Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Sceptre Ireland

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)

- - Sceptre Ireland (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/sceptre-ireland-249840/)

Has anyone taken a Sceptre b&b/w car trip? Would like to hear from anyone who has. Good and bad..we are thinking about doing one. And would like to hear about the b&b's and also about the driving in Ireland..Any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks

Dot: I have never used Sceptre, but they have been around for quite a while. I have always gotten lucky on airfares and it has been cheaper for me to book individually, but I always watch their prices. They can be pretty good deals. As far as B&Bs are concerned, I would probably upgrade to their T&C option, because it increases your choices dramatically. Not all B&B owners like the voucher system as they don't make as much money off of them and ocassionally on busy travel weekends won't take them knowing they will fill up with full price paying customers. None-the-less, and this debate will rage on, vouchers get used a lot and in the right package, can be cost effective. It sort of depends on how diligent you want to be watching airline rates. Driving in Ireland is an adventure (a fun one). A good rule of thumb is to double (or more) the average driving time from place to place in Ireland based on what you are used to in the US. It will take about the full first day to get fully used to being on the left side of the road, but you will be so freaked out by it, you will be alert enough to pay attention. Be cautious of how much car you have to your left. Hubcaps and mirrors are the first to go. I suggest getting an automatic if this is your 1st attempt at driving on the left. Some really to hip for the crowd person will come along and call me a wimp, but this is generally heralded as good advice. The only other sugeestion is that a lot of their packages are for 6 nights. Stay longer!!! Bill

Going there in Nov with them so I can let you know then how it is. We are doing the B&B package with a night stay in a castle.

Dot, We used Speptre last October. We upgraded to the town and country package en-suite. Also upgrade the car to automatic and get the extra insurance. The last night in Ireland we stayed at the Dromoland Castle and they accepted our vouchers and we had a supplemental charge for the difference. I booked this through the castle itself. Jurys christchurch hotel in Dublin also accepted the vouchers without an additional charge. There are alot of very nice B and B's and I wouldn't hesitate to book if the price is right.

Dot, we took Sceptre b&b/car trip in our first trip to Ireland. Having not been to Ireland and having done the math, our second trip to Ireland we booked our own air & car & stayed in our own choice of B&B's. Sceptre limited us with their B&B coupons. Not good for farmhouse B&B's or if you wanted to stay in a hotel somewhere. Sceptre did nothing other than book Air/Car/give us coupons for B&B's. My advice is do the math. You'll come out better. Last year, the most expensive B&B for my wife and I was $48.00 per night -- and that was a 1st class B&B. Good Luck. P.S. I prefer to wing it. Once you get there, the locals will steer you towards the places to go.

Sue, question about the B&Bs you went to. Sceptre sent us a little book of B&Bs in differnt places, all of course taking vouchers. But if you go to www.townandcountry.ie it gives more places that accept vouchers. Spectre of course didn't answer my e-mail when I asked them, but can you only use them at THEIR places or just any place that accepts vouchers????

There are B&B's that don't take the Sceptre vouchers -- for example, farmhouse B&B's don't. They have their own vouchers. If you come across some nice B&B's not listed in the book, they don't take the Sceptre vouchers.

Krista, You can only use the Sceptre vouchers at the one's in their book. They do offer additional B&B's at a cost

Author: McGuyver ([email protected]) Date: 08/25/2002, 04:15 pm Message: I just Booked my second trip with Sceptre tours 1st trip was In January rt AIR 6 nights b&b self drive with car for $399.with upgrade to the town and country plan $30.00 for more than 2500 additonal B&Bs with voucher system . they offerd for an additonal $7.00 per person to put us in a hotel in dublin for our last night. and a hotel for our first night in Shannon . the total cost was with tax $511.00 The voucher system worked well. I pre booked the B&Bs ahead . some places I called they had avalibility till I told them I had a voucher but all the places we stayed were great !it is hard to find a B&B in Dublin for vouchers But just get one in the town of Swords the bus #46&48 takes 15 minutes to get to O'Connell Street. I just booked for end of Feb - March a pub tour for $499 rt air 6 days 4 nights, 4 night hotel , 2 dinners 4 breakfast, private coach with guide driver. with tax $540 and extended my flight home for 3 days later with no additional charge I would recomend to upgrade to the town and country book . In Galway try the Mandaly Bay B&B and the Hollywood B&B in Swords/Dublin

Krista, We had no problem using the Spectre vouchers. We stayed at Redwood in Killarney, very nice and all amenities-web-site is www.kerry-insight.com/redwood. I emailed prior to booking and asked if they accepted Spectre vouchers. In Bunratty we stayed at Bunratty Villa, also nice. In Kilkenny we stayed at Lichfield B & B, smaller room but very friendly hosts. All of these B&B's were very clean and well-kept. I wouldn't hesitate to return. The only problem you may have is on the weekend, you could offer to pay the difference along with the voucher.

We are going the first week of Nov. Our first night in Limerick is taken care of (has anyone heard of the Two Mile Inn????) and in Dromoland for our last night. I want to see Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny, Cliffs of Moehr/the Burren and Galway if we have time. Anyone stayed in any Sceptre B&Bs on the way, and if so did you like it or not??? Thanks!!

We recently went to Ireland with Brian Moore which is a lot like Sceptre I believe. When I emailed to make reservations at the TownandCountry B&B's, I always asked if they accepted vouchers (their website will also tell you)but I just wanted to make sure. As we always asked for ensuite all we had to do at ANY B&B we wanted to stay at was to pay extra for the ensuite (bathroom) (about $5.00 per night) We never had anyone turn us down with the vouchers except in Dublin. Hardly anyone in Dublin accepts vouchers anymore

Krista we stayed at the two mile inn it is a Best Western hotel it had nice rooms all on the same floor and nice breakfast in the morning it has a good pub Thady O'Neils on the property that has good music and food . I would recomend the Mandalay Bay B&B in Galway they take vouchers very nice on Galway Bay owned buy a couple from Rode Island.