General Testimonials

We enjoyed traveling through the countryside by train. Paddy, our guide spent time talking with each of to explain what we would do and see. We did a bit of walking but it was not fast paced. The group enjoyed lunch at the The Reg in Waterford. The tour through Waterford factory was very informative and in the showroom, Paddy made sure we helped by the showroom staff.

We really enjoyed our **Cork and Blarney Castle excursion from Cobh by train**. It was a great way to see and learn about the area while visiting from the cruise ship.

This was a fantastic way to experience Ireland’s West Coast in a single day! The combination of rail and coach transportation from Dublin made the trip seamless and took the stress out of arranging tickets and transportation ourselves.

We did experience unavoidable train delays due to a serious incident which impacted several services. What really impressed us was how quickly and professionally the tour guides and rail operator responded. Our guide adapted the itinerary on the fly, making sure we still had time to enjoy the key stops and receive our guided tour at Bunratty Castle.

Bunratty Castle was fascinating, and the Cliffs of Moher were absolutely spectacular—definitely a highlight. Traveling through the Burren was beautiful, and we also enjoyed exploring Galway.

Despite an unexpected disruption, the excellent communication, flexibility, and continuity planning kept the day enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to experience Ireland’s West Coast from Dublin!

Great experience! The train rides were made easy with our guide. Blarney was incredible and learned a lot about Cork and Cobh.

The trip was so fun!! Our tour guide Patty, was amazing! So kind, friendly and loved to chat. If you go on this tour, I would recommend booking a self guided tour with the Kilkenny Castle. It was spectacular! The trip to Waterford was beautiful as well.

Our trip was exceptionally well planned. On day one, we explored Bunratty Castle, the Burren and the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher before arriving in Galway, where we were introduced to our guide for the next day - Anthony O'Connell.

Anthony met us the following morning with incredible patience, positivity, and good humour. Day two took us through the stunning Connemara region and to the magnificent Kylemore Abbey. During our brief time together, we enjoyed wonderful conversations that covered just about everything and anything. He was an absolute pleasure to spend time with and went above and beyond to ensure we stayed on schedule, never lost our way, and returned in plenty of time for our journey home.

A huge thank you and well-deserved shout-out to Anthony for making our experience so enjoyable and stress-free. His warmth, professionalism, and genuine care left a lasting impression. We even made plans to catch up for a coffee the next time I'm visiting Galway, which says everything about the kind of person he is.

We had a great day out at the Ring of Kerry day tour with our guide John Todd and driver Batt O’Connell. Both of them are full of knowledge about Ireland, cultures and have many interesting facts to share and even some beautiful singing by Batt and poetry recital by John. Certainly very entertaining and fun. And it helps especially when we are blessed with a sunny day. The scenery around the Ring of Kerry are amazing and the optional sheep dog show where the sheep farmer showed how his trained dog round up his sheep was very entertaining and informative. Certainly worth paying to watch it. John was also very good in keeping us awake during the train ride to and from Killarney with his mini quiz/fun facts and also caring to enquire how we were getting back to our hotel at the end of the trip, ensuring we were not stranded at the Heuston train station.

Great experience with an exceptional staff.

If you are planning a trip with Railtours Ireland, pray that you get John ( I dont know his last name) for your guide. He looked after us from the train station to the coach transfers like an organized parent, but with significantly better jokes.John managed to turn history and folklore into a comedy routine while keeping us entirely on schedule. He has an endless supply of local facts, brilliant banter, and the magical ability to make a train journey feel like a night out at a local pub. Thanks to him, we didn't have to stress about directions, driving on the wrong side of the road, or missing a single connection.10/10 experience. If you take a tour, ask for John—the man is an absolute Irish national treasure!

This was a very nice excursion. Our tour guides Rich and Andrew were lovely gentlemen. We enjoyed talking with them. The tour started right off the ship and so we did not have far to walk. The gardens at the Blarney Castle were beautiful. We also had time to shop and get a bite to eat.