England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland Review

[robthens]

I hope this review will be benificial.

 

We started our trip in Paris. This was our second visit to Paris. We stayed at a small hotel just blocks away from the Effie Tower. Great location, resonable priced & very comfortable!

Hotel de la Motte Picque www.paris-hotel-mottepicquet.com

 

The morning of our cruise on the Golden Princess, the hotel arranged for a taxi to the train station. We took the Euro Star train from Paris to London, Waterloo Station. From Waterloo Station, we transferred to Southampton. We used Eddie Manning Limo Co. 170 GBP

www.limo.co.uk

 

We had arranged all private tours. There were 4 in our party (myself, DH, Bro & Sis in law). We travel together frequently and have traveled to

Europe numerous times. We were very pleased will all our tours!!!!

They exceeded our expectation.

 

Day 1 - Falmouth

We used Cornish Fuided Tours from Fieldings. www.cornwalltour.com

Michael Inglefield, the owner, was our guide. Below is Michael discription of our tour.

We usually go off around Pendennis Castle (which you see on the way in ... built by King Henry VIII circa 1540), go on to the Helford river (scene of Daphne du Maurier's 'Frenchman's Creek'), on to The Lizard (Britain's most southerly point), on to St Michael's Mount (historic castle on an island, worth a visit, and one on Cornwall's premier attractions ... http://www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk/ ), on to Penzance, then Mousehole (old fishing village), Merry Maidens (stone age stone circle), the Minack Theatre (cliffside amphitheatre), Land's End, Lanyon Quoit (stone age dolmen) and St Ives. With everything dependent on time available and your own preferences, of course. And we aim to pick up at the first available time and return in comfortable time for re-embarkation

 

We love to eat the "local" speciality, so Michael had us stop for a meat pie

and later for a Cornish cream tea.

 

Day 2 - Holy head

We toured with Busy Bus Tour Company. www.busybus.co.uk

Fred was our driver. The tour was described as follows:

Our basic tour leaves the landing stage, to which passengers are tendered,

at 9 am and gets back to the harbour at 5 pm.

We travel to Caernarfon, where we allow 1½hours to visit the town and castle. A scenic drive through Snowdonia follows with a couple of stops to admire the landscape and watch the rock climbers on the cliffs. Through the tourist capital of Betws-y-coed to Conwy, where we will have about 2 hours for lunch, castle visit and wander through the town. Back to Anglesey, stopping at Llanfairpwllqwyngyllgogerechwyrndrobwillllanrtysyliogogogogoch

for last minute shopping and to photograph the name!

(English for “Big-Ass Gift Shop & Tour Bus Parking Lot, Restrooms in the Rear”)

 

Day 3 - Dublin

We took the ships shuttle into Dublin city center and use the Hop on Hop off bus.

 

Day 4 - Belfast

Toured with Harper Taxi www.belfastcityblacktaxitours.com

Our original tour was to include the following:

North Antrim Coast Excursion

Stop at Giant’s Causeway www.northantrim.com/giantscauseway.htm

Bushmills Distillery www.bushmills.com

Carrick-a-rede rope bridge www.northantrim.com/carrick_a_rede.htm

Because it was Sunday, the Bushmills Distillery was closed. Our driver took us on the Dublin political tour in the afternoon. We were glad we saw the murials; however, the murials and what they represent were very depressing.

 

Day 5 - Greenock (Glasgow)

We toured with Doodlebus Tour Company www.doodlebus.com

Their tour description is as follows:

After we collect you, we'll head straight for Loch Lomond. We'll follow the River Clyde to Dumbarton Castle, then the River Leven to the town of Balloch, situated on the southern end of the Loch, and the gateway to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. We'll then journey along the western side of the Loch, passing over the Highland Fault Line to take us into the Scottish Highlands. En route to Tarbet, we may take a detour past the quaint village of Luss. Weather permitting, you'll see castles aplenty, pass through the land where Rob Roy McGregor spent most of his colourful life, and enjoy some spectacular views of Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond.

At Tarbet, the road heads away from Loch Lomond, and at the town of Arrochar follows the side of Loch Long. From here, the road climbs slowly up Glen Croe to "The Rest and be thankful", with fantastic views back down the glen.

After "The Rest", we'll follow the road back down the other side of the summit, past Butterbridge to yet another loch – Loch Fyne. Here, we'll take a loop through the village of Cairndow, before driving around the head of Loch Fyne, past the beautiful 18th century bridge and tollhouse, to the picturesque 18th century town of Inveraray, home of the Duke of Argyll. Here you'll have time for a wander around, taking in the views of Loch Fyne, or perhaps visiting the Old Town Jail, before taking the scenic back road out of Inveraray toward Loch Awe.

As we head north, you'll see the scenery become even more spectacular, until we stop for views of Kilchurn Castle, possibly one of Scotland's most photogenic castles.

From Kilchurn Castle, time permitting, we'll head for St Conan's Kirk, place of worship of the Campbells of Breadalbane.

From St Conan's, we'll head back towards Glasgow, with yet another detour, this time past the village of Stronmilchan to Dalmally, with its octagonal church sitting beautifully on top of a hillock.

After Dalmally, we'll take a back road through Glen Orchy , then start the long climb north through Bridge of Orchy, past the Rannoch Moor to Glen Coe, site of the infamous massacre of 1692, when Campbell soldiers slaughtered members of the MacDonald clan.

After a lunch stop at Glen Coe, we'll head south again to Tyndrum, and then through Crianlarich towards the northern end of Loch Lomond. We'll stop briefly at the Falls of Falloch , before journeying past the villages of Inverarnan and Ardlui. Once again, we'll join the western shores of Loch Lomond, back to Tarbet and then Balloch. From Balloch, we'll journey along the south of the loch, through the villages of Gartocharn, Croftamie and Killearn, before our last stop of the day, at the Glengoyne distillery. Here, we'll have an informative tour of the various stages involved in the making of Scotland's most famous export, at one of Scotland's most scenic distilleries (time permitting).

Finally, we'll head back along the Stockiemuir Road, through the towns of Milngavie and Bearsden, to our starting point.

Along the way, we'll fit in comfort breaks and photo stops, and will try to be as flexible as possible.

 

 

Day 6 - @ Sea

 

Day 7 - Invergordon

Toured with Discover Loch Ness www.loch-ness-org

Normally we would have had to go into the city center to catch this tour; however, another CC poster on the roll call board arranged for a bus to pick us up at the pier (quay). Their tour is described as follows:

 

Loch Ness Tour with Cruise

Inverness Minitour; Ness Islands; Caledonian Canal; Loch Ness Beach; Loch Ness Cruise with stunning views of Urquhart Castle; Prehistoric Standing Stone Circle or Hilltop Pottery; Time in Drumnadrochit Village; Loch Ness 2000 Exhibition.

 

We were given a choice of touring the Loch Ness 2000 Exhibition or visiting some stone formations. We choose the Exhibition and wished we had gone to the stone formations. The exhibit was a repeat of what we had been told on the bus.

 

Day 8 - South Queensferry/Edinburgh

From South Queensferry port, we had prearranged a taxi through "Call Us Cabs".

The driver was in a minivan, so we ask another couple to join our 4.

Total cost of the ride was 21 GBP

Call Us Cabs

Easter Dalmeny

South Queensferry, EH30 9TS

0131 331 2222

 

In Edinburgh, we walked the Royal Mile and toured the castle and palace.

We took the train back to South Queensferry. The Edinburgh Waverley

train station is centrally located (just below the castle). The walk from the

station to the ship is about a 1/4 mile and is a "slippery slope" at best.

 

Day 9 - @ Sea

Day 10 - Fly home and plan the next trip

 

 

 

[ajpack]

Thanks for your wonderful review! We will be in Falmouth next June...there will be 4 of us....was the car big enough to seat 4 comfortably or did you have the van?

 

Anne

[robthens]

Thanks for your wonderful review! We will be in Falmouth next June...there will be 4 of us....was the car big enough to seat 4 comfortably or did you have the van?

 

Anne

 

We were four adults also. We were very comfortable on all our tours.

Each tour company we used told us in advance what type of vehicle we would have.

 

It was a great trip ! ! !

Jacque

[Post Captain]

Llanfairpwllqwyngyllgogerechwyrndrobwillllanrtysyliogogogogoch...

(English for “Big-Ass Gift Shop & Tour Bus Parking Lot, Restrooms in the Rear”)

Actually, the language is Welsh. For those who might be interested, the real translation is "The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave".

[ajpack]

Thanks a lot Jacque! I will definitley look into this.

[spongerob]

Thanks for the review and great information. We are returning to the British Isles next summer...and I know where you got that line about the English translation, LOL. :) (Blame that one on me, Post Captain)

 

You posted some good ideas. Was it just the four of you on the Antrim Coast tour through Black Taxi Tours? I am also curious about the cost to book through them, if you don't mind sharing that information.

[robthens]

Thanks for the review and great information. We are returning to the British Isles next summer...and I know where you got that line about the English translation, LOL. (Blame that one on me, Post Captain)

 

You posted some good ideas. Was it just the four of you on the Antrim Coast tour through Black Taxi Tours? I am also curious about the cost to book through them, if you don't mind sharing that information.

 

Spongebob...Yes, you were the one....LOL After our stop, I agree 100%!

 

Re: the Antrim Coast tour. cost for 4 people was 140 GBP paid on the day of the tour. We actually went thru Harper Taxi and it was just the 4 of us. Really we got 2 tours for the price of 1. He picked us at the pier. The rope bride is a MUST as well as the Giants Causway. All I can say is quite unique and breathtaking!!!!

 

Jacque

[spongerob]

Merci, Jacque.

 

I've got the website you listed bookmarked. Did you have to reserve your tour well in advance?

[robthens]

Merci, Jacque.

 

I've got the website you listed bookmarked. Did you have to reserve your tour well in advance?

 

I started making reservations about 5 months in advance. I recommend you reserve your tours as soon as you know your travel dates. I found that most of the guides take only one party a day. I really had a hard time in Falmouth finding an available Blue Badge (regestered) guild.

 

I always follow up and email or call the week before we go to comfirm our reservations.

 

Jacque

[spongerob]

I'll start planning and booking in earnest in January. That gives me 8 months to arrange things. Thanks.