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At last we have an itinerary! I’ve posted it on the “Trip Documents” page. A few things still need to be tweaked or corrected, but the basics of each day are laid out with accompanying details. I know you will have questions. Please ask away by commenting here or sending me an email. If your question is of general interest, I’ll discuss it in another itinerary-related post.
One note about hotels. We were supposed to stay two nights in Galway City, but the hotel we had chosen experienced significant flooding during the winter and is now closed. Because it’s such a busy time of year for tourism in Ireland, Celtic Tours had some trouble finding a place for our group of 46 to stay for two nights, contacting over 35 hotels in the process. I am grateful for their efforts. Given the touring we had planned for those days, the best decision turned out to be to spend one night in Galway City, not far from where we had originally intended to stay, and the second night in the town of Ballinasloe. It’s nicer to have two nights in one place, but we couldn’t make it work.
Please note the instructions on the itinerary for the morning of Sunday, June 5, as we gather the group together for breakfast at the Man O’War pub. Some of you will already be at the hotel and can board the bus with me at 8:00-8:15 a.m. for the drive to the airport and the pub. For those arriving at the airport that morning, we’ll be waiting for you outside baggage claim at 9:00 a.m. I’ll provide phone numbers closer to the day, but I check email on my phone pretty often, so you can always reach me that way.
For anyone arriving before the June 5th start date, I will be at the Davenport from June 1 and will be happy to consult on sightseeing plans, restaurants, or anything else you want to discuss.
Once we leave Dublin on the bus, we beg your indulgence and permission to make small changes to the itinerary every now and then. Depending on the weather and other things, we might want to change the order of certain stops, or take a brief detour to see something special. “Comfort stops”–a very nice Irish way of saying “bathroom stops”–will be frequent, but you may always request one.
As noted in “Travel Tips for Ireland,” we ask you (and your traveling companion, if you choose to sit together) to sit in a new place on the bus every day. That way, everyone will get a turn at the better seats, and you will have a chance to talk to different people. The bus is very well designed and will have state-of-the-art stabilizers. Irish roads can be windy, but in all my trips, I’ve not had anyone experience motion sickness. If this is a worry for you, please bring whatever medicine you take to be comfortable. We’ll keep a supply of cookies and crackers on the bus for those hungry moments as we roll, but you may want to bring a water bottle or thermos and your own snacks for the longer drives.
Our trip is less than four weeks away. I hope you are as excited as I am!
