General Testimonials

We just came back from an amazing 7 nights 8 day Railtours Ireland trip around Ireland. We had some expectations, these expectations were met and exceeded. We started in Dublin at Connolly Station. David and Mervyn tagged our luggage where it was taken by bus to wait for us in our rooms at The Great Southern hotel in Killarney. We boarded the Emerald Pullman, an antique train from the 70’s, so if you go thinking it’s the bullet train, it’s not. It’s comfortable seating with white clothed tables with old fashioned incandescent lights on top. My husband asked the friends we were traveling with if he could buy him a drink, turns out no need, it’s an open bar. Lots of Jamieson whiskeys, gins, ciders and the like, it’s also the only train in Ireland that offers Guinness on tap. Light lunches were served by one of the many gentlemen volunteers working the train. A lovely group, all quick with a smile and eager to please.

We stopped in Killarney for 3 nights, staying at the beautiful 4 star Great Southern Hotel. They had a wonderful evening meal for us that first night, breakfasts were included, the food was plentiful and sumptuous. I’d like to thank the chefs, especially the one on the first night who made a delicious full meal in a salad to accommodate my severe lactose intolerance.

For our day trips from Killarney around the beautiful County Kerry and the rest of Ireland we were chauffeured by Attila and David on pristine Mercedes Benz buses. Both drivers were attentive and professional but a huge shout out to Attila for manoeuvring that huge bus through narrow streets and roads. Several times all of us on the bus would spontaneously applaud as Attila would navigate around a corner or back up down a lane way with a mere inch to spare on either side. Highlight of the tour around the Ring of Kerry for myself was, the sheep herding demonstration by farmer Tom O’Sullivan and one of his dogs. You can watch a YouTube video of Tom, and one of his former working dogs winning a sheep herding championship.

After 3 days we then boarded the Emerald Pullman once again to wind our way through the beautiful Irish countryside to Galway Ceannt station. From there we boarded Attila’s bus headed to the small village of Clifden where we stayed 2 nights at the picturesque and beautiful 4 star Abbeyglen Castle. Let me just say this, one of the owners of Abbeyglen, Brian Hughes, is a raconteur of many talents. He joined us for two days on the train, entertaining us in the bar car with his singing and storytelling. By the time we arrived at his hotel, he knew everyone’s name and where we were from. We had a champagne reception each night at 6:30 where Brian would share anecdotes and historical facts about the area that text books skipped over. I didn’t know the first transatlantic flight was in fact not Charles Lindbergh, but John Alcock and Arthur Brown on June 15, 1919, they landed their plane in a peat bog near Clifden. After the reception we’d head upstairs to the dining room where we were served exquisite meals, to which Brian personally made sure my lactose intolerance was accommodated. Our room at Abbeyglen was massive, with a sitting room that had a fireplace and a claw foot tub in the ensuite that was so large I couldn’t reach the end when reclining. Everything about the hotel, the area and the people was fabulous. Our travelling companion and I both agreed we could come back to Clifden and just spend our holiday in Ireland there, it was so lovely.

We left Clifden by bus to head up to the town of Westport to get on the train once again to head northward to Belfast. We did have to switch trains at the border into Northern Ireland but we were on first class coaches especially for our group. We stayed for 2 nights at the beautiful Europa Hotel. Attila chauffeured us around Northern Ireland once again, the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede/Larrybane and the Giant’s Causeway being the stand outs for us. Sadly we were coming to the end of our trip, we boarded first class rail cars at Belfast Grand Station to head back to Connolly Station in Dublin.

Highlights for us were the wonderful friendly Irish people, and the beauty of their verdant 40 shades of green island. Almost everyone would be quick with a smile and go out of their way to accommodate you, and it would be hard to pick the prettiest part of the island since all the counties are so unique. Most of all, it’s some of the wonderful people we met traveling in the group, we’ve exchanged contact information to which I hope will be a continuing friendship.

If you choose to take the Emerald Pullman tour, book early, at the moment it is scheduled only twice a year, June and September. We were on a waiting list to get on the June tour. It isn’t a cheap holiday, but the service, four star hotels and people make it well worth it. Just for myself, having my luggage carted for us to and from our rooms was in itself worth every penny lol! If you’d like more information email info@railtoursireland.com all your inquiries will be met with a prompt reply.

I visited the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle and The Burren with Railtours Ireland last month and had a great time! The weather was absolutely beautiful which made the cliffs stand out spectacularly! The tour was well-organised, had a clear itinerary and was very efficient - seeing all these sights in only one day was perfect for me! The train was very comfortable both there and back, I HIGHLY recommend this tour and this company! 😍

It was an incredible experience!
Just being able to enjoy the landscapes and architecture from trains and buses was amazing.
Thanks to John MacDonald for his guiding and to Michael for driving us on the bus

Great tour. Hit the highlights . Paul our tour guide was excellent. Gave us a history lesson of Ireland. The trip was one adult field trip.

We had an amazing tour and saw so much of the Irish countryside! The Cliffs of Mohrer and the Burren were beautiful. We loved the castle too. Peter was an outstanding tour guide.

We saw a lot on this tour including the Irish coast along with the main event, the Causeway.

David was a super guide. Friendly knowledgeable and answered all of our questions including general question about Irish life and culture. John, the Allen’s driver was very knowledgeable and we learned alot with some entertainment. Hiw he pushed that bus around the narrow roads through the hedgerows and avoiding oncoming buses, I dont understand but was glad he did.

Long but excellent day both in content and logistics.

You won't believe the beautiful sites! We were staying in Dublin and booked this tour last minute and enjoyed it thoroughly! While it is quite a ways to travel in one day, there is so much to take in and we knew that going in. John was our guide and led our small group every step of the way! He was kind and incredibly helpful, providing us with so much background information on daily life in Ireland, sports, and celebrations. Pros: Helpful guide, seamless transportation from train to coach, informative coach driver/ tour guide, nice home cooked lunch with stunning views. The sheep dog demonstration was a highlight ( bring cash) along with Killarney National Park stops ( views, history and waterfalls!) Cons: This is a fast paced tour and to get it all in the coach travels very fast. It was tricky to take good photos. We would have enjoyed a slower pace but understand the timing situation. Overall: Highly recommend!

A friend and I recently completed the 4-day Wild Atlantic Way tour with Railtours Ireland. What a great experience! We were able to see and learn so much, starting out at Blarney Castle, touring the Ring of Kerry, battling the wind to climb up the Cliffs of Moher, and so much more! Paul was our tour guide for most of the trip and he was organized, knowledgable, fun, and clearly understood how to meet the needs of the group. He arranged lunches and stops at places of interest along the way each day. We also had, at times on the trip, Andrew, Sean the bus driver, and a few other characters. Everyone was super accommodating, kept everyone on schedule, and provided all the necessary information for us to get the most out of each day. We would highly recommend this tour if you want a good pace of travel and a nice slice of Ireland.

I have done 5 tours with Railtours Ireland and every one was amazing. The guides were knowledgeable, fun and very helpful. I’ve have done some with my spouse and some with 14 friends, we all loved each tour.

My sweetheart and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour, from meeting John McDonald at the Heuston Train Station, to the plane ride over to Inis Mor, there and back again to Dublin was a delightful experience! John is truly a gift to the travelers who are guided by him. His laughter and commentary are insightful as well as delightful! His shared knowledge of our itinerary, and the tidbits he revealed along our journey, made the trip even more memorable. We HIGHLY recommend! BTW...Steve surprised me while we were strolling the gardens of Blarney Castle two days after this tour. He proposed! I do believe we will be returning to your lovely country sooner rather than later.

This tour is highly recommended! Paul, Andrew and John were all great guides! They communicated well and on time and removed the stress from all the moving parts. We just sat back and were taken care of. All the stops were amazing and beautiful! Thanks for an amazing trip!