10 Days in Ireland -- Thinking Brendan Vacations - Thoughts or Tips
 

Hello All,

We're planning a 50-year old's birthday celebration in April 2015. She wants a trip to Ireland. We will have an extended family group, from five to 25, we're not sure yet. Not sure but probably all adults no children, with ages from 40s to senior citizens.

Looking at Brendan Vacation's Enchanting Emerald Isle tour: 9 days for $1425. Anyone have experience with this tour or touring company? Or can you make alternate recommendations?

Thanks so much for your help!

SassTraveler

I myself would prefer self-guided travel in Ireland, but if it's a large group, it's really a big responsibility for the person who organizes it. Unless you have someone willing to take on the task, and a group who isn't going to second-guess every decision the organizer makes, a guided tour might be best.

I'm afraid I can't recommend a tour group; I've been to Ireland twice, and both times did it all myself.

Depending on how many people you have you may prefer a private tour to a public one with a bunch of strangers. That way you can design a tour that will mean the most to your group (stopping at places realted to the family history etc) rather than a one size fits all.

BUT - before buying any tour I would do the basic research and decide which sorts of things you want to do and what you want to see.

Sorry - we too have only traveled there independently - so can't comment on any specific tour.

But as you plan do allow for the fact that though it's a very small country and distances aren't great it can be very time-consuming to get from one place to another due to spending a lot of time on slow country roads to get to many places.

Also- we reallyl ove Dublin - which many tours seem to almost ignore - and which has a LOT to see and do including some incredible local theater - we always try to see sometime by Wilde, Shaw or other Irish authors.

CIE does customized tours for small groups. It requires a group of at least 10. This way you can tour without people outside of your family group as well as design your own itinerary. We recently met some people who had traveled Ireland with them and they highly recommended it. http://www.cietours.com/us/groups.aspx

I would opt for a Private tour package rather than an off the peg option.. If you are aiming at spending up to 1500 each there are a multitude of companies who would fall overthemselves for your business.

http://www.cttc.ie/ might be a starting point.

Here's another one. We've come across these vans in Ireland and it always looked like a good choice. Then we talked to them at an Irish tour get together and again thought it wouldd be fun.

Just more research for you..
http://www.inroadsireland.com/

Hi SASSTRAVELER,

"We will have an extended family group, from five to 25, we're not sure yet." In that case I would not recommend traveling "independently." Too many variables.

I would investigate GRIMMY'S suggestion - " CIE does customized tours for small groups. It requires a group of at least 10. This way you can tour without people outside of your family group as well as design your own itinerary."

CIE offers dozens of itineraries in Ireland. Check out their site www.cietours.com/‎

I took a CIE tour through England and Wales a few years back and was quite satisfied with their offering, particularly their centrally located hotels. Also there were no "optionals" on the tour - everything was included.

Another advantage of a tour with such a large group - everyone knows what they are PAYING up front. CIE tours include most dinners - not gourmet but usually satisfactory. Folks can always opt for more gourmet offerings along the way for which, no doubt, tour directors can offer suggestions.

You will love Ireland...

Inroads would get my vote along with Driftwood or Brendans if you are set on an off the peg tour.. CIE,,Popular with US visitors but wouldn't get a look in from anyone living here.

i can suggest Brendan Tours or CIE. They both were an account of mine (years ago, granted) and i met the folks there. It's been a while since i checked pricing, and tours, but they would be quite similar i'm sure. enjoy ireland.

Thank you all. Great ideas to research. We're on it.

And thanks NYTRAVELER for suggestion on extra time in Dublin! I was thinking as much, but good to hear we're heading in the right direction.

Good travels to you all!

Sass

Btw BRENDAN was fantastic! Perfect for a large group of family and friends. And boy we saw a LOT for the price. But you do get up early!

Our guide Bernard and our driver Bobby were excellent. They made the trip.

Didn't think I was a "bus person" but I would do it gin in a heartbeat with another large group.

http://www.butlers-buses.com/

I did two pub tours with them. We had a bus that fit 23 people. They picked us up in Dublin. We did make our own reservations and decided where we wanted to go. Liam did offer suggestions and took us to some very out of the way places. We were a group of friends from Daytona and our pub owners organized the trips with input from us. I know it was a big job making everyone happy but they did. We got group tickets on aer lingus once and Delta another time. We had hotels and B&Bs. One time we had three b&bs in Doolin. We like Doolin. We explored the Burren, the cliffs, took a day trip to the Aran islands and partied at the three pubs in the village. We spent two nights there. Liam golfed on the day we did the ferry ride. He will take you wherever though.

SassTraveler, thanks for coming back and posting your experience. Did you end up with a private tour with Brendan's or one of their regular itineraries?
Did you find that you would have liked to stay longer on any of your stops?