We are booked on this tour leaving 10 June. It will be our first organized tour after nearly 30 years of independent travel in Australia and SE Asia. We are both looking forward to meeting fellow travelers and I will be glad not to have to navigate! We would like to hear from anyone who has been on this tour especially regards the optionals and about the amount of freetime you have for independent sight seeing or exploring. we both love Celtic music and would love suggestions of good music "pubs" in Scotland and Ireland.

We did this tour twice, Sept. 2005, and again Sept. 2007. On the second tour, we took along our 8 year old grandson. We have enjoyed the tour so much, I would take it again (and again).

There is not a lot of "free" time but I think that is common to most/all tours. The stops at various places/towns/villages are, by necessity, short (often too short in my opinion). There are frequent stops so there is an opportunity to see many things and places.

The first time, we did almost all of the optionals. Last year, we chose only those that would be of interest to an 8 year old boy so that we were not imposing an unhappy person on the rest of the group. The list of optionals in the brochure is an indication of the possibilities available. It is at the tour director's discretion as to which ones will be offered. So, read the choices offered and that will give you an indication of the possibilities. They range from cabarets, and dinners, to walking tours, boat tours, and steam train rides. If you choose not to do an optional, you have that time at your disposal.

I am a lover of all things Celtic also. Rural Ireland just captured my heart.

Enjoy your tour. I found it a very comprehensive tour. The first time, we spent our day and a half in London before the tour began doing a tour of the city (not the one included in the package) and just trying to get over jetlag. Last year, we planned ahead. We had tickets to a play (Lion King- because of our grandson) and we took an Evan Evans tour to Warwick Castle and Oxford. That was very special too. Castles and young boys are a good fit!!

Hope I answered some of your questions.
Myra

Kristine,

I'm booked on this tour for September. I hope you are planning to post a Tour Tale. In particular, I'm interested in reading about the optionals. (The list no longer has any for the Wales portion of the itinerary.)

Bon Voyage,

When we were on this tour last September, there was no chance to do anything optional on the northern section of Wales, as we were on the way to the ferry that took us to Ireland. On the return from Ireland, when we drove through the southern section of Wales, we spent one night in Cardiff. While there, we were given the chance (optional) to tour Cardiff Castle and to attend a medieval banquet. The tour of the castle is not anything that I would repeat but the banquet is very special. It is also on the last night of the tour and was a final chance to spend time with new friends. Don't miss it.

Thanks, my daughter has been to the Castle and thought the Banquet would be well worth it, especially on the last night! I'm a pre-school teacher and the children are very impressed with the idea of me going to a castle!!
Our departure date is looming and we are getting very excited. My one concern is the ferry crossings as I don't think I"m a good sailor - my longest boat trip is Queenscliff to Sorrento - maybe 45 minutes! How long is the ferry trip, how big is it, what's on the ferry and what are good suggestions to ward off seasickness?

The ferry is like a floating city. There are about 7 or 8 decks filled with cargo and vehicles. When the tour coach is parked in the designated spot, everybody disembarks and goes up a couple of flights to the lounge areas. I think there are 2 or 3 levels for passengers. There are many areas to sit (comfortably) and relax with a beverage or some food. There are several places to order something to eat. There is a shop, arcade, beverage lounge, cinema, etc. You feel very little of the pitch and roll of the ferry. If we were notified ahead of time (by the tour director) that the sea was going to be rough, I took a dose of anti-nausea/sea sick medicine. (In Canada, a popular brand is Gravol.) I did, however, feel rather sleepy then. The crossing was about 3 hours in one direction and, I think, 4 hours on the return. You should be just fine, especially if you have something for nausea handy.

For an idea of what the ferries are like, check out the following website: www.irishferries.com. On the trip from Wales to Dublin, we were on the Ulysses. I forget the name of the ferry on the return trip. If you check out the links, it will give you a good idea of what to expect on the ferry ride. Myra

My daughter used bands with a pressure point when she was pregnant Does any one know about these for sea sickness too! The ferry sounds great for shopping. Can any one help for any other shopping tips? Is Blarney Mills good for shopping?

Kristine,

The wrist bands are supposedly very good for any type of motion sickness. I don't have that problem, fortunately. The only time I did was on an extremely turbulent flight before which I had consumed a large, cold carbonated beverage. (Won't do that again.)

I found that Blarney Mills is good for selection when shopping. I don't think the prices were any better than other places.

Don't forget, I'll be looking for a Tour Tale from you!

Only two days to go now! I'm very excited. Thanks for replying with advice.I've read this forum for several months any only now have I summoned enough courage to write on it. All the conversations have been most enlightening for a newcomer to organised touring. I may even be brave enough to post a Tale when we get home. I know my 50 pre-schoolers are expecting regular posts along the way. They have a map with the trip plotted on it so they will know what I am up to!!
I've got the sea seabands, ginger tablets and preserved ginger. I'm sure if I use all those remedies I'll be fine. Dennis, my husband says if there are shops my mind won't be on anything else anyway!!!
One last question - Does anyone have any simple ideas for packing up the fragile shopping I hope to do? This tour and and the remainder of our stay with our daughter in Cheltenham will provide plenty of opportunity for me to shop for china and glass!