I will be traveling to southern Ireland in June with my 72 yr old mother and two children 8 & 15). My mother suggested a packaged tour since I will be completely responsible for all the driving, luggage handling, etc. What do you think? Is there a tour company that has a package that would have intereting things for the various ages? My mother is into shopping and viewing the countryside, my son is into castles and would love to stay in one for a night, my daughter is an Irish Step dancer and is into Irish folk music, and I like it all, but want to have some self directed time.

A good compromise would be to base yourself out of places that also do bus tours. For example - plan on spending a couple of days in either Killarney or Athlone. You can see what you want on the drive there, but then take a break from driving by doing a bus tour ( Killarney - tours to Dingle Penn. or Ring of Kerry , Athlone - tours to the Cliffs or Galway, etc) That way you get to direct your trip, but can break up the days with individual bus tours, to allow you the driver a chance to see the scenery.<BR><BR>I did this last time ( and will again in spring) for the Ring of Kerry &amp; am planning a 1st tour for Dingle. Worked great and was a nice break from worrying about driving all the time.

I think the trouble with bus trips (for me) is the limitations - going when the group is scheduled to go when you are having a good time, staying at places you find boring...and there's always one group member who pushes the envelope and stays too long, so you can't spend as much time as you should have at places YOU wanted to see. It is also by far cheaper to get a car and plan your own trip! Its great to stay in small B&amp;Bs and get to know the local people! I highly recommmend planning the whole thing yourself (why give those companies the commissions for your self-drive package - just book airfare, rent a car, and book at least the first and last night's B&amp;B) Another tip - plan to stay in an area for a few days and take day-trips from there...you'll be amazed how helpful and friendly your b&amp;b hosts are and if you're there a few days they really go out of there way to help! And you'll get to know the folks at the pub (best places to eat... and children ARE welcome in the early evening hours!)

I agree with Kath. I did the tour bus thing a long time ago and it's very restricting. You need to leave at scheduled times, you have to be with the same group of people, and there is no diversion from the itineraries. Also much of your time is spent on the road. That is precious wasted time. Another bad thing is tour companies usually select out of the way hotels in order to save money. Of course, some tour co.'s have centrally located hotels too. <BR><BR>After that one tour I decided to go independent and decide where &amp; when I want to go. Since all of you have different interests you need to cooperate and work out a schedule to keep everyone happy. But you can do it on your own!

Thanks for your suggestions. I really like the idea of &quot;base&quot; cities and taking day trips from there.

Dear Terri,<BR><BR>It seems you've received right-on advice as regards bus tours versus self-drive vacations. <BR><BR>While I might quibble with Kath's contention that renting a car in Eire is &quot;far&quot; cheaper than the tour bus route (especially if one needs to rent an auto. transmission car), I couldn't agree with her more when she advises taking the self-drive tour.<BR><BR>If you're willing to do your homework (meaning securing lodging, selecting sights to see, and the like), then a self-drive tour wins hands-down over the restrictions and limitations that accompany a bus tour.<BR><BR>But don't fear, look at doing your homework as part of the fun, and not a chore. You'll learn much about Ireland along the way. Moreover, try not to see too many sights during your vacation. Less is often more. Too often first-timers to Ireland try to cram in way too many &quot;must-see&quot; sights, and because of it need a vacation from their vacation (a nod to Rick Steves). <BR><BR>Rather than driving from Kilkenny City to Dingle in a day, take time to get to know County Kilkenny's lovely countryside. Spend a few days here and there, rather one or two nights in a particular region.<BR><BR>Finally, arm yourself with a good, comprehensive guide to Ireland, such as the British-based Rough Guide. Also good and highly accurate is Bridgestone which publishes an annual guide to the 100 best restaurants and places to stay. I've had great success with both Bridgestone and the Rough Guide over the course of ten trips to Ireland, and I'd recommend both without hesitation. They'll help you save money and enhance your vacation.<BR><BR>Best of luck. <BR><BR>Best of luck

I think you've received sound advice. While tours have their place (inexperienced travellers, single people, people who don't like making any decisions/being in control) With your varied ages and interests, I can't imagine any tour fullfilling your needs/expectations. Especially the kids-they'd go absolutely batty and be bored to distraction, especially the 8 yr old. Well...I'm not sure it would be a 15 yr old's dream-come-true either!