Before You Book
Like many travel destinations, the best time to visit Ireland or Britain is during the summer months when the weather is warmer and drier and there is more daylight. However, if you have a choice of dates, it is worth bearing in mind that the prices of our coach tours are lower in the spring and fall – up to 40% over summer departures. Also airfares cost less and there are fewer people on vacation so popular attractions are less crowded.
Ireland and Britain have an unpredictable climate with many people saying that all four seasons can be experienced in one day! The climate tends to be moderate – never blisteringly hot in summer and never bitterly cold in winter. Average summer temperatures range from 60 – 75°F, spring and fall temperatures are in the 50s°F and winter averages 30 – 40°F with no huge day/night differences. Temperatures in Ireland and Britain are given in centigrade so don’t be surprised when you see low numbers!
Many of our coach tours are ideally suited for combining and we offer a discount on the second tour. If you want a self-drive vacation, consider taking a short coach tour first to familiarize yourself with Ireland and driving ‘on the other side of the road’.
On average our tours have around 35 passengers but our coaches hold a maximum of 48 passengers.
Most of our coaches are equipped with emergency restrooms. However, for safety reasons they cannot be used when the coach is in motion. The coach makes frequent rest/bathroom stops, at 2-hour intervals or less, for the comfort of all passengers.
Children over the age of 8 years old are permitted to travel on coach tours – under 8s are not allowed. Those aged between 8 and 18 are charged 90% of the full adult rate.
After the stress of organizing a wedding, many newly-married couples choose our programs as they are happy to have their honeymoon planned for them and not have to worry about booking hotels, planning itineraries or finding places to eat.
Our coaches are not handicap accessible so you must be able to get on and off the coach unaided by Book Irish Tours staff and be able to rotate seats on the coach. If you need extra walking assistance, you may bring a light-weight foldable wheelchair which can be stowed in the luggage compartment. You must advise us when booking a tour that you will be using a wheelchair or other medical equipment.
Book Irish Tours uses three classes of hotels – these are first class (3 star), superior first class (4 star, which include castle properties) or deluxe (5 star, which include castle properties). First class hotels (3 star) feature a dining room, lounge, bar and comfortable guest rooms. Many have leisure facilities. Superior first class hotels (4 star) offer the same amenities with higher standards and many have leisure and spa facilities. Deluxe hotels (5 star) offer luxurious features and are often in unique settings. We choose hotels either in central locations or scenic regions, depending on location, and we name all hotels we use on each tour. Our website contains photos and detailed descriptions for all featured hotels.
European hotel rooms generally tend to be smaller than North American hotel rooms. For your hotel room you can choose to have a Twin (2 separate single beds) or a Double (usually Queen size). Hotel bedding options – Twin or Double Please note that bedding is subject to each hotel’s discretion and availability. If there are three people sharing a room then a triple room will usually have a double and one twin bed (total 2 beds). Please note there is no reduction in cost for a third person sharing a room with two others. For comfort, we suggest that three adults take two separate rooms. No more than three people can share a hotel room on our escorted tours.
To ensure the comfort of all our passengers, we do not offer the option of sharing service for solo traveling passengers. We do, however, offer a single supplement whereby you will have the privacy of your own room. Our single supplements can be found at the bottom of the list of dates and pricing on each tour page on the Book Irish Tours website and brochure. We often have special departures where this supplement is reduced. Visit our solo traveler page for more information.
Due to the cooler climate in Ireland and Britain, most hotels do not have or need air-conditioning.
It’s a 4- or 5-course meal dinner with a choice of appetizers, soups, entrees and desserts. Most hotels feature a good assortment of red and white meats, fish and vegetarian foods. If you have certain tastes or dietary restrictions, you can advise us at time of booking or at the restaurant.
Hotels throughout Ireland and Britain offer a wide variety of foods. When making your reservation please notify us of your specific requests, especially for low-salt or celiac diets. We cannot guarantee all requests and it is a good idea to double check once you are in your tour hotels.
All of our tours offer included sightseeing every day to maximize your time. If you want to take a day out to play golf, ride or simply relax and browse around, you may choose not to travel on a day tour when you are staying in the same hotel for two nights.
As most components of your Ireland and/or Britain tour have been prepaid, you will only need money for lunch each day and dinners when you have an evening at leisure. If you are an avid shopper, or enjoy a cocktail in the evening these costs are incurred at your own expense. Also, it is customary to tip your guide and driver at the end of the tour (please see the question on tipping guidelines for more information). Use credit cards and ATMs to avoid carrying large sums of cash. $100 bills are not readily accepted for exchange, even in banks, so it is better to carry smaller denominations. Currency – Euro and Pounds Sterling US dollars are not accepted in Ireland or the UK. The Republic of Ireland uses the Euro (Û), while in Britain and Northern Ireland the Pound Sterling (£) is used. The two currencies are not interchangeable. In Ireland there are seven euro notes in denominations of Û5 to Û500 and eight euro coins including a one euro and two euro coin. The rate is generally around Û1 = $1.10 – this rate can fluctuate. View the latest exchange rate here. In Britain and Northern Ireland sterling pound notes are issued in denominations of £5 to £100 with eight coins including £1 and £2. The rate is generally around £1 = $1.50 – this rate can fluctuate.