Posted by PAT on February 06, 2007 at 11:48:25:
In Reply to: CEI Irish Tradition or Irish Classic Tour Sept 2007 posted by Pati Beal on February 05, 2007 at 19:51:34:
: Thanks for directing me here Pat. Have you or anyone here taken this particular tour? It's a total of 13 days. I took a tour in 2000 for 10 days with another company and felt it asn't enough to see what I wanted. Saw a lot but missed a few places. This tour seem sto cover just about the best of North, and Souch and Western Ireland. Did a lot of checking on ther hotels they seem very very nice. Two I stayed at the first trip. Even though it's only a 3 star I loved the Bunratty Castle Hotel and the Great Southern in Galway was nice also.
: Has anyone had any troubles up north, some of my family is worried about it, I said as long as I keep my big mouth shut LOL I should be fine. Just kidding really.
: I thought going after the summer rush there won't be as many families with kids around and it might be a bit more quiet. I want to do more pub stuff with music. Some of the shows I saw were very good but more stage Irish than truly traditional. I like both but this time want some more authentic music.
: I also found that I really didn't need travelers checks, won't do them this time. My MC and Visa will work fine, and I will take a small amount of cash. Also my ATM card will work fine if I run out.
: This is my favorite picture from my 2000 trip it's the Ladies View of the Ring of Kerry.
Dear Pati,
Thanks for transferring to this i-Depth Forum - it is actually not my new Forum, though. If you go back to my Forum Intro Page, you will see the new Forum preview right under my picture.
Anyway, for now, I am happy to answer here, although I just removed more spam - the spammers don't give up, that is why we are closing this Forum soon.
Yes, that is a lovely picture of Ladies View from your previous trip. I am happy to see you are planning to take a CIE tour - they are the best tour operator to Ireland and I use them for my group tours. You will be glad you choose them!
As to the "Classic" vs. the "Tradition," they are both 13 days in duration and both do a complete coastal circuit around Ireland, but the prime difference is the towns/cities they stay in and the hotels they use. The "Tradition" only spends one night in Northern Ireland (at Ballygally or Belfast) and the "Classic" spends two nights (1 in Belfast, 1 in Derry).
Both tours spend overnights in Dublin, Killarney, Bunratty; the "Tradition" stays a night in Kinsale and two nights in Stranorlar and Galway; the "Classic" spends 2 nights in Westport, a night in Waterford and a night in Dunboyne Castle. They both include the "Quiet Man" walking tour of Cong and the catamaran boat trip on Killary Fjord. They both do a lot of the same things, but if I had to pick ne, it probably woud be the "Tradition" since it starts and ends at Shannon Airport, a much more welcoming way to enter and depart from Ireland.
With regard to the North, please tell your family to relax. It is perfectly safe and very enjoyable. We ar bringing our summer tour to the North this July - with two nights at the City Hotel in Derry and one night at the Europa in Belfast.
You are correct in saying that credit cards and ATMs are the way to take care of money in Ireland.
Hope this helps,
PAT