dville

DO any of you have experience with the optional tours offered by the tour-like the pub visits? Are they worth the time & money or would we do better going to a pub on our own? For instance, in Sligo we are staying at the Clarion St Columba-are there friendly pubs nearby?

cigalechanta

ttt

janisj

There aren't that many "tour goers" on Fodors. Tend to be more independent travelers. But maybe someone who has taken your Globus tour will see your thread.

As I mentioned on your other thread - large tour excursions can't really take you to small, local pubs because most won't allow coaches or are too small to accomodate big groups.

So usually commercial tour groups are stuck w/ large tourist stop pubs with coach parks (i.e. parking lots large enough for tour buses)

Giselle

I tire of the holier than thou independent traveler. It's true, I haven't taken a bus tour since 14, but my mother forged a life long friend on that trip and we had a blast.

Maybe if this forum was more tour friendly, questions like this could be answered.

dville is also talking about going to pubs on their own perhaps, within walking distance of the hotel.

janisj

Giselle - what on Earth are you talking about??

Not one word of my post was unfriendly.

<i>There aren't that many &quot;tour goers&quot; on Fodors</i> Just a fact, most who post here ARE independent travelers. Not a good thing or a bad thing.

But SOME do take tours so <i>maybe someone who has taken your Globus tour will see your thread.<i> By topping dville's thread maybe someone who has taken a Globus tour will see her thread.

<i> large tour excursions can't really take you to small, local pubs</i>. This is the case - since small local pubs usually don't allow coach parties nor have room to park the bus. Because - they <i>won't allow coaches or are too small to accomodate big groups</i>

What was &quot;Holier than thou&quot; about any of that?

My main point was that if dville wants to visit small locals, they will need to get away from the coach party and go to pubs on their own . . . . . .</i></i>

janisj

oops - I was so aggitated I really messed that up.

This is better:

Not one word of my post was unfriendly.

<i>There aren't that many &quot;tour goers&quot; on Fodors</i>. Just a fact, most who post here ARE independent travelers. Not a good thing or a bad thing.

But SOME do take tours so <i>maybe someone who has taken your Globus tour will see your thread</i>. By topping dville's thread maybe someone who has taken a Globus tour will see her thread.

<i>large tour excursions can't really take you to small, local pubs</i>. This is the case - since small local pubs usually don't allow coach parties nor have room to park the bus. Because - they <i>won't allow coaches or are too small to accomodate big groups</i>

What was &quot;Holier than thou&quot; about any of that?

My main point was that if dville wants to visit small locals, they will need to get away from the coach party and go to pubs on their own . . . . . .

rkkwan

My parents went on the Cosmos Ireland tour. Cosmos is the cheaper sister company of Globus. They went to most of the optional tours, except for pub visits. That, they did it on their own and they did find local folks playing music - they have videotapes to prove. There's nothing special about going to pub in Sligo, I believe.

dblabd

We have been on several Globus tours and plan to go with them to Ireland this year. We tend to go on a lot of the optional excursions but are not planning to take the pub visits this year as we want to visit pubs on our own an we don't feel that excursion is a good value. We like the optional excursions that take us to an area that we wouldn't normally see or to an event or dinner that is unique. The restaurant excursions usually include a sightseeing opportunity and the entertainment excursions have wonderful seats.