after leaving Dublin. Not sure if that's still included? It's beautiful and I thought that it was worth a visit.
In the Dingle area, we had a tour with a local Guide covering some of the historic sites, including the Gallarus Oratory, which I found quite interesting. You'll have a free day in Dingle, so you can perhaps visit the Blasket Islands if you're really interested, but that's very "weather dependent". The visit to Dingle is also a good time to get laundry done. You may get a chance to see an optional local music show in one of the Churches in Dingle. If that's the case, be sure to attend! Great place to have a pint of Guinness! That's a great town for Pubs and music - enjoy!
While in Galway, you may have the option of taking a trip to the Aran Islands, but again this will depend on the weather, as the boats don't run if the water is too "unsettled". That's definitely a good day trip, but if you're affected by motion some sea sickness pills would be an idea. When you arrive at Inishmore, be sure to browse the largest sweater shop in Europe. Also take a tour to Dun Aengus, the ancient fort. Be VERY careful looking over the edge, as it's a LONG way down! It's about a 20 minute (slow) hike from the car park to the fort. As I recall, you'll have a choice of a van tour, horse cart or bicycle (I'd suggest the Van as it's a more efficient use of your short time there, and the driver will provide a most entertaining narrative).
I found the visit to London/Derry very interesting, especially the history lesson related by the local Guide. The emotion in his description was almost palpable. I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit to the Bushmill's Distillery. Nothing like having some 16-year old single malt whiskey for lunch!
When visiting Belfast, one thing that's new since my tour is the Titanic exhibit. I would have really liked to see that, so will have to make a return visit one of these days.
That was an excellent tour, and the Guide that conducted my tour was outstanding!
Sláinte
Posted by
2081 posts
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE OLD OLD POSTS....
OLD POSTS DIE HARD.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32357 posts
@Ray,
Didn't notice the date of the post. I'm still trying to get used to the format of the "new" HelpLine, so I missed seeing the date.
Posted by
2081 posts
@ Ken,
youre not alone. lots of DEAD posts showing up.
happy trails.