You don't have to be a lover of The Drink to enjoy this CIE tour--in fact, you should be sober enough to enjoy the social life, music, dancing or gossiping that takes place in Irish pubs. But a pint won't hurt, now and then, no doubt. You may want to consider joining the loquacious and friendly-til-it-hurts people of Ireland in the Irish Pub & Folk Tour, a fully escorted 9-day (7-night) vacation this fall (and next spring), from just $969, airfare included.
The $969 price will take you from New York, Boston or Baltimore/Washington, while $1051 will get you to the Emerald Isle from Chicago. Included besides the airfare are full escort, first-class hotel accommodations for 7 nights, most meals, entertainment and visits to some of the country's best pubs.
The itinerary begins in Dublin and goes to Cashel, Blarney (don't miss the chance to kiss that stone!), Kinsale, Cobh, West Cork, Killarney, the Dingle Peninsula, Adare, Limerick and Bunratty. Pub highlights include a dinner and ballad session at the famous Abbey Tavern in Dublin, a singing pub ballad session in Killarney, dinner and entertainment at Kathleen's Irish Ceili at Bunratty, plus free time for individual pub visits.
Sightseeing highlights include tours and tastings at the Guinness Storehouse and at the Old Jameson distillery in Dublin, a walking tour of Kinsale, admission to Dublin Castle, the Rock of Cashel, the Cobh Heritage Centre, Blarney Castle, Bantry House and the Louis Mulcahy Pottery Works.
Your hotel will be first class, each room with private bath or shower, and you will have a full Irish breakfast daily (more oatmeal, anyone?). The package cost also includes 6 dinners, the fully escorted sightseeing program via luxury motorcoach and the services of a professional driver/guide. All admission charges for sites mentioned above are included, as are all local taxes and service charges.
Departures are October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, as well as November 7 and 14, all in 2002. The tours start again on March 2, 2003 and run weekly through April 27, 2003.
For more information go to CIE Tours International's Web site, www.cietours.com. or e-mail them at helpdesk@cietours.com, or phone 800/CIE-TOUR.
