Magical Ireland Reviews

4.9 Rating 127 Reviews

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smarTours is a leading provider of direct-to-consumer, affordable travel experiences to exotic global destinations. The Company offers travelers curated, pre-packaged itineraries to over 50 destinations across the globe. By offering tours directly to consumers, the Company provides premium-quality experiences at value prices, and as a result, has cultivated a highly passionate and loyal community of repeat travelers. More than 200,000 travelers have taken a smarTours trip since the founding of the Company in 1996. smarTours is… the smarter way to see the world.

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“This was my first smarTour trip, although the third in my family. The trip was so well organized that everything went off without a hitch. Our tour guide Paul was fun and entertaining, and oh so informative. You could tell he really enjoyed what he was doing. Hotels were good, food was good. I could have done without the Irish night at Kate Kearney's Cottage which I thought was overpriced and repetitive of what we had already seen by that time of the trip. However, the Connemara excursion was very nice with some beautiful scenery. Overall, I would highly recommend the trip!”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Excellent all the way through - one of the very best tours we've ever taken. Much of our enjoyment was due to Paul Kealy who is the epitome of a perfect guide. In addition to his knowledge, patience, personality and humor, he obviously loves his country...reminded me of Sir Walter Scott's line: "This is my own, my native land". The country is beautiful and so very clean (as was our spotless coach), the residents are friendly, the venues fascinating, the scenery outstanding. The only negative has nothing to do with the tour itself but with the wish that Smartours could inform us at an earlier date of the airline arrangements. Others in the group expressed the same wish. We shall definitely book another tour with this company.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Never seen a place so green throughout the trip. May be that's why it got somewhat boring. Thruout the tour, all we saw were green grass, sheep, copws and horses on the green pastures, nicely sectionalized and decorated. But... believe it or not, never saw a single patch of vegetable planting throughout the 2-week traverse. Was told veggies are grow elsewhere. No wonder veggies tend to be pricey there. However, the Irish potato is "magical" indeed. Never had potatoes so soft, melting in the mouth once it's chewed into. You don't need teeth to eat Irish potatoes. Idaho, move aside. I consider the potato the best discovery on this trip. The scenery? Good, but.... somewhat a bit short of my expectations (too high perhaps). But... for the price, can't complain. Our tour director Paul was phenomenally intensive to pour our his knowledge of Ireland on us (thanks Paul). The food was much to our surprise, surprisingly good. The lodging overall was good; again, but.... the "F" (Fitzwilliams?) in Belfast, 4-star as it may be, I couldn't stand the hardness of the water. One would keep applying soap and rubbing. You'd never feel cleansed. Have had various hard water situations at lodging places. Wonder why they don't do something 'bout the water. All we needed was good clean beds, comfort sleep before the next day's activities. SmartTours did come through in this department, EXCEPT for the "F" (not the grade).”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Beautiful country and hosted by a lyrical, informed and very personable guide, Paul Kealy. I learned more about Ireland that any history book could include and enjoyed the food, the friendly Irish, and the gorgeous countryside. Paul took excellent care of us and the tour provided all the amenities that could be provided. If you are looking for an excellent and enjoyable adventure, don't miss this one!”

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Posted 8 years ago

“This was my 1st bus tour and I was a little nervous, but overall it was fantastic and unforgettable. My Mom & I had an immensely enjoyable time. First, some of the things I could see improved: There was definitely NOT enough time at a few of the stops, specifically the Titanic Belfast, Ring of Kerry vista points, and Blarney Castle. Regarding Titanic Belfast: Since the city center was so close and no other excursions were planned immediately after, I think there should be the option to stay longer on your own to do some more exploring of the site. Personally, I could have spent at least 4 hours there. A small warning: Every single hotel offered the same exact menu options for dinner: salmon, chicken, or a meat. By the end of the tour, it was very tiresome and redundant and some of us joked that we didn't need to see a menu because we already knew what was on it. On the last Saturday of our tour for the Ring of Kerry drive, there were too many little stops (20-30 minutes each) at some smaller Irish towns. I would have rather spent much more time at the vista points, taking more pictures and just enjoying the scenery. The numerous town stops were, in my opinion, too many and not memorable at all. I would prefer more time to enjoy the Irish scenery. The last day in Limerick just isn't enough time to see or enjoy the city. Because my Mom & I booked our own flights, we were able to stay in Limerick and enjoy a guided walking tour on our own. Limerick is a LOVELY city and we learned so much history. I would suggest getting into Limerick a bit earlier on Monday (which would perhaps require the coach leaving 45-60 minutes earlier from Killarney to have enough time at Blarney Castle & get into Limerick to enjoy an afternoon guided walking tour), but it is well worth it. I feel the rest of the group that had to leave early really missed out on learning about and enjoying Limerick City. Finally, I am sad to say I was disappointed with the breakfast staff at the last two hotels: Killarney Randles Court & Limerick City Clarion Hotel. The hotels themselves were beautiful and in great locations. I only had breakfast at Randles Court one day and the breakfast staff was not friendly at all. I thought it was just a fluke until we stayed at Clarion Hotel and experienced the same situation with the breakfast staff there. They were not as friendly as the other hotels' staff and it was a bit of a shame to have that last impression on an otherwise superb tour with usually upbeat, friendly, smiling staff throughout. (This is not necessarily a reflection of SmarTours, but I think they should be aware of the wait staff at these last 2 hotels.) Now, the fantastic, glowing review: Above all, the success of the tour is because of the knowledgeable, witty, extraordinary driver/guide Paul Kealy. Yes, it is true! The second reason for success is just Ireland itself! And yes, it is in that order even though we were blessed with the luck of the Irish and had unbelievably fantastic weather throughout our tour!! Paul actually enhances the beauty of Ireland! He spouts out so much fantastic information, history, anecdotes, jokes, facts, statistics, stories, and Irish lore that I hope to recall even 10% of it to share with others. He also gives many, many great recommendations and even gave us some "extras" during our trip that really added to the tour even more. We got to see all of Ireland with an Irish "expert" and I don't think you can find such quality and quantity at this price point anywhere. Also, we had a great group and I am grateful to have made some new friends. I also liked that there was enough "free" time to do our own thing so that we could book other excursions, get a massage, or just relax. We paid extra for the 2 optional tours and I would recommend them because they are well worth the extra cash and time spent at them. Overall, I am happy with my 1st bus tour and I would recommend and even try another tour with SmarTours again. Thank you for an unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“This was our fifth SmarTour and it was one of the best. We have been to Ireland before on cruise stops and business, but never really got the feel of the country. This tour took us all around the country allowing us to see the differences in the areas. We had a very congenial group (as usual) of different age groups. Our driver/guide Paul was was very knowledgeable, organized, informative and yet irreverent enough to keep us on our toes and entertained. We saw all of the famous sites and also did other things like visit a sheep farm and spend evenings in pubs with the locals listening to traditional music and having fun. We did both optional tours and highly recommend them. Paul arranged for fresh mussels to be available on the river cruise and also added a few extra stops to the trip. He made good restaurant recommendations and was always available. We highly recommend this tour.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“My wife and I celebrated our 40th anniversary on the Magical Ireland tour that departed on May 14th. A couple of criticisms before the glowing review. One problem we had was the time it took to get our flight information. We wanted to upgrade our flights but by the time we received our flight information from SmarTours, we got the last two seats available in the first class cabin and couldn't get two seats together from Newark to Dublin. Fortunately another passenger worked with us and all ended well but things would have neen easier if the flight information was available from SmarTours a couple of weeks earlier. Next, the coach was short on leg room. I'm not that tall but still found it a little crowded. Ok, enough negative. This was a fantastic tour. The itinerary was excellent. The one thing I may have changed is the amount of time alloted at the Titanic Museum in Belfast. We really could have used even an extra hour there. I was hoping to walk down to the Titanic Dock and Pumphouse but just didn't have enough time. That was a disappointment. The itinerary as a whole though was great. The optional tours were well worth the money, as was the tour in its entirety. Great value. The dinner and music at Kate Kearney's made for a fantastic night out, and I can't think of a better way to cap off the tour than the midieval castle banquet on our last night. The performers at the banquet were incredibly talented and put on a great show. All of the local guides were excellent and informative. The most important element of the tour though, was also the best. Matt, our coach driver and guide, has to be the best in the business. This man made our vacation. He is personable, has a great sense of humor, and frankly is a walking encyclopedia on Ireland. As we drove across Ireland and Northern Ireland he provided a nonstop narrative on everything ranging from agriculture to "The Troubles." All of it very interesting and educational I might add. And, we didn't have any extraordinary needs but Matt made it clear that he was available day and night if anyone did need anything at all. Your guide can make or break your tour and Matt is top notch in every regard. All in all, I don't think you can find a better tour of Ireland. The itinerary and guide were both great, the hotels which were clean and comfortable were all located right in town or close to it, and the provided meals were excellent. The beer in Ireland is pretty doggone good too!”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Weather reports said the coldest May in decades but it didn't put a damper on an incredible tour of all Ireland. We didn't come for the sunshine. Matt Rafter, our driver and tour director, kept up the chatter non-stop as we drove point A to B. He definitely kissed the Blarney stone and we loved it. Forty shades of green underestimates this emerald isle. Between the full Irish breakfast at great hotels and all the places visited around the island in the big bus, memorable. Great people to travel with - as we have found on all the Samrtours. I might mention we had plenty of time to wander in each city on our own.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago