Joan

My husband and I will be traveling on a CIE tour in late March to Ireland. I was wondering what kind of weather to expect at that time? What to wear and what to pack?And any comments on CIE tours would be greatly appreciated.Thanks Joan

Cathy

Joan, <BR>CIE tours are part of the national state bus and rail group. They are one of the longest established tours in Ireland and tend to have exclusively Irish staff. Most of their staff are seasoned veterans. Where are you going and for how long etc ? <BR> <BR>Regarding the weather - well one thing that you can always be sure of it in Ireland is that the weather will never be same from day to day, hour to hour and year to year. The end of March has over the past few years seen mild, brisk, dry weather and snow with low tempatures. Take your pick. So what do you pack apart from everything - well first a rain coat would be an advantage even a necessity (although it has not rained for the past week in Ireland and it is Jan.) and you also need a warm coat so I would double up and get a warm waterproof coat. Good walking and warmshoes (even though you are taking a coach trip you will need them). The Irish are not fussy over dress codes etc and with the economic and IT boom at the moment anything goes (nearly) so jeans and casual slacks are acceptable(afterall you will be tourists and that is what is expected of tourists and there is no need trying to disguise it) <BR>Warm sweaters are a necessity for those breezy Cliffs of Moher etc. Re what to bring well that depends on where you will staying - most Irish hotels have hairdryers etc and tea and coffee making facilities - if you like your coffee then it might not be a bad idea to bring a small packet of your own as the tea in Ireland is perfect but the coffee .... Tell me where you will be staying and I can advise further. One thing I always bring with me on my tours abroad is a calulator - very handy for shopping and comparing prices. There is an excellent tax refund scheme operating in Ireland for non-EU residents and the result is that Aran sweaters and Waterford Glass/Crystal etc is relatively inexpensive in comparasion to the States. However the tourist shops tend to be more expensive than normal shops (in Dublin try the Sweater Shop on Wicklow Street for cheap sweaters rather than Brown Thomas or Kilkenny Design. For Crystal try the China Showrooms on Lower Abbey Street just off O'Connell Street cheaper than most department stores). Other American visitors might be able to throw in their 2 cents worth. If you have more questions post & I will try and help. Enjoy yourself and don't forget the camera.

Joan

Cathy, <BR>Thanks for all the info. We are going on a 10 day motorcoach tour through Dublin, Galway, Killarney, Adare, Connemara,Waterford, and Bundoran... Any suggestions on where to eat lunch(pub type) any more good shopping places in the above towns would bew greatly appreciated