Exploring Britain and Ireland featuring England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

My favorite experience was taking the jaunting car ride through Killarney National Park. We had a great driver that kept us entertained and had a wealth of knowledge. I also enjoyed climbing the stairs to kiss the Blarney stone.

It was a wonderful experience but a lot of moving never stayed more than 2 nights in a hotel. If you want a washcloth bring your own because they don’t seem to exist in Europe. Loved our tour guide and the excursions but a lot of walking so be prepared.

Some accommodations did not have working AC and minimally workable toilets (York). We had too many tourist trap stops, gift shops. The tour guide was informative and friendly and provided excellent information.

So much was provided in the time we had. A great overview of the British Isles.

London

The music and dance experiences in Ireland.

Ireland was beautiful. Each place we visited (Scotland, London. Whales and Ireland) had a memorable event or sight. The Military tattoo in Edinburgh. The history and sights in London. The beauty of Killarney. The sights of Dublin.

Tour of the Ring of Kells was beautiful and inspiring. The Tattoo, our primary reason for going, lived up to and exceeded every expectation.

Only item that I would like to have added is another day in London. Too much to see, and Hampton Court is nice, but it is not London. Our hotel in London was located about five minutes from Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and about 15 minutes from St. Paul. The drive and quick review of the big areas (Westminister, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, etc.) was good, but certainly not detailed enough. Everything else was great. Only one hotel was located in a loud, outdoor area...Cardiff, Wales. The noise/nightlife till midnight located right across the street (three outdoor clubs/pubs) directly impacted sleeping. My wife and I enjoyed the tour...I think she would have loved another day in Ireland.

Graham made the experience so fun for all. He took care of us every day and made sure everyone was having a good time morning until night!

loved the smaller cities like Cardiff and York. The Jonting ride in Killarney National Park., Ring of Kerry, coastal views, Blarney Castle.Actually I liked all the castles and history. Excellent local tour guides. Norman Greene deserves 10 stars excellent tour guide. Liked that we took different forms of transportation besides the bus. Enjoyed the train and Ferry. Enjoyed the cultural dance and music shows/meals. Bath and Hampton Court Palace were good choices. time was tight at Hampton Court if you wanted to see the gardens too. Only downside was only one day and an evening meal in Scotland. But over all saw so many sights and made good memories.

The tour included Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland. Family asked when we got back, What was your favorite thing? I couldn't pick just one thing because everything was so awesome. The few days spent driving on the bus was still great because we could see the landscape and get an idea of the whole area. Not just the touristy spots. We got to live history and walk in thousands of years old castles. Our tour guide, Graham Hughes, was so good, giving us details on the places we visited and keeping us on time. Couldn't have asked for a better guide. My wife and I absolutely loved ALL of it.

The one thing that we ran into several times was meeting another Collette group at our hotel. Sometimes it was confusing because you were not sure where your own group was and what time you needed to be someplace. It was a little problematic trying to gather all the luggage when leaving a hotel. I spoke with several people who shared with me the same concern.

Our tour guide, Norman Greene was excellent. He provided interesting information throughout the tour. He was friendly, caring and had a good sense of humor. I would highly recommend him to anyone going on a tour.