A friendly game of football in a field near Galway (Photo by Michael P. Thompson)

Ireland has long been known as a “land of enchantment,” and rightly so. People who travel there wax poetic about its green fields, its ancient monuments, the Guinness, and of course, its friendly people. But sometimes the most common sight you see is the back of another tour bus. It can still be the trip of a lifetime, but here are some ways to avoid common pitfalls.

First of all, decide if a package tour is really for you. Many of the tour companies pay their driver/guide a pittance to drive you around the countryside. But the shops, museums and attractions will often pay for each visitor brought to their place of business. So you wind up in a bus full of people, following all the other buses to the same tired sights, seeing the same people at each stop, and spending a lot more time in shopping areas than viewing the scenic vistas.

Of course, not all tour companies operate this way, so if a group tour IS your cup of tea, be sure to work closely with a trusted travel professional to find a company that has a guide who is not also the driver. Some of the best operators even hire a local guide to augment the expertise of the tour conductor who shepherds you around the country.

And because they operate on a fairly large scale, they are able to provide this service at a price comparable to the discount companies.

Another thing to look for is what travel professionals call “affinity tours.” Basically this means you’re with a group of people with a common interest. Perhaps it’s your extended family, a church group, a social club. You may all know each other and want to travel together. Or it may be a gathering of people interested in a particular subject, such as birdwatching, or archaeology. They can come from all over, and be united by a common passion.

A group tour may indeed be your thing, but don’t dismiss the “on your own” option too quickly. People can be intimidated by the prospect of driving on the other side of the road, or finding their way around a foreign country. But those who do it often consider it the adventure of their lives. You may find yourself stopping at a farmhouse to ask directions and making friends for a lifetime. You may find the most incredibly talented musicians at a pub off the beaten path, where there are no crowds and they’ll sit and chat with you after.

Either way you go, the advice about a trusted travel professional still holds true. There are precious few brick and mortar travel agencies anymore with the advent of big online travel sites, but many travelers are becoming leery of that faceless corporate method of booking travel. Travel consultants are becoming more popular as people look for the personal touch and not just the discount price. Standard travel agents make their money off commissions paid by airlines, hotels, etc., but those commissions have been drying up for some years now. Travel consultants may make some commission, or they may just charge a fee for their service. It’s worth it for the added benefit of their knowledge and expertise.

So take that trip of a lifetime, and make it even more memorable by customizing it to your own wants and desires. Find the real Ireland, not just the one the tour company wants you to see.

Here’s some information about a tour I’ve recently heard about. Contact me for more information.

“Every time you leave home,
Another road takes you
Into a world you were never in.”
John O’ Donoghue

Pilgrims will visit sacred sites associated with St Patrick, St Brigid, St Ciaran, St Brendan and St James.   We will spend time with Irish Scholars and members of the Irish religious community including Sr Maire Hickey of Kylemore Abbey, Mark Hederman Abbot of Glenstal Abbey and Sr Mary Minehan of Solus Bhride.

DETAILED ITINERARY

DAY 1 : Stone Age passage graves at Newgrange

Today we travel to Newgrange for a visit to the Stone Age passage graves.  Newgrange was constructed over 5,000 years ago (about 3,200 B.C.), making it older than Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Newgrange has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We will see the Hill of Slane where St. Patrick lit a paschal fire as a challenge to the pagan High King of Tara and visit Monasterboice to see Muiredach’s High Cross, the finest high cross in all of Ireland.  Later we will visit Mellifont Abbey, founded in 1142 and the first Cistercian Abbey in Ireland.

Dinner & Overnight, Dublin—Dinner, Bed & Breakfast included.

Day 2: Dublin – Ireland’s Capital and Fair City

We will spend a day in Ireland’s capital city, Dublin where we will visit Trinity College and see the magnificent Old Library and the 1200 year old Book of Kells, the beautifully illuminated version of the Gospels, designed by monks in the 9th century.  We continue to the National Museum, housing a rich collection of Irish antiquities from the prehistoric times to the end of the medieval period.   We will visit St. Audoen’s Church the oldest parish church in Dublin still in use.  We will also visit St Michan’s Church, rebuilt in 1686 on the site of an 11th century Hiberno-Viking church.  The dull facade of St. Michan’s hides a more exciting interior.  Deep within its vaults lie a number of bodies that have barely decomposed because of the dry atmosphere created by the church’s magnesian limestone walls. Their wooden caskets, however, have cracked open revealing the preserved bodies, complete with skin and strands of hair.   After our visit we will return to our hotel for dinner.

This evening we will enjoy The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. You will hear some Irish history, music, and literature.  Led by two actors, the tour will take you to several pubs frequented by some of Ireland’s greatest writers, Joyce, Beckett, Shaw, Yeats, Wilde, and Behan, among others.

Dinner & Overnight Dublin—Dinner, Bed & Breakfast included.

Day 3: Clonmacnoise and the West of Ireland

This morning we will travel to Galway City on the Atlantic West coast of Ireland.   On our way we will stop at Clonmacnoise, an early Christian site founded by Saint Ciaran in the 6th century.  This site includes the ruins of a cathedral, eight churches (10th-13th century), two round towers, three high crosses and a large collection of early Christian grave slabs.  In the afternoon we will enjoy a guided walking tour of Galway city and we will be free to explore the bustling streets of this Medieval City.

Dinner & Overnight, Galway—Dinner, Bed & Breakfast included.

Day 4: Connemara & Kylemore Abbey

This morning we will travel through beautiful Connemara to Kylemore Abbey the oldest of the Irish Benedictine Abbeys. This community of nuns who have resided here since 1920, has a long history stretching back three hundred and forty years.  We will visit the Abbey and stroll along the lake shore to the ornate Gothic Church and then through the parkland to the Walled Gardens.   A section of the Abbey (the enclosure) is retained strictly for the nuns’ use and is not open to the public:   Here the nuns devote themselves to their monastic life of prayer and work.   We will meet with Sr Maire and spend time with her to gain an insight into the Benedictine way of life.

Dinner & Overnight, Galway— Dinner, Bed & Breakfast included.

Day 5:  Cliffs of Moher & Corcomroe Abbey

We will travel through the Burren, in North County Clare.   With its huge pavements of limestone making it the only karst landscape in Western Europe, famous for its plant life with many rare and protected species.    We will visit one of the Burren’s most substantial monuments, the ruined abbey of Corcomroe, near the northern coast.  It was founded by the Cistercians in the 13th century.  The abbey acquired the name of ‘Sancta Maria de Petra Fertili’- ‘St. Mary of the Fertile Rock’ which reflects the fertile nature of the Burren lands, which ensured that here a Cistercian community could, by cultivation, provide itself with the necessary means of support.

Later we will stop at the Cliffs of Moher.  The Cliffs are 214m high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare.

We will also visit St Brigids Holy Well, hidden between Lahinch and Liscannor.  This Holy Well is enclosed in a little house full of votive offerings such as holy pictures rosaries, medals and photos of loved ones left by pilgrims.  It is traditional on the four annual Pilgrim Days to perform the rite barefooted, as has been the custom for centuries.  “The barefooted pilgrim of course is in direct contact with the Earth”

We continue our journey to the Southwest of Ireland and arrive at the peaceful village of Dingle, once cited as ‘the most beautiful place on earth’ by the National Geographic.

Dinner & Overnight, Dingle— Dinner, Bed & Breakfast included.

DAY 6 : Dingle Peninsula

Today we will explore the Dingle Peninsula with its beautiful seascapes. We  journey in the footsteps of St Brendan and St James.  We will visit the Gallarus Oratory, Ireland’s best preserved pilgrims church dating from about the 8th century.   We will visit the ruins of Kilmalkedar.   This Early Christian site is spread over a large area of around 10 acres.   The history of this site is associated with St Brendan, but the site is said to have been founded by St Maolcethair in the 6th century.   At the centre of this area is a 12th century Romanesque Church, it consists of a nave and chancel.  Amongst the other features here are, the Alphabet Stone,  A holed Ogham stone, sun dial, two bullaun stones, a large stone cross, St Brendans Oratory and numerous cross slabs.
Dinner and overnight, Dingle— Dinner, Bed & Breakfast included.

DAY 7 : Killarney, Adare Village, Trinitarian Abbey

This morning we will visit Muckross House before we will depart for Limerick.  Built in 1843, this Victorian mansion house is one of Irelands leading stately homes.  It stands majestically on the lake shore in the National Park, Killarney.  Queen Victoria paid a visit here to the Herbert family in 1861.  The House was later owned, in turn, by Lord Ardilaun (of the Guinness family).  Today, many of the rooms in this magnificent mansion have been restored to their original Victorian splendour.  We will stop in the Ireland’s prettiest village Adare and visit Trinitarian Abbey, which was founded in 1230.

Dinner and overnight, Limerick— Dinner, Bed & Breakfast included.

Day 8 – Glenstal Abbey & Solus Bhride

Today we will visit Glenstal Abbey a Benedictine monastery in County Limerick the Abbey has is the home to a community of about 40 monks.  The community life of prayer is combined with running a boarding school for boys, a farm, a guesthouse and various other works. Situated on a 500 acre estate with streams, lakes and woodland paths, surrounds a castle built in the romantic Norman style. The monks assemble in Church four times a day for the Divine Office and  Mass.

In the crypt of the church is a chapel with Orthodox icons, designed by the architect, Jeremy Williams.  It is a unique sacred space reminding us that monasticism has its roots in the Christian east.  In traditional Byzantine style, it takes the shape of a cross in a square with a central circle surmounted by a dome.  We will meet and spend time with Mark Patrick Hederman, Abbot of Glenstal Abbey. Abbot Mark Patrick is a native of Co. Limerick and has been a member of the community for forty-five years, many of them as librarian at the monastery. He has lectured in philosophy and literature in America, Nigeria and Ireland, and was a founding editor of the cultural journal The Crane Bag. He is also an established author who is deeply interested in art.

We will continue our journey to Kildare to visit Solas Bhride (Brigid’s light/flame) a small Christian Centre, which has as its focus St. Brigid and Celtic Spirituality. Here we will meet with Sr. Mary Minehan and we will “Walk in the footsteps of St. Brigid”, a pilgrim journey to the sites around Kildare town associated with St. Brigid. On this journey you will be invited to:

• get in touch with your own inner journey

• reflect

• linger for a while

• be still

• walk close to the earth

• encounter the legends of Brigid and their relevance for today.

Dinner & Overnight,  Dublin— Dinner, Bed & Breakfast included.

Day 9: Day of Departure

This itinerary can be customized to meet your precise dates and to include all of your wishlist.

Contact: Michael

There are three basic seasons in the travel business; high season, low season, and shoulder season. In Ireland, as in much of Europe, the high season is the summer. The weather is beautiful, the countryside is green, it’s just a great time of year, and lots of people take advantage of that.

But there are disadvantages too. Air fares are highest during the high season because the demand is higher. There are more crowds, especially in the more popular areas. And if you come later in the summer, the storekeepers, tour guides, etc., are more tired and less likely to exhibit that famous Irish hospitality in such an enthusiastic manner.

Low season is less crowded, but many of the attractions aren’t open, tours aren’t running, and the weather is not nearly as nice. It can be a wonderful opportunity to have a much more relaxed visit and get to know people more intimately, especially if you know the secret life of pubs.

A compromise that’s not as well known is the “shoulder” season, early spring and late fall. Many of the attractions are still open or just opening, in spring the locals are just fresh and ready, and air fares are lower than the peak season. The weather can be chancy, but the adventure can make a trip even more memorable.

So, as you make your travel plans, keep the season in mind. There’s no one “best” time to travel, but you can plan your trip around your own preferences and desire.

A pub is not a bar. A pub is not a restaurant. A pub usually HAS a bar, and often serves food, but it’s not the same thing.

The word “pub” is short for “Public House.” Back in the old days in Celtic cultures, hospitality was offered to strangers and travelers. You could count on staying in somebody’s home, being given a meal and a place to sleep, and when somebody visited your area, you provided the same. But with the coming of Roman influence, things began to change. Rome had taverns and inns, and that custom began to spread where Roman culture held sway. People started charging money for “hospitality.”

Some homes were turned into the local equivalent of an inn or tavern. Rooms were rented out, food and drink was served. These were houses where the public could stay. Sometimes buildings were erected for this purpose, but often, it was just somebody’s home. The “public house” became a feature of Celtic culture.

Today, there’s technically a difference between a “public house” and a “free house.” A public house is tied by contract to a certain brewery, while a free house can serve beer from anyone. But the term “pub,” short for public house, has come to apply to both.

Ireland is my specialty, so I’m mostly talking about there, but much of this is true in other Celtic-influenced countries as well. In Ireland, the lack of large population centers led to customs such as gathering at a crossroads for dancing and socializing. Similar gatherings were held in people’s homes, and in pubs. The pub became a center of social life, next only to the church. It’s an essential part of the community, a gathering place and nerve center.

In Celtic countries, people gather in the pub to play music together. This has led to the custom of “sessions” where musicians gather to play, sing, and enjoy a few pints together. The pub is also usually where gossip and news are passed on, romances are born and die, where plans are made and friendships are forged. Deals are made, help is asked and offered, and generally, anything that requires more than one person is accomplished or decided at the pub.

There’s a scene in the movie “Crocodile Dundee” where Sue, the journalist, uses the term “shrink” and Mick Dundee asks what that means. She explains that a shrink is a person to whom you tell your problems and who helps you deal with them. Mick says that’s why you have mates in the pub. You tell Wally your problems, Wally tells everyone else, and pretty soon, everybody knows. No problem. Australia is a very Celtic-influenced country.

One of the most common misunderstandings about the pub is that it’s a bar, where the primary purpose is the consumption of alcohol. While it’s true that alcohol is usually a part of pub life, it’s certainly not the primary purpose. Sharing drinks is merely part of the social life of the pub.

The pub is unlike a bar in several other ways as well. When Americans go to a bar, they either spend the time with the friends they came in with, or they’re looking to meet someone of the opposite sex. Again, those things happen in a pub, but it’s not the primary reason people go there. Pub patrons socialize with everyone, friend and stranger alike.

This can confuse Americans when they go to Ireland. If you sit (or many times, stand) at the bar, people will involve you in conversation. If you want more private time, sit at a table away from the bar. The pub is a social place.

For traveling through the back door, that’s one of the biggest advantages of a pub. When you visit Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England (or even Australia and New Zealand), plan to spend a fair amount of time in the pubs. This seems foreign to Americans; why would I want to spend my time in bars? But remember, the pub is not a bar, the pub is where you find the locals.

You want advice on the best sites to see, or the best music, or the best local culture? Find it in the pubs.

First, keep in mind that airline policies are not the same as they’ve always been. There may be baggage charges you haven’t faced before, restrictions on what you can carry on, etc. Check your airline’s web site or call them before you decide how to pack. Of course, I always recommend packing light. And make sure to check the actual airline site, not necessarily where you booked the flight.

Below are some highlights to keep in mind:

Secure Flight: Beginning a couple of years ago, airlines began requiring additional personal information when customers book tickets. Secure Flight is a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) program which has been implemented as an added security measure.
When making a reservation, passengers will be asked to provide the following Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD):
Name as it appears on government-issued I.D.
When traveling
Date of Birth
Gender
Redress Number (if applicable to the customer)
Additional information and updates about Secure Flight can be found at the TSA’s Web site, www.tsa.gov.

Baggage Fees: You can often save money on checked bag fees by paying them online ahead of time. Avoid carrying extra weight (in your luggage, not around your midsection!): Checked bags are subject to weight and size restrictions.

Traveling overseas? Trans-Atlantic passengers can usually check their first bag for free, though some airlines are starting to charge fees for international baggage as well. There may be fees for additional bags. Check with your airline to be sure.

Keep an eye on your checked baggage. US Airways Baggage Service Specialist Vicky Notle Vollrath (home base: Phoenix), recommends: “When checking your bag, make sure that it is checked all the way to your destination and not just to your connecting city. Visually look at the bag tag being put on your bag and know your final destination three letter city code.” Hint: Before handing over their bags to an agent, travelers should check that the airport code on their bag tags match the code on their boarding passes. And curbside check-in is available at many airports for a small fee in addition to the fee to check a bag.

Choice Seats: Want to be one of the first off the plane to see your family? US Airways offers the option to purchase some of the most popular seats in coach class during the check-in process. Fees range from $5 to $30 per flight segment. Other airlines may offer similar services. Again, check their web site for more information.

Check-in early: Visit the airline web site to save time at the airport. Most airline web sites provides automated check-in options, including the ability to pre-print boarding passes up to 24 hours prior to departure time. Customers taking advantage of web check-in may also receive a higher boarding priority.

Check flight status: Many airlines offer flight status information on their web sites or by phone. Some of them will even send updates to your cell phone. This can be helpful when you’re flying, or even when you’re picking someone up from the airport. It’s nice to know the flight’s delayed before you leave home so you don’t have to spend hours waiting in the terminal.

Allow plenty of time – for lines, parking and security. Experts recommend arriving at the airport two hours prior to departure time – longer for international flights.
Here’s an insider tip. Flight Attendant Derek Hanna (home base: Phoenix) says, “Even if my flight leaves from the A gates at Phoenix Sky Harbor, I usually go through the B security check-point where security lines are much shorter. Sure, it’s a little bit further of a walk once you get past security, but that’s what the moving sidewalks are for. And, you can preemptively walk off that turkey dinner!” There are similar situations in may airports, including DIA.

Traveling with children? Senior Manager, Marketing Communications and Partnerships (and full-time mom) Jen Adams (home base: Phoenix) has the ultimate kid-friendly tip: “Because the holidays are the busiest travel times of the year, airports are crowded and lines are long. My little one doesn’t have a lot of patience so we make waiting a game. Each hour, he gets a different snack or activity and that helps him count down the time to arrival and pass the time. Also, since you don’t know how fast the security line is going to move, make a pit stop before getting into the security line. Pre-emptive planning solves a lot of potential headaches!!”

Pack carefully: When packing checked and carry-on bags, customers are advised to bring only the necessities and be aware of TSA restrictions regarding items that can be included in carry-on luggage.

Among others, liquids, creams and gels are restricted to one quart-size clear plastic bag (about the size of a sandwich bag), containing bottles of three ounces or less (the sizes typically given at most hotels and offered as “travel sizes”’ at most retailers), per passenger. Leave the presents unwrapped and don’t pack toys that might be confiscated, like toy guns. View all TSA restrictions and requirements at www.tsa.gov.

Here’s a tip my wife often uses when traveling. Operations Control Coordinator Mike Price, (home base: Pittsburgh) offers this travel savvy and eco-friendly tip: “Be sure to drink plenty of water when you travel. It helps prevent jetlag and headaches associated with dehydration. Take advantage of the water fountains once you’re through security, and celebrate an eco-friendly holiday at the same time: Bring an empty water bottle or thermos and fill it up on the other side!”

US Airways Club Representative Angela Banks (home base: Charlotte) says: “Keep your tickets, identification, and credit cards handy. You want to have them in a place that is easy to retrieve when needed (I.e. a purse or inner garment pocket). You will be amazed at how much time you save not having to dig through luggage to find these things.” I recommend a neck wallet or money belt (outside your shirt, but inside the waistband of your pants.)

Provide accurate contact information: Passengers should provide their airline with appropriate contact information at time of reservation for notification purposes in the event of a flight irregularity. Passengers should clearly mark their luggage both inside and out with their address, phone number and email. I always keep a few business cards with me, especially in each of my bags, just in case the outside tag gets separated.

Central Baggage Resolution Specialist Benjamin Russell (home base: Phoenix) wants travelers to know, “Most bags look the same to a weary traveler, or frankly, to an energized traveler. It’s always a good idea to put identifying markings on your bag to make locating it much easier. Use colored tape, a ribbon or a funky bag tag attached to the handle.”

Several of these tips are based on information from US Airways.

For more info: Check your airline’s web site, ask your travel agent, or visit www.tsa.gov.

Think about your last stay in a big chain motel. Perhaps you learned the desk clerk’s name, but probably not. You may have read the name tag worn by the maid who changed your sheets, or the server who took your order in the generic restaurant, but otherwise, you really didn’t meet people. And the people you did meet where service professionals, who treated you with a distant courtesy, as they have been trained.

Now imagine this. You are met at the door of a lovely cottage by Mrs. Brown. Her husband is gone now and she has turned their home into a bed and breakfast. She invites you into the parlor and serves you a cup of tea, and joins you with her own. She has made the little cakes herself, and she tells you stories of growing up in this community and how it has changed.

Later, she shows you to a room that’s as clean and comfortable as the room in any five-star hotel, but there’s a hand made bedspread and some very unique knick-knacks and curios.

Next morning she serves you a splendid cooked breakfast, featuring local products and specialties. During the meal she gives lots of wonderful advice and information about local sites and activities, and where to buy some groceries for a nice picnic lunch so you don’t have to spend the money on a restaurant for lunch.

When you return later in the afternoon from the most enjoyable day you can remember, she mentions a splendid little pub just down the block where some local musicians come to play and sing, as they have for many years together. So you cap off that wonderful day with an even more enjoyable evening, sharing a pint and a bite to eat with people who have lived here all their lives. (More about the pub in another post.)

Traveling through the back door could also be described as traveling closer to the ground. You meet real people who live here, working to make a living, enjoying their lives, sharing their experiences with you in a way that you’ll never get from the desk clerk in that chain motel. That’s why I think “back door” accommodations are so much superior to the places where you pay more to be treated like a tourist.

With back door travel, you avoid the pitfalls of the front door, as well as the expense of insulating yourself from the culture you’ve come to visit. You get to know real people, not just the attendants at the motel or restaurant or the gift shop counter. You learn how they live, what they love, how their lives are the same as yours but also different. It’s a much deeper experience.

Many travel experiences are broad, but not deep. You visit lots of places in a whirlwind that becomes a blur of memory when you return. That’s the world of the big package tour. The back door is more relaxed, more intimate, and in my opinion, much more enjoyable.

The back door takes a travel agent who knows the area, the people, and how to get away from the crowds. Such people are hard to find. That’s one big reason I got into the travel business. Most travel agents can’t get their heads out of the box of package tours. Plus, packages and cruises are an easier way to make money.

I’ll share some specific ways to get in the back door and enjoy it more in other posts.

Certainly it’s important to get the best deal you can on airfare, but it’s more important to look at value, not just price.

For most people, getting a cheap airfare seems to be their primary concern. Personally, I think it’s overrated. Certainly, I never advise anyone to pay more than they have to for an airfare, but when you’re talking about the trip of a lifetime, scrimping fifty or a hundred dollars on airfare really isn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things.

Talk to a good travel agent, and they’ll work hard to get you a good fare. However, communication is very important. I had one group going to Ireland for the first time, and when the matriarch who was paying for a lot of it found out they could go nonstop for only fifty bucks more apiece, she was happy to pay it. Getting a good airfare is important, but it’s not always the MOST important thing, especially for first-time visitors.

It’s also good to look at which airline you choose. I had a group come back on a particular airline and they swore they would never fly that carrier again after all the delays and confusion they experienced. I’ve had very good experience with British Airways, and good service from Continental as well, but they’re not always the cheapest. In this case, a low fare might not make for a happy traveler.

In my opinion, the best airfare is not always the cheapest. Talk to your travel agent about your needs and desires and get the best value, not just the lowest price.

Then came the internet, with massive online search engines. At the same time, airlines started booking directly with fliers and drastically reduced the commissions that were the bread and butter for travel agents. The only segment of the travel industry that still pays decent commissions these days is the cruise lines, which is why the few “brick and mortar” agents still in the business mostly specialize in cruises. It’s an efficient way for them to do business because cruises are mostly all-inclusive.

The online giants can still make money on the individual components of a trip because they book them by the thousands. And they make deals with big tour companies to package flights, hotels, excursions, etc., all into one attractive itinerary.

But this means that you, the travel consumer, are usually treated the same way as one heifer in a big herd of cattle being driven to market. They feed you and take care of you, but you still have to go where all the other cattle are going.

In the travel business, the trip at least ends better for you than it does for the heifer, but there’s a better way yet. Travel through the back door. I’ll tell you more about it in a future post.