alldaytravel

Hi All - My parents are interested in travelling to Ireland and are looking for a tour group recommendation. Any suggestions? They are pretty low maintenance travellers, so they are not the types to do a ton of research. However, they want to book with a reputable company, that is going to offer solid tours of Ireland at a reasonable price. My parents are in their late 60's and they are looking for a tour company which will offer an all inclusive type package with guided tours and meals included as well. I know that they don't fit the profile of the typical Fodorite on this board, but any tour company suggestions which will help make their trip easy and enjoyable would be appreciated. Thanks!

adrienne

CIE specializes in Ireland and they are all inclusive.

http://www.cietours.com/

Padraig

I don't do escorted tours, especially in Ireland (where I live).

The biggest operator is CIE tours. See http://www.cietours.ie/product-list....reland%20Tours

abram

Road Scholar, the younger branch of Elderhostel, runs wonderful trips. www.roadscholar.org

Roisin1

Hi, Check out Pat Preston at www.irelandexpert.com. Look under Group Trips. Pat runs three trips to Ireland a year and has been doing so for many years. The trips are customized by Pat and coordinated by CIE. They include meals and tours.

My husband and I have been on Pat's Spring and Fall tours and are considering her Summer 2009 tour. We like to take the tour and follow it up with independent travel. The trips are low-key, casual and alot of fun, the hotels and meals are top-notch,and most importantly, the people on the trips are lovely. Since Pat is so well loved in Ireland, we always get the red carpet treatment wherever we go.

Good luck to your parents in planning their trip. They will love Ireland. Maybe we will see them on the bus or "luxury motor coach" as they like to call it in the travel industry.

JOHNOD

If you go to the Irish Tourist Board web site you will find lists of appproved Tour operators and all of the different tours they offer. Pic one or two than come back here for advice from folks who may have used that tour operator. I have never been on a guided tour but judging from the number of tour buses that have driven me off the narrow back road they are very popular. Have fun

Barbara_in_CT

Perhaps, not reasonable, but definitely a lot of fun and reputable is

http://tours.ricksteves.com/tours09/...code/IRE09/196

There is no tipping at the end.

alldaytravel

Thanks so much for the advice! Very helpful...

xyz123

I did a cosmos tour of Ireland a few years ago and it was fine...saw quite a bit and because of the narrow roads, Ireland is really not the greatest place in the world to drive (and the driver misses all the scenery).

Also Trafalgar is a very reputable tour company, have done many tours with them and they are first rate.

paddyboy

My husband and I are 63 and 65. Our 5th tour of Ireland was a group tour. It was wonderful, especially because the group was limited to 12 people. Our tour was through the company www.irelandtouring.com . The owner is Conn O'Scannlain. Conn's father worked for the Irish Tourist Board here in the states. Because we were a small group, the rapport was wonderful and we were not herded in and out of places. Conn advertises in the Irish publication "Ireland of the Welcomes". Pick up one at a magazine rack in a book store. His company is called Journey Through Ireland. Tel 800-828-0826 If you call, tell him Betty in Nashville, TN told you about him.