Railtours Ireland First Class!

We did the Limerick, Cliffs of Moher tour with John our guide and Jerry as our driver. Both master at their crafts. John was very personable and knowledgeable and gave us info on anything we wanted to know. The roads were very narrow and traffic all down the coast but Jerry kept us safe and navigated the tight path like he had been doing it for years! 10/10 would recommend!

Toured Cobh and Blarney Castle. Our guide and driver were so thoughtful and gave us clear information and instructions. Highly recommend! Just know that when the castle is busy, you may be waiting 2 hours in line to go through.

🍀 A Fantastic Day Tour with Excellent Guides! We booked the Cork & Blarney Castle Day Tour, traveling south by train to Cork City, Blarney Castle, and Cóbh from Dublin. The journey begins with a smooth and easy train ride 🚆 from Dublin to Cork. It’s a relaxing trip, perfect for bringing a book 📖 or a card game to enjoy with friends! While there’s a small snack cart onboard, I’d recommend bringing your own breakfast 🥐 for convenience. Once we arrived in Cork, we took a bus 🚌 to Blarney Castle and Gardens. Visiting on December 30th meant the grounds were a bit barren, but we loved the opportunity to explore the historic castle 🏰 without crowds. We even kissed the Blarney Stone with zero wait! 💋🪨 Our tour guide was fantastic. He took us right to the castle steps and then gave us a few hours to explore on our own and grab lunch. The Woolen Mill shopping complex offers food options, and there are several other establishments within walking distance. Next, we enjoyed a driving tour 🚗 through Cork. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, sharing fascinating insights along the way. We then headed to Cóbh, where we stopped at a cemetery, a church ⛪, and finally, the heritage center to learn about Irish emmigration history. Once again, we had plenty of time to explore the museum, visit the town, and even pop into a pub 🍺 for a pint. For the return journey, we took a train 🚆 from Cóbh back to Cork and then another train into Dublin. Be sure to grab a sandwich 🥪 or snack before boarding, as the train has limited food options. We highly recommend this tour because of the outstanding guides. They are personable, honest, and full of information. It’s clear they truly love what they do and want you to enjoy and learn! We’d gladly book another trip with them when we return to Ireland. 🌟

Just returned from our trip to Dublin and it was amazing, even if the weather was wet and foggy for part of it. This was a 5 out of 5 for the 3 day rail/coach tour of Blarney castle, Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher. The coordination of the team members right from meeting the yellow jackets at the train station to coach transfers and hotels was remarkable. Our coach driver for the Ring Of Kerry was outstanding with his expertise on navigating the winding and narrow roads. Special Thanks to Brian our tour guide from us in Newfoundland , Canada. He was outstanding with his knowledge and information on the area as we past all the sights. His tips on local restaurants were great information. If you want to see part of Ireland without the hassle of driving the winding and narrow roads Railtours is the way to go.

This was one of the best tours I ever taken. What impressed me most was a coordination between the rail, coaches, hotels, pick up and delivery to our hotels. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. They made this a wonderful trip. The hotels were excellent and we are glad we upgraded to the four star. I’d highly recommend this for anyone coming to Ireland to get a full tour of the country.

I did a solo trip- I was terrified! Rail tours made everything so easy! From the easily seen yellow jackets at the train station to Brian, our tour guide, explaining what to expect or answering all of our questions - along with some witty Irish comments lol. He made the experience. I did the four day Atlantic. I loved hearing the history as we rode through the landscapes. We did meet up with another tour at one point, but I felt Brian did a great job preparing us for what to expect. Everyone on our trip did a good job of being considerate and getting back to the bus on time so we could hit the road to the next stop and I met some wonderful people along the way!! Will absolutely use them again! (Some of the hotels were a little older- but it’s old Irish cities you’re visiting. What else should you expect? I had a room to my self and , personally, I loved all of my accommodations. Very quaint and European esque!) my favorite was Killarney! Thank you Railtours and Brian for making my birthday trip a huge success!

A friend and I have just completed a week long tour and enjoyed it very much. This is my second time touring with them, as I went on a day tour to Blarney Castle with the company in 2018. My first experience was so lovely I knew I wanted to go on more of their tours when I was planning to explore Ireland with my friend in 2020 - we ended up choosing the 6-Day All Ireland tour for our trip. Our trip was initially cancelled due to Covid, but Railtours was very attentive and we had no trouble redeeming our vouchers for the same trip this year. We used our Hop On Hop Off bus tickets for Dublin the day before our tour started, which was a nice option to have. All of the hotel bookings were 4-star and beautiful accomodations. The tour guides were helpful, friendly and very knowledgeable (thanks especially to Brian and Ian who went above and beyond)! It was especially comforting to have an attendant for every transfer (this company leaves nothing to chance and has thought through every detail). Highly recommend booking with this company if you're interested in a wonderful extended VIP experience or even just a single day trip for a specific attraction! Thank you for all the great memories Railtours, we will remember adventures with you for our lifetimes :D

This is the way to see the best of Ireland. Our guides were accommodating and knowledgeable. John Todd and Andrew Roach, as our guides, created a memorable and enjoyable experience for our family. Other staff such as our drivers and hotel staff we also delightful. This tour was packed with bonus material and opportunities for photos not mentioned in and brochure or on the website. I'm so glad we chose to let then handle our trip.

There is nothing first class about these tours. They are standard day trip coach tours from various locations, to which you arrive after an hour or two or more in ordinary seats in ordinary carriages in an ordinary train. DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY THE FIRST CLASS PLUS appendages, even though you are certainly paying first class prices. If you are British, leave aside any idea of using this company now. We were subjected to several days of biased historical interpretations of Ireland's history in which the English (all of them seemingly) were the monsters- to put it politely. It seems we were worse than than the Israelis against the Palestinians, and we were like that everywhere we went. Thank you tour guide Brian for this welcoming first day speel, delivered with venom even though you knew you had two English guests in your company's overpriced tour. On the extended tours you are bussed to hub locations where day-trippers join you for that particular day, and more or less the same speel comes out the newcomers, even though the venom was later reduced when confronted and there was a sort of apology at the end of day three. Particular attention was drawn to the need to have cash available for gratuities! The country is lovely. The vast majority of the people are lovely and welcoming. We did the 7 day tour Deluxe Plus. It wasn't. It was an expensive way of being mostly bussed around in standard tourist coaches. There was I hope no charge for the nationalistic insults by the tour guide.

My boyfriend and I went on the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Castle day tour with the amazing tour guide, John Todd! We had such an amazing experience on the tour! John was very knowledgeable about the history of Ireland and told us many stories along our journey through Ireland. Not only was he very knowledgeable, but he was a hilarious story teller and we could tell he loves what he does. There is nothing better than having someone who is excited to share their love of history with people. He even took amazing photos of us whenever we wanted him to. If you are going on a tour, you HAVE to get John Todd! We had such a beautiful day at the Bunratty Castle. He made sure we were the first tour group at the castle so it was empty when we got there! We had plenty of time to explore, take photos, and learn about the history. Even better, it was a crystal clear day at the Cliffs of Moher! We got extremely lucky. It was truly a sight to see (you can't miss it if you come to Ireland). At the end of our tour, the trains were canceled due to problems on the railway. Our group was anxious about getting home, but John took care of us! He made sure we would be on a bus leaving at the same time as our schedule train to go back. It was an adventure through and through. John made sure we were safe getting home, walking my boyfriend and I to our Uber. Overall, he made our experience wonderful and fun. Thank you for everything John!!

We booked Railtours Ireland a couple of years ago (in 2014) for a fabulously planned 5/6 day rail / plane/ bus/ horse-cart trip around Ireland and so when I spotted their main HQ office, located near Connolly station, decided to stop in to check out their current tour offerings and it also gave me an opportunity to write them a review. The tour was really well planned, and we didn't feel rushed at all. How the journey was broken up really gave us some good amounts of time to explore all the cities we stayed overnight in. We lucked out and got upgraded hotels at two overnight locations too! Cost wise, it was also super economical considering our group of 7 qualified for a great discount, and then we paid in March for a tour in August, and so I think it evened out to just a little over €100 per day, which included accommodations plus travel plus tickets to most attractions. BTW, the most special part of the tour for me was definitely the Aran Islands, where no cars are slowed apart from the local authorities and so our tour was taken around on a horse-cart. It was an absolutely worth add-on to our tour! Throughly recommend any trip with this company! Yelp 116/ 2019

My mom and I booked a tour through viator.com (a TripAdvisor company) and it ended up being with Railtours Ireland. The confirmation I received from Viator said to meet at the Connelly Station in Dublin at 9:00 AM, and please be 20 minutes early. The confirmation also mentioned to keep an eye out for people in Yellow Jackets to assist you and to meet at the stand at the Info Booth. We found the Railtours Ireland Info Booth, but there was no one around. By 8:55 AM, there was still no one around and my mom was getting antsy we would miss the train for our tour. So I called the number listed on our confirmation. A man picked up and confirmed we had a tour that day, and that someone will meet us soon, just wait right where we were. At 9:20 PM, 2 men in Yellow Jackets appeared! Liam, our tour guide, had our reservation, and said our tour didn't start till 9:30 AM. I don't blame Railtours for this mishap, I think it is a miscommunication of viator.com. We booked the Avoca, Glendalough, and Wicklow Mountains Railtour, est 7 hour tour for around $80/person. We took a 2 hour train ride, then headed to the Avoca Wool Mill, had lunch in Avoca at Fitgeralds, visited the Thomas Moore Memorial Park, and walked around Upper Lake and saw the ruins of the Sevenchurches. Our tour group was small, with only 4 people + Liam our tour guide. It was quite relaxed and easy going which I enjoyed. Liam was very knowledgeable of the history of the area. Overall, I felt that the tour was a little bit disorganized, but overall, we saw a lot.

Doing a tour via rail is a great way to see Ireland. Unfortunately, it was still dark when we were going through Ireland, but nevertheless, it was a very relaxing experience. Make sure you bring your international adapter so you can charge your phone on the train when you have down time. We arrived at the train station in Limerick and was picked up by our coach. We stopped by Bunratty Castle in Limerick. It was neat to see an old castle that was still well preserved. We got a quick synopsis of the castle through their tour guide who was dressed in a medieval costume for flair. Then, our coach took us to eat lunch at County Claire and then proceeded to the Cliffs of Moher. Unfortunately, the weather was quite uncooperative as the fog concealed the cliffs. Then, our coach drove us through the Burren rock formations and coast line with our next stop in Galway. I think the stop at Galway could have been better as we were stopped there with little guidance as to what to do. I did eat at one of the restaurants, but still had lots of time to spare. Despite that, my tour was really comfortable and enjoyable. I'd recommend Railtours if you are trying to see Ireland.

When I signed up for a rail tour on Viator.com this company was assigned as a local tour company. After comparing price for directly booking with them vs viator.com I think price is just about the same. Particular tour I took was to visit Giant's Causeway. Rail travel in the morning was pleasant. Tour guide took time to explain the day's schedule and made sure everyone understood. Upon arrival at the Belfast station, we joined other tour group and started bus trip (they call it coach travel). Since they pack so much in one day, you are constantly thinking about the time instead of enjoying at your own speed. It was a good introduction to Northern Ireland and was ideal way to see the area as I was by myself. Lunch place we stopped was below average. Food wasn't edible and service was terrible. I suppose they only cater to coach tour customers as pre-agreed price, they really don't have to do much to get paid. One more positive thing about this tour is that they have special arrangement with the National Trust, where upon arrival of the Carrick-a-rede, you get to go right away while other private visitors have to wait for their turn. Now I became slightly more familiar with the area, I would like to come back here and rent a car next time.

Trip started off great with Frank and I believe Bill the van driver to the airport and the flight,all awsome. Get to Arann Island Mors get into another van for a tour of the island. Van driver announced sites to see and flew past them so fast you hoped to get a pic. Never stopped at Seven Churchs, I dont believe we even saw it. 60 minutes at Dun Aonghusa, never stopped for lunch, and 15 minutes to have a coffee at a place that was closed while the driver took off. Than back on the van to head back to the air field. I am hoping that those that go a different time of the year experience something better.

The day started bright and early to arrive at the Heuston Train Station to check in. Yet, even though we were asked to arrive by 6:30am, check-in did not end until we boarded the train. The train rides were pleasant. Last minute train trouble left us taking a bus to Limerick to meet the actual bus we would use for the day. The snag in the travel was handled smoothly. For those trying to decide to do this trip, be prepared for a long day. The tour operator tries to put a little too much into a day's worth of sightseeing. For that matter, because of the train trouble, we were left with no time in Galway to explore the city. We were only given an hour at the Cliffs of Moher, but more than enough time at the Bunratty Castle (something not included in the title of the tour). Yet, overall, I would recommend this trip. You get to see a lot of the famous areas in Ireland!

I booked a 6 day Ireland rail tour through Viator.com and once that tour was confirmed, I made my flight and hotel reservations. The next day, with no explanation, Viator texted me that they were cancelling my rail tour and refunding my money. I contacted Viator and asked why were my rail tickets being cancelled and they could not say why. I assume they overbooked but would not say so. I asked if they could find me an alternative rail tour for that same time period as I had already made my flight/hotel plans based around that rail tour. They told me they found a less expensive 6 day rail tour that would begin two days later. However, when I got to Ireland to begin that tour, it turned out to be a bus - not a rail - tour. While the bus tour was okay, it was not what I requested of Viator. I'm guessing the rail tour must be pretty nice and I may do it sometime in the future but I know I will not book it through Viator.

EVERYONE SHOULD DO THIS TOUR! It is a tad on the pricier side but it is super convenient. My friends and I didn't want to rent a car (yeah, I'll admit it - we were scared to drive on the opposite side of the road) but we wanted to do all the must-see places. We did the three-day tour which included the Blarney Castle, Cobh (where Titanic's maiden and ill-fated voyage set sail), St. Colman's Cathedral, Ring of Kerry, Bunratty Castle, Cliffs of Moher and other random stops along the way. We met up at Dublin Hueston station (I believe it was 7 a.m.? I could be making that up though) to take a direct train to Cork. From there, a bus picked us up and our journey continued on. Our tour guide, Brian, was really knowledgeable and friendly. He never once got annoyed that we were always the last girls to get back on the bus. Yeah.....we were THOSE people. The hotel they chose (International Hotel - see my review) was clean and modern. It was in Killarney and the area it was located in was very quaint. There were lots of cute little shops, restaurants and pubs but it was still quiet (in a good way). There's not really a night life there but it's good for a low key night with a pint or two of Guinness. I only wish they had Railtours Ireland in Belfast! (see my review for Allen's Tours and whatever you do, DON'T sign up for that one!)

The tour in Ireland itself was great. However, this is billed as care free and it was certainly not. We booked the 4 day tour which included transportation via train and ferry from London to Dublin. We were met at the train station in London by a gentleman who gave us tickets for a train and explained that there was maintenance on the rail and we would need to take a train to Crewe rather than Hollyhead and then get on a bus to Bangor to take us to Hollyhead. ok, fine. Problem was when we arrived in Crewe, there was NO BUS to Bangor. So there we were. We were forced to navigate our own way through the entire maze of British and Welsh trains. Calls to the administrative office were not really helpful. We ended up jostling with a bunch of people in train stations as there was a horserace in Chester that day. We were not able to get on the trains we needed to be on and carried our luggage, etc. through at least three different train changes and a final bus ride to Hollyhead. When we arrived at the Hollyhead ferry, we missed it by two minutes and they refused to let us board even though the ferry was still there. We had to wait an additional three hours - there was nothing to eat at all. They told us there were restaurants in the town - they were all closed because of the time of day. When we finally arrived at our hotel in Dublin, it was after 8:45 p.m. - our day had begun at 7 a.m. so it was almost 14 hours of us finding our own way through the Welsh countryside. They did send a taxi driver to meet us in Dublin at least and he was helpful. Another problem noted was they advertise 3 full Irish breakfasts however, the tours leave before the hotel breakfast is even served. Ireland is beautiful, the tour guides were great, however, this was quite a harrowing experience. They need to have back-up plans for emergency rail issues rather than leaving customers stranded to find their own way through it all.

This is NOT a rail tour. It is a bus tour. I took the 6 day tour and was on a train for maybe 4.5 hours the rest of the tour was on a bus. It was a very good bus tour though. Nice hotels good food the scenery was fantastic, but a lot of sitting on a bus The highlight was our tour guide Andy. He was fun, informative and very pleasant. Lots of laughs and a particularly fun, different sense of humor. I've never been on a bus tour before so I have nothing to comp

This was the highlight of my trip to Ireland. I was visiting to present a paper at UCD and decided to stay a few extra days. I am so glad I did. Railtours Ireland was an amazing experience. Our host Andy was warm and engaging. He generously shared an abundance of cultural narratives and would break into song while touring the roads of Ireland. I highly recommend Railtours price is reasonable, accommodations are spotless and food is delicious.

If you don't want to rent a car and want to see Ireland, this is the way to do it. Alright, so we were those Americans that can't drive stick and we were worried about driving on the opposite side of the road (and after seeing the cliffs in the Ring of Kerry, we made the right decision). Originally we were planning on using public transportation on our own, but you're on vacation! Who wants to keep an eye on train times! Have someone else do it for you! All the tour guides were so nice (and a couple were Sullivans so we got plenty of family history along the way) A lot of sites are thrown into the day which doesn't always leave a lot of time but gives you a little bit of everything. Most importantly, after a jam packed day, we had the night free in Killarney - good food, plenty of pubs, and your brother can stumble home at 4 am and still make it for the 10 am pick up. This tour found the perfect balance between structure and flexibility.

When I was planning on my trip to Ireland, I debated whether to rent a car or go with the railtour. The cost of the tour (which included admission to all the sights, breakfast, and hotel accommodations) was about the same as if I rented my own car for the week, paid for gas, and made my own hotel arrangements. I ended up going with the tour cause I figured I didn't need to risk getting lost and confused on all those Irish roundabouts. I did the three day tour to Cork, Blarney Castle, Cobh, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, Bunratty Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and Galway. It was a lot to pack into three days and two of the days were really long, but in the end, I got to see all the sights I wanted to see in Ireland and had an amazing time. It was a good balance between doing stuff on your own, but making sure you weren't completely lost in the country. No complaints at all about the trains, tour buses, and hotel accommodations - everything was great. The tour guides were friendly and had so many stories and info that you can't get traveling on your own. I would definitely recommend them if you're traveling in Ireland and don't want the stress of driving. I would love to come back someday and do a longer tour. I would have loved more time at the Cliffs of Moher and explore more around the Ring of Kerry.

We thought about driving around in Ireland and made the absolutely correct decision to let someone else do the driving. After much research, my traveling partner (sister) found Railtours Ireland. We booked 3 tours with them and enjoyed them all. Our first tour was to the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, Burren & Galway. We left the tour and stayed in Galway for 2 nights. We were able to use our return train ticket after that, meeting up with another tour. We did a 3 day Peninsulas of the Southwest tour. Very enjoyable! We stayed at the Rossmore B&B which was a very short walk from town. This inn was perfect from the room to the Irish Breakfast to the innkeepers- zero complaints. The last tour was a 1 day tour of Kilkenny and Waterford. Have to admit that we could have spent more time in Kilkenny. All of the tour guides were wonderful-Brian, Bob, Morris & Paddy. Very knowledgeable and funny. The places we stopped for meals were all very good. I recommend Railtours Ireland without hesitation.

Thank you Railtours, for such a lovely and exciting tour of Cobh and Blarney Castle. My boyfriend and I visited from California and I've never seen so much green and amazing culture. I've always wanted to visit Ireland, see the rich history in it's land, and your lovely guides helped us accomplish that. The tour was so much fun and educational as well as exciting. Thank you

I booked a day tour to the Ring of Kerry from Dublin through this company. While the trains and buses were comfortable and the tour guides were very friendly, I felt there was too much packed into one day, and most of our time was spent on the road vs. sightseeing. If you're comfortable with driving around Ireland on your own, I would recommend doing so for this part of the country. There's so many opportunities to stop for scenic views, it was a shame we had to see them from the window of a bus. If you'd rather go with a tour, I'd say it would be best to do the multi-day tours and spend a night or so in the towns.

Took the one day tour to Killarney/Ring Of Kerry from Dublin today. I am not adventurous and was traveling alone but this group couldn't have made it easier! From the bright yellow jackets to the friendly informative guides I felt very safe and secure. The stops we made were perfect break points and Bob, our host was was a wealth of information. Truly a perfect day!

We did the 11 day Titanic Rail Trail & Wild Atlantic Way tour with Rail Tours in April 2018 and had a wonderful experience. All of our tour guides were amazing, but I have to say that Bob was our favorite. He was outgoing and very entertaining. The bus drivers are to be commended for how easy they make it look to navigate the narrow roads on the Ring of Kerry. The hotels that we stayed in were all excellent. I especially liked the Europa in Belfast and the Ashling in Dublin had by far the best breakfast. I would recommend this company to anyone wanting to make the most of their stay in Ireland.

Honestly exceeded everything I expected. Organized-efficient-all encompassing tour of a beautiful country. Jonathan Beaumont was the BEST tour guide....his knowledge of everything Ireland was unsurpassed.

I'm extremly grateful that this railtour company was made apart of our vacation package! We were greeted by a yellow-jacket representatitive in Dublin and us and the others traveling with the vacation company boarded our train to Limerick from Dublin with zero hassle. The representative answered all of our questions and helped us feel at ease. Tickets are good for 30 days and in theory you can hop off/hop on at the the different stops in addition to going to your destination (although we didn't). The train ride was smooth and quiet throughout all of our cities giving me time to catch up on sleep between sights. Note- dispite its name the traintour isn't an actual tour. There isn't a tour guide on the train with you. It's still public transportation with the general public. Further, it doesn't apparer that there are jellow-jacket representatives in other cities(or we just didn't see them) but we found the normal train staff to be just as friendly and helpful.

Rail Tours Ireland offers great package tours of Ireland by train. From day tours, to 2/3/4/5/6 and half day tours all over the country! They even do a half day Barack Obama Ancestral Tour for €79. As a special off when ever you book a rail tour you will get a free Dublin Hop on Hop off bus ticket!

On October 31st 2017 my group, which consisted of  16 people (14 adults and 2 kids both 11 years old) embarked on a tour with the Rail Tours for a five-day excursion through Cork, Galway, Kilarney, and the Aran Islands. Bob was our first tour guide leader and we adored him. Bob has a wealth of knowledge that he enjoyed sharing with us. It was unbelievable how a person could retain all of that knowledge and be able to share it with us and in an interesting way. I fell in love with Ireland and I owe that to Bob. We had Bob for three days of our tour and after that came Andy. Andy, aka the singing tour guide, was also wonderful. We had a lot of fun with him singing on the bus. Overall, our experience far exceeded our expectations. It was such a beautiful trip and everything was so smooth and seamless. From our transportation to the train station and also our tour bus and back to our train station and then the airport, there were never any problems. If I could give ten stars I would and I truly mean that.

I am very happy with this company, I did two of their tours (Ring of Kerry, and Cliffs of Moher/Burren/Bunratty Castle) and they were great. The tour guides I had were amazing, I had this man named Brandon that made my tour very very fun. Brandon kept me entertained all the time and had a lot of cool facts about all the places we visited. I so recommend a tour with this company.

My mother booked the one day trip to Kilkenny and Waterford from Dublin for trip to Ireland in July 2018. The trip included about five hours of train travel to see the Irish country side, and knowing my love of trains, she thought it would be the perfect trip for our short, one week vacation to the Emerald Isle. While waking up at 5:30 a.m. was not ideal for either mom or me (Starbucks isn't open until 7), it was an easy taxi ride to Heuston train station and the tour stand was easy to find; checking in was a breeze. When it came time to board the train, we met our guide, David, who escorted us and everyone else on the tour to comfortable seats on the train. David gave us a run down of the day we had ahead of us and we were off! Our first stop was Kilkenny. Mom had told me we'd be visiting Kilkenny Castle, but nothing else. I won't ruin it for anyone who might be interested in taking the tour, but there were a few surprises and we got about 45 minutes free time to explore or shop on our own. Our next stop was Waterford. My mom has wanted to see this for over forty years - she has several Waterford pieces in her personal collection. Before our tour of the crystal factory, we stopped for lunch at a nice pub in downtown Waterford. The food there was excellent and there was something for people of all tastes. I'm a picky eater, and I was pleased, so I'm sure you will be too. And there was beer available, and, well, when Ireland, do as the Irish do. We had about 45 minutes between lunch and our tour, so David took us on a short walk through downtown Waterford, where we visited Reginald's Tower, a church, and got to see the largest Viking sword in the world, among other things. The Waterford Crystal factory was the best part for mom. The tour included the blowing of the glass, the cooling, shaping, cutting, and engraving rooms. There were molds and pieces along the way for us to photograph and hold. The experts were going about their business as normal, just blowing and crafting fine crystal as all these people walked through their job site. It was something. And the gift shop had something for everyone. Lastly was our trip through the Suir Valley on our way back to Dublin. The Irish countryside is truly magnificent and if you haven't ever experienced it, this is a great way to do so. In addition to all the great experiences, I have to compliment our tour guide, David. He was truly as good as it gets. Not only was he knowledgeable about everything - from our stops on the tour to teaching me about hurling to knowing about the ruins we'd pass on the train - he was also considerate. My mom is a bit older and doesn't walk at the same pace as some of us young bucks. David was aware of this and subtly stopped or slowed down during our walking time to allow mom time to catch up and take a break. I appreciated that, and I'm sure she did too. I can't say enough good things about this tour and I highly recommend it.

I would definitely book with Railtours Ireland again and recommend them to anyone. We took the 3 day Cork City, Blarney, Ring of Kerry & Cliffs of Moher trip in May of this year. It was an excellent trip and Norman our tour guide was awesome. His knowledge of the area, friendliness and ability to keep track of all the passengers was outstanding. Our drivers, there were several on our trip, were excellent drivers and had a sense of humor. Jimmy and Morris really stood out. The trip was a great way for my sister and I to see a large part of the coast without having the distraction of driving. There were enough stops that I never became uncomfortable with the confines of a coach. I should say the coaches were spacious and comfortable. We were very lucky with the weather as well, so the Cliffs of Moher could be seen easily. The sights speak for themselves. Railtours made the trip highly enjoyable with everything I mentioned, their suggestions of where to go/ eat during our free time, and the accommodations. We opted for the B&B option and stayed at Drimon House, Mary Harmon was gracious and her home welcoming.

Railtours Ireland sells itself as a Railtour which sounds great, and it allows them to charge a great deal more than a bus tour. The rail portion is nothing more than a train ride to a bus. Save some money and take some time to plan your own excursions. Pick out where you want to visit and take advantage of the great train and bus services to the attractions. Did a four day tour a few weeks ago. Accommodations in Killarney were a 10.00 Euros taxi ride one way. They subcontract to other bus tour providers and no one ever takes ownership of the customer. I had great expectations based on their reviews. I could add a great deal more, but I will close here in the sincere hope of saving people who are thinking of using them some aggravation and money.

My brother and I recently returned to California from a wonderful trip to Ireland, half of which was through Railtours Ireland. We selected the 4-day Great Atlantic Tour (south and west portions of the country), and we saw and learned so much more about Ireland than we ever could have done on our own. Railtours managed to fit so much in each day, and best of all, arranged for hotel, transportation, and even places to eat. The tour guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and even entertaining at times! I can't wait to go back to Ireland, and especially use Railtours' services again for other parts of Ireland.

We were able to make the most of Our whirlwind trip to Ireland by using this amazing tour company! From our first contact with their office staff taking care of some extra requests to the guides (Jim and Liam) everything was right on track! The knowledge of the guides and their love and pride of their history brought everything alive. We are going back and we will use this company again. If you like ease, comfort and stress free travel use this tour company. Our tours were to Belfast and Cork and one included a bus portion- it was clean and comfortable.

On our trip to Ireland this past June we had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan who was leading a tour that was departing from Killarney back to Dublin. We were looking for our transfer point when Jonathan approached us and asked if we needed help. He proceeded to suggest that we stick with he and his group as they were also headed back to Dublin. We did , and what a great decision that was!!! On our nearly 3 hour trip back we learned more about Irish history and culture than we had the whole week. His knowledge is unparalleled . He had a whimsical way of telling Irish folklore that was so delightful that we didn't want our train ride to end. He informed us that he works for Railtours Ireland and then gave us a brochure with all the various tours offered. Although we didn't actually have the opportunity to use them this trip (we were at the end of ours) we will still highly recommend them to anyone who is going to Ireland . Can't wait to go back and see Jonathan!

While visiting in Dublin we had the pleasure of taking a tour with the This tour company.my husband and I had taken a tour with another company the day before and were quite disappointed and were hesitant to go on another but this was wonderful very on schedule but allowed time for fun our guide Brian Duggan hopefully I have the last name correct, but he was wonderful and funny and really made sure the trip was enjoyable!! I would recommend this tour to anyone!!!

Husband and I came to Ireland for our honeymoon and booked a 4 day tour with the group from Dublin down to Cork and Cobh, through Killarney and the ring of Kerry, up to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway and Connemara. First off, the service they provide is excellent. Second, Peter and Terrence were phenomenal. Peter was our main tour guide and he was superb with an extensive wealth of knowledge and overall super friendly to his fully American tour group. We were super fortunate that we had the best tour group ever, being paired with a wonderful family!! We had so much fun and Peter kept us laughing during the travels. Even when it rained and we didn't have the full amount of time at the Cliffs due to them being shut down for a storm, Peter made sure that he pointed out other areas of interest and they pick the most picturesque photo stops. I have to congratulate this company on their phenomenal customer service because they never just leave you to figure out where to go, even when we got back to Dublin, Terrence was so sweet and kind and made sure he helped us get a cab and everyone was safely on their way to their hotels before leaving. We looked at a bunch of places before selecting Railtours and for the price, you can't beat it with the included hotel stays, breakfasts and costs of admissions at different venues. Thank you Railtours for an incredible vacation!!! I cannot rate you highly enough!!

Just returned from our first trip to the Emerald Isle and I highly recommend Railtours Ireland. We didn't want to rent a car, so we thought these tours would be the way to go. They have a full range of tours, from day trips to weeklong excursions, covering most parts of the Republic of Ireland and a good bit of Northern Ireland as well. We took two day trips and an overnight trip and all tour guides were great - funny and informative and helpful. One potential disruption to one of our tours was handled with expediency and care, which seems typical of their approach to customer service. From the office staff to the tour guides in the field every one we dealt with was friendly and helpful. We even had a wheelchair to deal with but that did not phase anyone! in fact they went the extra mile to make sure we were taken care of. We loved our trip and a good part of that can be attributed to Railtours Ireland.