The Best of Ireland
We are taking this tour ( first time on Tauck) in August. As we are looking at the day to day itinerary, there seems to be quite a lot of free time. Just interested to hear from anyone who has been on this tour if you found there to be too much free time or was it just the right amount of time. Also, will be there suggestions as to what to see and do with our free time and what about transportation to sights when we are on our own?
Thank you!
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I did that trip back in 2018. You can see our trip at - https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2018Ireland-01.htm
It was an okay trip, but not the best. Northern Ireland was more interesting than Ireland, proper. Lots of farm fields, especially sheep farms.
I do not remember an excess of free time. There was lots to see in the towns within walking distance of our hotels.
Don’t forget, Tauck is incorporating more and more free time on their tours, which I don’t like. If you went a while sfo, the tour might have been changed to reflect these changes.
British, you are correct. But the fact remains that there was lots to see in the towns within walking distance of our hotels or before meeting the bus to go back to the hotel.
Hi PatW, I went on the Week in Ireland Tour last year and absolutely loved Ireland. Our tour director did give us suggestions for things to do in our free time and also restaurant suggestions for dinners on our own. On the past 5 Tauck tours I have taken, there was always suggestions from the tour director about things to do with free time. Usually we go to places that we can walk to, but have taken a taxi to get to places further away. Sometimes there is a public bus route too. I like to do some planning ahead of time, so usually I look at this forum and Trip Advisor to see what they suggest for things to do and pick out a couple activities that interest me. Also the concierge at the hotel can help. My husband and I like horseback riding, so I emailed the concierge person ahead of time to ask if that is available nearby and how do we get there? Enjoy your trip! I want to go back. And by the way, we loved Air Lingus for an airline
Pat W, I absolutely love Ireland, but I toured it with another company. If you need any suggestions for how to fill free time in Dublin, Killarney or Galway hit me up. I kissed the Blarney Stone so I have the gift of gab.
I do appreciate all the comments but I am somewhat disappointed in the amount of free time and meals on your own. As I mentioned this will be our first Tauck tour, we tend to take cruises but really wanted to see the country which you don't get a chance to do on a cruise. We usually sail on Regent and love the all inclusiveness and thought Tauck might be similar. I gather on river cruises they are all inclusive. SandyFeet may I ask what tour company you used ( might not be allowed)?
Pat, did you read about which times were free and what meals you have to find on your own before you booked the tour, it’s pretty clear what the itinerary will be.
I’ve only been on one big ship ocean cruise and hated it. Give Tauck a chance as it is a totally different experience. We tried the cruise just to sure we were not missing anything but it definitely wasn’t our thing.
PatW, you may find that you love to have free to explore and linger at your own pace. I find that some built in free time even on river cruises make the adventure more memorable. Some times I wish that I had more time to really appreciate the local rather than being herded in one direction or the other. We have taken several small group tours we always find a couple or two who want to join us for non scheduled activities. The great thing about land tours is you have the opportunity to stay in town after the day trippers and cruise lines have left. Enjoy your trip. May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and the road downhill all the way to your door.
I certainly agree with Ben. One of the many reasons why we enjoy traveling with Tauck is the balance between being guided along and the freedom to explore on our own. Our best travel memories have always been the unscripted ones.
Thank you for all the input. Now, we just need to wait for August. Can't wait to experience Ireland!
I agree with Ben and kfnknfzk about the free time and not included meals. These give you times to explore your interests which may not be the same as others on the trip. You also get to see unexpected things. For example in Killarney, we saw Ukranian flags and an orthodox side altar in the Church of Ireland. The people in the town bonded with the refuges from Ukraine and gave their priest a place to have their services (Eastern Orthodox)!
In Dublin you may find that you want to spend more time in the EPIC museum than is allocated by the tour. You can always walk back to the hotel. A walk through St Stephen's Green gives an understanding of the fighting that took place during the uprising in Dublin.
Read some guidebooks before you go and think about which local dishes you would like and find a restaurant that offers them. Again, what you prefer may not be what some others would prefer.
My preference is the Rick Steves guidebook which has walking tours of most of the places you will be visiting.