DougP

Jun 16, 2025

Irish Tourism Best of Ireland Rail Tour

We reached out to Irish Tourism in late October 2024 for help in planning a two week holiday in Ireland in May 2025. Niamh at Irish Tourism became our partner in planning. She listened carefully for not only the particular sites we wished to visit, but also our style of travel. We're senior backpackers who like to travel independently but we also like to know where we will be comfortably sleeping each night and enjoying coffee and breakfast each morning. After a few weeks planning, emails and a couple of phone calls, all was set and we just had to wait for May to arrive. We traveled by train as much as we could--all of the reservations were very clear and we were impressed when we'd board Irish Rail and see our names listed above our reserved seats. Only one of our six rail trips was delayed--by 20 minutes. When the train could not get us somewhere, such as Dingle, then Irish Tourism had arranged a car for us. The cars were always on schedule, the drivers were polite and knowledgeable, and the door to door service was a treat. Note for future: include car's arrival time for pick up on voucher. The hotels were perfectly placed. They were all an easy walk from the train station and heart of the city and they were all on the quiet side of the city away from traffic noise and congestion. Killarney hotel was an amazing example. It's neighbor is the entrance to the national park--so it was quiet--and yet right out the front door was the heart of the city. While we were there the Kerry County GAA Football team won a game in the senior tournament at the Killarney Stadium. The pubs and streets were full of live music and celebrating fans and we were most welcome to enjoy the fun for as long as we liked and then retire to our quiet hotel. Additionally, our favorite place to eat (twice) for the entire trip was Bricin Restaurant in Killarney. Another asset to our plan was its flexibility. There was one day's itinerary where we realized we had just planned too much road time for one day. We conferred with our driver, shortened the drive, and were able to add a tour in Kilkenny that we could walk to from our hotel. Similarly, with one exception, we stayed in each city two to three nights so that we had time to enjoy sites such the Book of Kells at Trinity College or a demonstration of sheep dogs at work in County Kerry. It was a schedule that allowed plenty of time for a relaxed breakfast at the hotel and food and pub exploration each day. The itinerary Niamh worked up for us made this possible. Just once during the trip did we have a question and a five minute call to Niamh got us the information we needed and our only worry that day was where to have dinner! Highlights for us: warm hospitality everywhere, sheep dog demonstration in County Kerry, water tour to Blasket Islands near Dingle, Slea Head loop drive on Dingle Peninsula, Trad on the Prom traditional music performance in Galway and Galway's great small museum, Book of Kells, and my wife doesn't drink alcohol at all, but really enjoyed the museum/tour at Guinness brewery in Dublin which included live music. And, of course, the wonderful pubs, food and drinks, and traditional music everywhere we traveled. Next time: a visit to Cork, to Bru na Boinne north of Dublin, more time in Kilkenny, see the cliffs of Moher from the water, and a return to Bricin for dinner! Happy travels to Ireland!