Bettisu Casey
GBI had a great experience with Authentic… I had a great experience with Authentic Ireland. They made all of our arrangements for car and lodging. They also provided an itinerary with suggested sites. We really appreciated having everything pre-paid before we left. It made check-in and check-out quick and easy wherever we went.
Kaylee P
GBHoneymoon in Ireland For our honeymoon/first international trip, working with Authentic Vacations was a huge help! We had two travel agents because our first agent ended up leaving the company a few months before our trip. Diana made all of our arrangements, and answered a lot of questions to ease my worries. My only complaint is that by the time we got our passports and were ready to book our flights, she told us she wouldn’t be back in the office for the next week. When she came back, the airfare went up. Our second travel agent was Lainie. She sent us all of our documents on time and answered more questions for me. We had a great time on our self-guided tour through Ireland. We stayed at two bed and breakfasts, and three hotels. We enjoyed the B&B’s more. Our last hotel, Celbridge Manor, was very stuffy inside and we had to sleep with the window open to air out the room. I would not go back there again. Our driving experience was good. Make sure you take a lot of pictures of your rental car before you leave the parking lot. We had a few damages on our car that were either not listed, or only listed as minor scratches. Also, our GPS didn’t work very well so we ended up only using maps on my cellphone with Verizon. Overall I recommend working with a travel agent for an international trip to ensure you get the most of your vacation.
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.
Shirley
GBExcellent Travel Agent Recently worked with Tam Katzin for a trip to Ireland. Tam was wonderful to work with. She listened to what we were looking for in the trip and went over and above to make sure our trip met our wishes. Tam was very patient throughout the whole process with my numerous questions. Not once did she make me feel that I was bothering her. Even with the Pa time difference she answered emails promptly even though she wasn't in the office yet. Tam was great with little tips and information about things that I would not have thought about to take care of before our trip. I would definitely look for her guidance again if we plan another trip sometime.
Michelle
GBJocoya helped us to plan a perfect week… Jocoya helped us to plan a perfect week in Dublin with two wonderful day trips: Wicklow and Glendalough and another to the Giant's Causeway. She asked about our interests and made fantastic recommendations that made the trip even better!