waterford crystal factory by train or bus or tour???

Go to www.railtoursireland.com. They have a tour of Waterford,New Ross and Kilkenny.

Being a male, I was not overly impressed with the Waterford factory. It is OK but nothing unique. I doubt if we would do it again.

I beg to differ with Frank's assessment that Waterford is not anything unique. A factory tour is a factory tour, and I'm not sure there are any factory tours that I would do again, but I gained a whole new insight on what it takes to produce their gorgeous pieces. Being able to watch the craftsmen close up, and hear about the rigorous training they undergo gave me a new appreciation for the craft.

My mom love waterford crystal and I'm taking her. My question is do I have to do a tour? Or can we just do it on our own and grab the train and bus and head back to Dublin. Has anyone done it that way - without a tour.

You can just take the train or bus to Waterford on your own. Tours at the factory run all day, so you shouldn't have trouble getting in whenever you get there. If you are just interested in the crystal factory and aren't driving, this would be the quickest way to go. I'm not sure how far from the bus station the factory is, though, or what kind of transport you would need (taxi, probably) to the plant itself.

There are shuttle buses,city buses and taxis all awaiting you at the station to escort you to the factory, so transportation will not be a problem.

I agree with Nancy.I went to Waterford at my wifes urging and liked the tour very much.

I went to Waterford on a golfing trip with three other guys. We had a great time and learned a lot.

Valerie,
There are bus tours available from Dublin, but rent a car and drive there...Ireland is best viewed in the country and the car will get you there and back MUCH quicker than a bus tour...on the tour, we went in Feb 08 and had a great time...Friday's the cutters go home early if they met their quotos for the week, so try going M-Th, if you want to be able to see the whole tour...they are very proud of their crystal...it's a little pricey, but you can get nice gifts for reasonable rates, if you shop around the store and look for the deals. Also, sometimes, they have a master cutter on hand in the store, to sign pieces bought there...which only adds to the gifts nostalgic value.