Meals on the tour

JazzyJeffJax

Hi:

Can anyone provide feedback to the quality of the restaurants and food offered during your tour?

Were the places more touristy, chains or local restaurants?

Thank you

Claudia Sails

We haven't taken this specific trip but have a couple of Tauck river cruises under our belt with 2 trips planned next year. The cruises usually include 2-3 meals on shore at a special location - as detailed in the itinerary. With only a few exceptions we've been very happy with the meals included.

In general for Tauck, most included meals are taken at the hotel you'll be staying at. If you go to the hotel's website you can usually read up about the restaurants at the hotel and frequently view their menu.

Special occasion meals like the welcome and farewell dinner, ones at a special location, etc may have a set menu or one where you have a limited choice between options i.e. vegetarian, etc.

I've never eaten at a chain restaurant on a Tauck trip although when you are left on your own to chose you certainly can. Hard to tell on the "touristy" question. Tauck took us for lunch at a German style restaurant in Heidelberg. Food was excellent - I even liked the sauerkraut. The locals may view it as tourist but we all enjoyed it. Generally Tauck goes pretty high end.

I note this is a Bridges (family) tour so there could be some differences compared to a standard Tauck tour.

A couple of tips.

If you are left to find your own meal, do some research on the area. I pull up the hotel on google maps then use the "Nearby" option to look in the area. Google will show many (but not all) and usually let you click on the restaurant for reviews, menus, etc.

I also read up on what the local food specialties are. What is the area particularly noted for. Don't try and find American food in Europe. It won't taste the way you expect.

AlanS

I haven't been on the Ireland Forever tour, but the establishments and food were excellent on The Best of Ireland. Contrary to what was true many years ago, food in the UK and Ireland is now very good, they have really upped their game. Tauck-included meals were at nice hotel and standalone restaurants, quaint Inns (the meal at Bushmills Inn in N. Ireland was fantastic), and hotels. There were only a few exceptions usually when visiting remote areas such as Kylemore Abbey where we ate at the small restaurant/cafe attached to the visitor center and near the Burren we had a charming light lunch of delicious, homemade sandwiches, salads, and hearty, homemade soups at a quaint roadside cafe. Food at both places was excellent, however as well.

Tauck scopes out all these places and will change locations if the quality of service and food ever declines. They don't take you to McDonalds, Dennys, or other fast food establishments, though I am sure the places they select for a Bridges tour, like Ireland Forever, will have an environment and food appropriate for adults and children.

If you look at the itinerary, there are several days where you have lunch or dinner on your own, and of course you cook your own dinner at Ballymaloe cookery school on day 5.