Greetings, all,

The hubby and I have traveled in Ireland dozens of times, always self drive doing our own thing, staying at B&B's, often with family and friends. While we consider ourselves experienced travelers to Ireland, we are looking for input, tips, etc about traveling with a group on a tour bus. We will be going with an Irish American band and fellow fans... Are there issues that come up that are common to these group tours? Any do's and don't's to share?

Slainte!

I have Never taken a bus tour. I have worked in Hotels used by bus tours.. There is a common saying this is a Tour not a vacation.. Many are up early and on the road for 8 am dashing between towns sights and gift shops at the rate of a multi drop delivery driver arriving at the next overnight at 6pm, 6.30 pm meal and most members in bed before the music starts at 9.30.

My Advice. Look for a Small group tour, find one that gives free time and has enough days to cover the distance they sell. Having experience then you will be able to spot the rushed days newbies will not.

Best I can offer other than beware the tours that get regular reviews praising driver and guide,, you are going for the Facilities and Sights, Not the bloke paid to take and tell. If he is the best and most memorable part of the trip what does that say about the rest of it?

Go dté tú slán

Your tour sounds fun. Will they be performing each night somewhere? We have done pub tours with a local pub and had a blast. Never more than 24 and we set rules before we left. Had a meeting at the pub.
#1 you pack it you carry it
#2 Don't invite yourself to go with someone unless they ask, some couples and singles want down time away from the group
#3 Don't bitch about the accommodations (it was a challenge to find rooms for all of us and one year we had a whiner.
#4 Don't leave a mate alone in a bar drunk. We took care of our own.
#5 be ready when they say 9 am or back on the bus in an hour

#6 Don't switch seats after each stop--people are very territorial about their seats.

Re longhorns #6: on many tour buses, the driver or guide assigns seats each day or so, so the same folks don't claim the same choice seats every morning. Once a seat is tabbed for that day - it belongs to that person all day long.

And for flpab's # 5 - don't be late for anything. Meals, concerts/programs, luggage in the hall, on the bus, whatever.

LOL..I hope you actually get a tour group in which absolutely nobody is an "It's all about me" type and that everybody is on the bus and every day at the appointed time.

Sit wherever you want..you get on before anybody else in the morning, you get the pick of seats. This "territorial" BS is just that: a BS rationale designed to intimidate you from ever sitting in some seat Mr and Mrs JO "claimed" on the first day.

And then please don't "wait and see what everybody else does" before you decide you just cannot afford that few bucks for a guide's tip. Remember all those dorky questions that guide ended up answering? Remember when that guide had to wonder where the JO family was when everybody ELSE was ready to go?

Don't talk to anyone. They'll latch on to you for the entire trip. Learn a few words of Hungarian and keep repeating them on day one.

After the trip come back here and trash the whole experience. Posters will love that.

Look, it's a music group. To play together, they have to go on some sort of bus group tour with all the ups and downs that involves.

Most guides require seat rotation on group tours, but, since everyone in this group will already know each other, that may not be necessary or wanted.

You will have a blast!

Hi Dukey,

“Sit wherever you want..you get on before anybody else in the morning, you get the pick of seats. This "territorial" BS is just that: a BS rationale designed to intimidate you from ever sitting in some seat Mr and Mrs JO "claimed" on the first day.”

LOL. Have you ever taken a bus tour? Rotation of seats, as described on the first day of the journey, is de rigueur on most of these jaunts. However, RuaMor’s tour sounds different since they will be among friends.

Dukey, from reading you spirited posts, bus tours would not fit your MO, right? 

We made some great friends on these trips and as far as seating went those that wanted to hear commentary sat up front and those that wanted to sleep sat in the back. We were a very laid back group. It sounds like yours will be also and will be fun.

Some people just like to trash group tours of any kind. There are pluses and minuses to any way you travel. You will have a blast.

Most of the issues you cannot do anything about. If this is a cost controlled tour, you would be put up in inconvenient group tour hotels -- the kind people would not book with their own money if they had choices. You option for dining might be limited if any all.
I presume you are acquainted with fellow travelers. A tour brings good and bad you have not known about them before. You have to put up with the latter.
I would also recommend to pack light for a different reason than what you might think. When you arrive at a hotel, even if there are elevators, if your group is large, there will be a long queue to use the elevators. If you don't want to wait to get up, your must be able to carry up luggage. People who travel only on bus tours and cruises often bring enormous amount of luggage.
You also pack different on travel days. The biggest luggage go undercarriage or somewhere inaccessible until the final destination of the day. On the bus you need two bags. One larger one to keep all the things you need for the day but left on the bus (nothing valuable) and another to carry with you for that segment when you are off the bus. I don't know where your equipments go. I have never traveled with a band. Are you a band player or a fan?
I also travel from time to time with a special interest group.