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Seeking information from travelers
My husband and I are looking into this trip for 2024. Any insight would be helpful from those who’ve been on this specific tour. We are particularly interested in if you used Tauck for your airline reservation, how you liked the meals, and if you felt there was too much free time. We also are debating on when it would be most advantageous to add a day - beginning or end. Thanks in advance!
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We took the Best of Ireland in 2022, enjoyed it. Meals were fine, and we saw a lot of things. I think that the free time was OK, I don't remember any issues. There were a couple of free afternoons abd we walked around the area on our own.
We made our own air reservations via Aer Lingus, non-stop from Boston and the fare was better than what Tauck charged, but I would certainly call Tauck, and check expedia (or equivalent), things were simple because we could go non-stop. If you need connections,Tauck may have a better deal.
I did the Best of Ireland small group tour this summer. I did not use Tauck for my airline reservation. I always ask what Tauck can do for me with regard to airfare and flights, but have never used them. I had 3 days in Dublin on my own before the tour began. There's much more to do in Dublin than in Kilkenny, where the tour ended. (I love Kilkenny, though -- I spent a couple of days there without a tour several years ago, and passed up the optional activities at the Lyrath Estate Hotel our final afternoon of this trip, so I could spend more time in Kilkenny town.) Tauck does not include a tour of Trinity College on the trip, but you can book it on line in advance. This trip, I did Trinity (my second time there), Glasnevin Cemetery, the Irish Whiskey Experience, the Rising Museum at the GPO and a day trip out of Dublin to find my grandfather's home before the tour began. During the tour, but during our free afternoon and evening in Dublin, I went to the National Museum of Ireland and had a behind-the-scenes tour of the Abbey Theatre, and then went back to the Abbey that night to see a performance. On a previous trip to Dublin, I went to Kilmainham Gaol, which I highly recommend. The meals were fine. (Eating is not a high priority for me when I travel...except for the scones in Ireland and the UK.) In Galway, our included lunch was a traditional boiled dinner of bacon (not strip bacon -- more like ham) and cabbage. It had a sauce. I grew up eating boiled dinners of smoked shoulder (which is like ham) and cabbage, and never had sauce on it, so that was about the only thing I didn't care for. A lot of people complain that there is too much food on Tauck tours. Certainly, no one will ever come away from a tour hungry, but you don't have to eat all the food! And the guests are always asked for dietary restrictions. I've been on tours where people have been vegetarian, lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant, and all of their needs have been met. Let me know if you have specific questions.
We took this one in 2018. We enjoyed the meals which frequently featured seafood. Living in a landlocked state it was a treat. Everything else was good too. Be sure to try Sticky Toffee pudding for dessert.
I'd recommend extra days in Dublin as there is tons to see in the city and nearby plus the advantage of getting over jetlag a bit before your tour starts. When we planned ours we were just going to use our Gift of Time at the start (a free night Tauck gives returning guests) but when we looked at the airfare arriving on Thur instead of Fri was cheaper and paid for another night at the hotel. That gave us time in Dublin and a full day to book a daytrip to the Boyne Valley north of Dublin.
As to airline you'll get lots of opinions of this one. We normally book with Tauck air but you certainly don't have to. The biggest advantage is you don't pay for the tickets and aren't committed to them until you pay your tour balance. Tauck's air is a contracted fare which means they don't necessarily have all the different airlines and routes that you could get on your own. Those who live near a major hub like Atlanta or JFK can often do better especially on a tour like this where you can get a direct flights to/from Dublin. When you have to deal with multiple legs to get into position for a tour start it gets trickier. If you purchase Tauck's insurance the airfare is covered whichever way you decide to go.
Enjoy, it's a beautiful country and wonderful tour.
We always think it’s better to add a pre-stay and more than one if you can. If the end city is of interest, we try to book extra there too.
We have found over the years that Tauck just touches the surface in most places and there is much more to see.
We took DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) to Hough on our own, a maritime town with great seafood. Half an hr ride on the train and more "small town". Also, get an Irish sweater in Dublin, excellent designs and great prices compared to the US
I believe that the Tauck insurance covers the airfare whether or not Tauck books the flights. Several years ago, my daughter had to cancel a trip about a week before it was supposed to begin because of work commitments, and the insurance reimbursed her for the flights that she had booked on her own. (Maybe it has since changed.)
I think it may have changed Tauck explained it somewhere in the bowels of their website recently
Since Covid hit, they obviously have had to be less generous. Maybe once they have recovered more, they might change. Except now they are more in line with everyone else in the industry.
Definitely have a least two extra days in Dublin. There is so much to see. As you walk through St Stephen's Green read all the placards describing the situation in 1916. Go through Merriam Square to see the Oscar Wilde statue. Just walk and explore.
We were there in June and went to an evensong at St Patrick's cathedral where we were able to hear the boy's choir which sings with the adult choir. It's not just boys any more. There were some girls and women in it. We ate at the Boxty House which has been mentioned in the past. They have a very good seafood chowder.
All of the museums are quite good (and free). You can see the bog bodies and learn the history behind them. Pop in and out of the museums to see whatever interests you.
We were at Trinity College during graduation. Students and families dress up in comparison with what you see in the US, where the students wear shorts or whatever they can hide under their gowns. Imagine three inch heels on cobblestones and dresses that you would wear to a fancy event.
If you like lamb the best was in Ennis where the rack of lamb was wonderful. Don't miss it thinking you will get another chance to order lamb. It surpassed all the other offerings.
I don't see the need to add any days at the end. The tour ends in a rural area away from a town. Unless you want to play golf, it's not a place to spend the extra day. The last day we were given the option the falconry experience where you put on the leather glove and the birds land on your hand. I was skeptical but was so glad that I come it.
If I was going to describe the trip...the first week is cities and the second countryside.
We went several years ago when the tour started in Ennis. I don't know if the lunch is the same, but you might want to eat a light breakfast on Day 4 because the lunch at the Bushmills Inn on the Antrim coast was fantastic- choices of freshly carved meats, some right off the spit, and a variety of breads, freshly cooked breads, starches and vegetables. One dessert offering was Sticky Toffee Pudding- it was to die for.
As far as air- we generally book on our own because it is cheaper. However, we made a late decision, only a few months out, to go to Ireland when Tauck had some vacancies. At that late date Tauck's airfare beat anything I could find on my own.
I agree with Alan that the lunch at Bushmill's Inn is huge (It was a "Sunday roast" the day we were there) but as I mentioned in a prior post, you don't have to eat (or choose) everything. For example, we were given the option to choose 3 slices of meat from ham, turkey , and something else, which I can't remember, probably beef. You could choose 1, 2 or all 3, or multiples of one or two. I took one bite of the sticky toffee pudding, which was enough for me, which I am glad I tried it, that was enough for me. I did feel that I had to try Bushmill's whiskey, since I was there (which was on my own dime). Many others loved the sticky toffee pudding. Our tour director, Vincent Butler (of the Duke of Ormond Butler family, which he revealed only because I asked him) provided us with a recipe for sticky toffee pudding at the end of the tour. And our tour started in Dublin (not Ennis, like Alan's) and ended in Kilkenny, but I absolutely loved the one night we spent in Ennis (in the Old Ground Hotel, a modest hotel) and hope to get back there some day.
If you haven't already done it, whenever you get back to Ennis, take a tour of nearby Bunratty Castle and Folk Park (village), and be sure to get reservations (many months early) for their medieval banquet. Decent food and a very entertaining evening. We did it the night before the start of the tour. We arranged with the concierge for a driver to take us there (turned out he was also our Tauck transfer driver.)
We were on this tour in June. The meal at Bushmill's was not like Alan and others had experienced in the past. It was served from a limited menu. For the meal we chose cod with a crusted herb coating served on a bed of mashed potatoes. Dessert was the sticky toffee pudding. The portion was large which was fine with us because dinner is on your own that evening.
What we noticed on this trip is that vegetables were scarce compared with what we are used to eating at home. Mashed potatoes were plentiful but vegetables and salads were pretty much non-existent.
At Bushmills, we had a delicious fish pie and Sticky Toffee pudding. Seems like dessert is the only consistent feature.
I believe that "Sunday roast" is a thing in the UK. And we were there on a Sunday. And with our meats, we had a sausage (more meat!), potato, carrots, spinach or kale (couldn't tell) and cauliflower.
I don’t think I have ever been on any vacation that has anywhere near the amount of vegetables we eat at home, not counting the salad vegetables. Except perhaps on some of our Africa trips. But it’s the same at restaurants in the US.
Yes indeed, there always was a Sunday ‘dinner’ in the UK, which was eaten at lunch time after you had been to church. I doubt it is popular now, but if you are in a tourist area, you will be offered it, quite often at a place that has a ‘Carvery’ and it might be a pub.
We did this tour in September. Naturally it was the wettest September in history😊. We knew it would be rainy but when we went to Cliffs of Mohr we could barely see them. It w as rainy and so windy. Be sure to take a rain jacket with a hood. We loved Dublin. We spent an extra day there at the beginning of our trip and would do that again. Kilkenny is beautiful but not much to do there. We did do the falconry experience there and loved it. We did not kiss the blarney stone, instead they took us to The Jameson Experience. I think I would have preferred kissing the blarney stone😊. Our guide, Bailey was wonderful and our bus driver was top notch. Lovely trip.
We did the Tauck Ireland tour in 2018. Had the absolute worse tour director we've ever had. But we stayed at several places that had very nice golf courses and we skipped the day's excursion and played golf. It was fairly warm when we were there and most of the hotels did not have air conditioning. We opened the windows but there were no screens.
My father was Irish so I thought I'd feel some kinship with the "old country", but didn't.
https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2018Ireland-01.htm
I’ve never seen screens on any windows in any countries that I can recall except the US and now love them. When we lived in a England, it was just acceptable in the summer, you might get flies in the house.
My grandfather was born in Ireland and my mother, though born in England, spent some of her younger years there. I’ve never been! Partly because when I might have had the opportunity, it was the time of ‘The Troubles’ the bombings. My husband has been to Dublin several times. I might finally be at least going to Dublin next summer on a stopover for four days on an England trip, details with our group not finalized yet. I’ll be using all the site seeing ideas seen here over the years. Thanks everyone!
We were on the Ireland tour this past June and spent two additional days in Dublin. We lucked out to see graduation at Trinity College. Unlike in the US, the students and their families were very dressed up. They even had three inch heels on the cobblestones!
We went to evensong at St Patrick's Cathedral because we wanted to see the boy's choir. It was about a half an hour and had both a children's choir and an adult choir. They had just begun including girls and women in the choirs. You may have attended evensong in England but others in your group may be interested. The church also has quite a bit of history associated with it.
The Chestier Beatty Library has a really good museum and definitely go to the EPIC Museum. That was one of the highlights of our trip.
If you walk around St Stephen's Green (inside along the fence), you'll see a series of placards describing the part it played in the 1916 uprising. It gave us a larger understanding of some history that we did not learn about in US schools.
For me Dublin (with all of the history and museumsI) was the highlight of our trip.