Karen Wood
GBI loved the itinerary I loved the itinerary. The only problems I encountered were 1) the vouchers were in my name but the actual reservations at the inns, B&Bs, and tourist sites were in my maiden name. This was a bit of an annoyance. 2) I am 68 and don't have the physical strength I once had so the B&Bs all had steep stairs. Had my son-in-law not been with us, I couldn't have easily got my suitcase up the stairs. I love B&Bs, but stairs are getting more difficult.
Bill LePage
GBIreland trip It was absolutely fantastic. Authentic vacations did an unbelievable job. The Hotel(George) in Limerick was excellent. The Golf at LaHinch & Doonbeg was spectacular, the caddie’s were the best. A trip to remember. The people in Ireland were very friendly and the Pubs were great.
Brian and Mary Normile
GBTrip of a Lifetime to Western Ireland Authentic Vacations arranged our trip of a lifetime to Western Ireland. No question was too large or too small for them to answer. Josie "got it" when we said we wanted a stress-free trip where we could take in the untainted beauty of the small towns and coastal areas of Ireland. She booked flights into the relaxed Shannon Airport where we were met by our chauffeur/tour guide Tony Woods. She arranged the perfect hotel (Temple Gate-- a quality hotel, historical, but casual and relaxed, with top-tier attention to customers, a great bar and restaurant, hearty breakfasts, exiting onto a courtyard with magnificent floral displays) located in the charming town of Ennis. Ennis was the ultimate walkable town with many shops, restaurants, pubs and historic sites no more than a 5-minute walk in this richly interesting and compact town. Using Ennis as a home base, we took 3 day-trips in Western Ireland. Our chauffeur/tour guide, Tony Woods, took us to destinations selected specifically to suit our interests. He was able to park in spaces designated for chauffeured cars, saving us a lot of time getting to and from some sites such as the Cliffs of Moher. We were able to take narrow roads buses can't navigate. We could focus on scenery instead of driving, navigating, parking, refueling. Tony changed the itinerary to ensure we had optimal weather at the sites we visited. We stayed at sites as long as we wanted. Tony knew where to find great shopping and first-rate stops for lunch or tea. We learned a lot about Ireland from him, and actually felt we knew the country at a deeper level when we left than had we driven ourselves and stayed at bed and breakfasts. The combination of each of these elements created the perfect trip. In addition, Tony provided a taxi service on our last day, dropping us off and picking us up from Bunratty Castle and its associated Folk Park. We would rely on Josie and Authentic Vacations in planning any future trips. They made it so easy. We would never consider traveling in Ireland again without using Tony Woods Chauffeur to allow us to get the maximum immersion in the country during the time we have to spend--couldn't have seen half these things had we arranged them ourselves.
Gail
GBGreat expectations fulfilled and more! This June, I led a group of 12 on a tour to Ireland. Maggie Lunde was my group specialist who did an excellent job helping me achieve the desired plans for our visit. She was thorough and very responsive to our needs. Our chauffeur for the tour was Martin McAviney, a delightful guide and great friend to us. From the start, he let me know that he was there to fulfill all our plans and wishes and to feel free to communicate them clearly to him. He not only delivered but once he had a sense of our group, he gave us excellent additions which fit perfectly for us. His warmth and great sense of humor added greatly to the enjoyment and success of tour. Members thanked me afterward for "making our dreams come true" and another described the tour as "life-changing" I whole-heartedly share these accolades with Martin and Maggie.
Kevin Leak
GBA very delightful first visit to Ireland. We had an amazing 8 day Ireland vacation. We worked closely with our travel advisor, Heather B., to plan every detail of our trip. Heather tailored it perfectly to fit our interests and our desire to meander by car along the coasts to visit the historic, cultural and nature sights of southern Ireland. We stayed at seven lovely B&Bs on the west, south and east coasts. The B&B hosts were wonderfully gracious and welcoming. Heather made dinner reservations or recommendations for each night, which were universally fabulous. We visited many centuries old monasteries, castles, forts and settlements. We toured several wonderful museums. Heather provided us with a Google maps link for each day our travel. The beaches, cliffs, lighthouses and seaside villages along the coasts were delightfully scenic, peaceful and sublime. We drove exactly 1,000 miles on our trip at a very leisurely pace. Highly recommend Authentic Vacations and Heather B. to plan your customized Ireland Adventure.