2013gA

This 2016 Summer, my wife and I are taking an escorted bus tour of England and Ireland. Although there are several extra excursions available, we usually like to make our own choices with the time at our disposal, and even save money. We hope that we will find in this forum the suggestions we are seeking. Please, help us decide what to do and where to eat (local traditional food preferred) in these places:
- Plymouth / evening
- Killarney / full day plus another evening
- Limerick / evening
- Dublin / full day
- Liverpool / evening
- Inverness / evening
- Edinburgh / half day in the PM
- London / half day in the PM
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
-gA

BigRuss

Uh, how can we tell you what to do with your limited time when you don't link the bus tour itinerary, which will show what you're going to do with the tour?

Can't help you fill in gaps if you don't show us where the gaps are.

You need to state a budget for your dinners.

And what does "local traditional food" mean? The national dish of the UK is chicken tikka masala and it didn't come from the indigenous Picts, Scots, Irish or Angles. In Scotland, there's more "traditional food" than haggis and oatcakes.

janisj

Since you haven't told us what the tour <i>is</i> providing and/or what you are seeing in each of those places, not sure how we can recommend what <i>else</i> to see/do. Also where your hotels are can make a difference in several of those places.

What sorts of things do you enjoy?

janisj

was posting at the same time . . .

thursdaysd

Depending on the tour, you might be better off ditching the whole thing aside from hotels and transport and doing all your own sightseeing and eating. But you need to link to the itinerary.

janisj

One problem may be if some of the hotels are in inconvenient or semi-remote locations, it may not be possible to ditch the whole thing.

so yes, do link the tour . . .

Gretchen

As others have said, hard to know what to recommend--and why are you doing a tour if you like to do things yourself--and save money.

2013gA

It seems that I need to clarify:
-the tour company is taking care of all travel and SOME meals and tourist attractions.
-in some locations, they have all covered, but in others, such as in my list, they leave some time to use on our own.
-I only need help with those things I have asked for, hopefully by people that can help. Where to eat more than what to eat.
-'chicken tikka masala' is OK if you know of a good place that serves it. Heck, I will even eat 'Alligator tiki-tiki cooked on the moon' if the place is recommended.
-budget? 1 Euro could be a ripoff, but 100 Euro could be a bargain.
-if an attraction warrants, I will get there, no matter where the hotel is. I will decide on the time needed for the different locations.
-I like historical places, buildings, monuments, etc.. but also anything else that's considered 'a must'.
-tour details at http://www.globaljourneys.com.au/coa.../globus/gt.php

Thanks for the quick replies.
-gA

janisj

Yeah - that was my thought as well

>><i>we usually like to make our own choices with the time at our disposal, and even save money</i><< . . . would sort of preclude a tour in the first place.

PalenQ

Scotland - fried Mars Bars are popular and very unique

fish and chips and not tikka masala though that is very popular and though not developed by Scots, Angles, etc as Big Russ says was I believe developed in Britain so is the ultimate British dish I guess for take out or restaurants - try the Chinese take-outs everywhere or the many South Asian restaurants - few English ones except for low-end cafes serving beans on toast and other savouries.

janisj

2013gA: We were posting at the same time so I didn't see your link. Have you already paid for that tour? For the most part it is VERY rushed w/ eleven one nighters and a LOT of coach time and is very expensive. Most of the hotels are well located, but you aren't going to have much free time most places. For instance you leave London and visit Canterbury Cathedral and the Brighton Pavilion the same day. That is about 5 hours on the coach plus the two visits.

Day 18 is insanity. About 8 hours on the coach with only a short stop at the Museum at the Clan Donald Centre.

And Day 20 - 7+ hours on the bus and looking at Braemar and St Andrews from the coach window.

Your hotel in York was under water last week (terrible floods in York) so there may be a change in plans there.

2013gA

To: anisj on Jan 7, 16 at 1:47pm

We are aware that the tour is 'busy' and we chose it because we wish to cover, although schematically, as much of the Country as possible. Thankfully, we're not all the same.

During the tour there are some free times and some excursions offered that are not of our liking. Others are. We are seeking help, from those who can and understand the situation, on deciding what to do during those 'free' times. May be you can't help, and that's OK, even though you feel compelled to participate. Thank you, anyway.
-gA

ESW

Having looked at the tour, which really is pretty hectic, you may be thankful of free time to relax and recharge batteries ready for the next onslaught....

thursdaysd

I would be SO tired of the coach. There's an awful lot of driving and viewing and precious little visiting. And the group is bigger than I would sign up for.

You see so little in London it's hard to give advice - you really need to find a guidebook and pick yourself - some people would visit the Tower, some would head for Westminster Abbey, I'd go to the British Museum or the British Library or the V&A...

In Edinburgh there's the new Parliament building, a cathedral, house museums in the old and new towns, Roslin Chapel on the outskirts.

In Dublin I'd go inside those places they just drive past, although my number one sight for Dublin would be the Book of Kells, it's probably not to everyone's taste.

For the evenings I'd find a good restaurant, everything else will be closed. You might look for a copy of the Good Food Guide, or check the reviews on yelp or Open Table or Chowhound.

flpab

When you go to the Causeway there is a hotel there with a great bar and pub lunch if hungry.
Belfast, have to stop at the Crown, see if you can tour the city hall or get a Black cab tour. The same artisans that built the Titanic built city hall.
You get several days in some spots. Love that you are going to Belleek.
Dublin, Trinity/library/ book of Kells, St Stephen's Green, look for Oscar and his house is across the street from his statue. Grafton St and Temple Bar always for first timers.
http://www.museum.ie/Home all very good

http://www.thepigsear.com/ farm to table

http://boxtyhouse.ie/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio..._Scotland.html
I loved this cathedral. I can just be happy wandering around this city.

http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/rest...errowedinburgh

Visit the cemetery behind it.
Have a wonderful trip and get a seat in the front of the bus.

janisj

>>Have a wonderful trip and get a seat in the front of the bus.<<

The tour director will make everyone shift each day. Otherwise it isn't fair.

cathies

Not always Janis, we did a thankfully short, four day tour of the Peloponnese some years ago. One Spanish couple would sprint to the bus each day so they could have the front seats. The funniest day was when a Canadian chap decided he'd sprint to the bus in the morning. The rest of us were in stitches watching this play out. He didn't want the front seats, but he severely upset the Spanish couple.

Btw, I suspect that first half day in London is a drive by most of the sites mentioned. You couldn't possibly do all of that in half a day.

thursdaysd

Almost everything is a drive by. If an itinerary says "see" you don't go inside. Only "visit" gets you inside.

I did a tour of Morocoo with a couple who claimed they would get motion sickness if they didn't sit in front.

janisj

Cathie's, that is funny. But on the vast majority of coach tours, especially large groups like this one, they either assign seats daily or have a lottery.

cathies

And that seems eminently fair, Janis. Our tour guide was a cow who lived for her commission at the retail opportunities. At each stop she would pull up a chair at the counter and that's where she stayed until there was no possible hope of any of us making another purchase. The driver was a gorgeous chap who everyone liked and happily tipped on the last morning, the guide, not so much.

Thursdaysd, I didn't know that about seeing as opposed to visiting, thanks for clarifying.