Review: Family Tour of Ireland, Dublin, Galway, Donegal, Book of Kells, Folk Music, History

The trip to Ireland was a wonderful experience.  This travel company earned high marks for locating an outstanding guide/driver for the first week and, for the most part, identifying quality accommodations.  There were, however, notable lapses on this agency's part:

1. In my initial conversations with a travel company representative, she strongly advised taking a nonstop Aer LIngus flight from Washington-Dulles. The flight was fine, but it arrived at 5:15 a.m. local time and the travel company itinerary said we were to visit sights only 45 minutes from the airport that did not open until 9 a.m. This left us with the necessity of finding ways to occupy ourselves during our first 1.5 hours in Ireland. The sequencing of sights should be altered. 

2.  One of the events the travel agency described as a highlight of the tour was "An Evening of Fun, Folklore, and Fairies" our last night in Dublin. On the merits, the event was worthwhile. However, two separate documents provided to us by the travel company reflected different starting times--6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.  We discovered the discrepancy, but felt reassured when we received a text message telling us that the event started at 6 p.m.  When we arrived at the restaurant, we learned that the event started at 6:30 and we could not be admitted to the room until 6:30. 

3. When we received the initial proposed itinerary, I exchanged emails with the travel coordinator expressing our lack of interest in seeing Kylemore Abbey--a castle-like dwelling constructed during the 1870s.  The travel representative assured me that it was worthwhile, particularly the view.  It was not worthwhile and the view was not one of the best five we saw that day. 

4. When we initially received the itinerary, we were shocked to discover that without any input from us (a married couple), we had been booked in rooms with twin beds.  To the travel company's credit, when we expressed disappointment, they were able to have the accommodations changed. 

Any one of these lapses in isolation may appear trivial.  None of them spoiled the trip.  Our guide was wonderful.  We identified sites and tours ourselves that were often better than the tours included by this company.  They do, however, suggest substantial room for improvement.