CIE compared to Globus/Trafalgar
 

Unfortunately I waited too long to book my August trip to Ireland & Scotland and found the Trafalgar tour I was interested in on the only date I could go was listed as full. No amount of pleading with those clowns would get them to at least wait list me for the inevitable cancellation. In any event, after thorough research, I have found tours with both Globus and CIE similar but unfortunately njot as good as the Trafalgar tour I wanted. From my research, Globus and Trafalgar are pretty close and you can have a good tour with one and a bad tour with the other or vice versa depending on the luck of the draw. But I am unfamiliar with CIE.

So is anybody here familiar with CIE (don't bother to tell me not to do a tour, I find them less hassling) and can give me insight (speaking of Insight, they also have a similar tour but somehow I think the clientelle would be too upscale for little old me) as to their opinions of CIE tours if they've done one.

Thanks

Did you look at Cosmos? They're in the same family as Globus but a bit cheaper. I've traveled with both Cosmos and Trafalgar and thought they were very similar for quality. I went through the UK (England, Scotland & Wales tour) with Cosmos and loved it. I know they have a couple tours through Ireland and Scotland and if nothing else you could possibly combine two tours, one of Ireland and one of Scotland.

Sorry, I have no idea about CIE.

CIE is a good tour company but definitely not upscale IMO. I have no experience with Globus, Cosmos or Trafalgar, but I am familar with all three. If I was planning to do a tour, I would choose CIE.

I always thought that CIE specialized in tours of Ireland and in looking at their bus tour offerings, most of their trips are within Ireland. Because of this I would choose CIE. I would never choose a Globus tour again. I have a friend who did a CIE tour and was happy with it.

I have been on a CIE tour of Ireland a few years ago, and was very pleased with them. Had no complaints about the hotels, and the driver and tourguide were very helpful, and very definately Irish.

What most impressed me was that they did not sucker you into any extras, like all the other tour companies I have ever traveled with, where you spend nearly as much as you did for the tour on optionals. Everything was included right from the start. I would not hesitate to travel with them again.