Zee Michaelson Travel
A Travel Podcast. The Zee Michaelson Travel Podcast is devoted to the travel industry. Produced by Collage Travel Media Network, a company that produces Podcasts, Streaming Radio, Travel Expos and Travel Advising. Your guide to travel is Zee Michaelson a Travel Advisor and Jay Lawrence your concierge of podcast travel. Episodes are about 30-minutes about everything and anything you want to know about travel. Travel tips and more. Guest Travel Advisors. We work closely with travel vendors to bring you the latest information. Zee Michaelson Trave Podcast. And check out https://live365.com/station/-a03518
Zee Michaelson Travel
Celtic Tour #2
Our conversation with Diana also uncovers some must-see attractions and hidden gems throughout Ireland. Whether you're pouring your own pint at the Guinness Storehouse or soaking up the breathtaking vistas of the Dingle Peninsula, there's something for everyone in this episode. Diana offers insights into Ireland's delectable cuisine and erases the stereotype of the meat-and-potatoes diet, introducing us to fresh fish and chips from Dingle. For those planning an Irish getaway, she'll guide you through the flexible travel packages offered by Celtic Tours, from self-drive adventures to private chauffeur-driven journeys, making it easy for solo travelers and family groups alike. Book early to secure your spot on these exclusive tours and come discover why Ireland is an ideal destination for travelers of all ages.
Hi and welcome to the new and improved the Michelson Travel Podcast. I will be speaking with more guests and more travelers and will bring you great insights and, I hope, to inspire your sense of curiosity. As you may or may not know, my concierge of podcast travel has retired, or so he thinks. Jay Lawrence has decided to actively travel more, so he will be one of my many guests as we explore this great world we live in, along with rediscovering America. And, of course, this is Zee Michelson and I am here with Diana from Celtic Tours Vacations. Diana, how are you today? I'm doing fabulous. How are you? I'm doing great. And you know this is going to be airing in a few weeks and I can't believe that Halloween is over and I missed going to Ireland during Halloween, but we got St Patrick's Day coming up. We do, we do Absolutely. So what does Celtic Tours do for us for St Patrick's?
Speaker 2:Day. We have an amazing celebration for St Patrick's Day and it's done the Irish way, Done the Irish way, irish way.
Speaker 1:Oh, what's the Irish way so?
Speaker 2:the itinerary definitely brings you to Dublin oh cool, yeah, of course where they have the big parade, the St Patrick's Day parade. It also takes you to Waterford Killarney, so we go to Waterford Killarney.
Speaker 1:So we go to Waterford, where the Crystal, of course, is there Yep, and Killarney Yep, and I'm sure there's more stops along the way. Now we're on a tour bus, correct, correct, yeah. So what size tours?
Speaker 2:are they so for this particular tour? We like to keep most of our tours small for Irelandireland, so for this particular tour the maximum size is going to be 32 people.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's so, um. So your first day you're arriving in ireland and you're in dublin, and of course you have transfers to and from the airport to your hotel. But we're also going to stop at the famous man O' War pub, which is very, very famous in Dublin. Why is it famous? It has a genuine traditional Irish experience. It has a rule setting iconic thatch building, so it's a very, very popular pub in Ireland. Really makes you feel like you're in Ireland.
Speaker 1:Yep, you got it.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, Absolutely. So then after that, of course, you're going to stay in the city center, which is really really nice because you are going to have some free time. You could go and travel and do your own thing and walk all over.
Speaker 1:Dublin. Okay, so let me, let me get a handle on this. Let me see I arrive in Dublin and that day do we meet our tour guide or do we just rest in our hotel?
Speaker 2:Yep, you're actually going to be able to explore at your leisure the city center on the first day, correct, and then you're going to have dinner on your own that evening in Dublin. Okay, so then the very next day, which is St Patrick's Day, and, of course, every day on this tour you're going to have a good wholesome Irish breakfast day on this tour. You're going to have a good wholesome Irish breakfast.
Speaker 2:You know I like to call it cholesterol heaven because you have potatoes and you have sausages, and you have the old, you know the good Irish cholesterol breakfast you got it, and then St Patrick's Day, you're going to go ahead and go to the parade where you're going to see the St Patrick's Day festival.
Speaker 1:So do we get seats there or a standing room? Do we actually get over?
Speaker 2:there. You're actually going to walk from there. You're going to have your tour guide who's going to actually bring you over there. The day is pretty much free after the parade, so you can go to the museums. You can go to the Epic Museum, you can go to the galleries.
Speaker 1:Now I got a question. Now I got a question. Now, when you do this and you do have the tour guide and the free time, is there somebody there to say, oh, you need to see this, or you know, if you have questions?
Speaker 2:Yep, our tour guides are amazing over in Ireland. They live there, they're very familiar, they work directly for us. They don't work for a third party, oh nice. So our tour guides are absolutely amazing. They're also our bus drivers, our motorboat drivers.
Speaker 1:So you only have one person that you're actually answering to.
Speaker 2:You don't have to worry about going and hunting down everybody.
Speaker 1:So that's really really good. So that's day one and a half.
Speaker 2:One and two. One and two.
Speaker 1:Okay, so now you've been partied out. You've St Paddy Day parade, you've done all of that, and now what is the next day?
Speaker 2:like. You get back on the bus, yeah Well you're going to go ahead and stay the night in Dublin that evening and then you're going to go ahead and go to Waterford. You'll depart Dublin and make your way south to Waterford with a brief stop in Kilkenny so you can do some retail therapy, I like to call it in Kilkenny, and then you're going to go ahead and arrive in the Viking City and we'll check into your hotel and you'll enjoy dinner that evening In a Viking City. Waterford is considered the Viking City.
Speaker 1:That's where the Vikings actually are. So it's a Viking City. So you're going to see a lot from the Vikings in Waterford. Now is the tour bringing you into where the crystal is made, and all of that.
Speaker 2:Yep, absolutely. So we're not going to go into the water for a crystal shop, right, but you're going to have that free time if you'd like to go ahead and go explore, and it is a free tour so you can just walk in.
Speaker 1:Well, that's very nice, because a lot of people, when they go on these tours, they don't always like to be brought in to all of these, I want to say tourist traps, correct, correct, and they don't want to always be shopping for something. So this gives them the option of whether they want to go in or not. And then there's other things to do in Waterford. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So now do they spend the whole?
Speaker 2:day there. They do, they do, and then they'll stay the night, overnight in Waterford, okay, and actually you'll have dinner that evening in the hotel, not on your own. So you'll have dinner as a group in the evening at your hotel there, okay, and that would be day three. And that is day three, correct? How long is this? This is actually a six night, seven day. Oh, that's not bad. No, it's perfect.
Speaker 1:It's absolutely perfect. Okay, so this was day three. Now where are we going after day three?
Speaker 2:Well then, the next morning you get up and you'll go ahead and head to Blarney.
Speaker 1:Ah, the castle.
Speaker 2:Yep With the opportunity it's optional to go ahead and visit the castle.
Speaker 1:And kiss the stone. Yep, that's again. So that is optional because a lot of people don't realize. In order to kiss the Blarney Stone, you're kind of hanging upside down and upside down and backwards.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and there's a lot of walking, you know, to get up to the Blarney Stone. It's all the way up at the top, all the way up to the Blarney Castle.
Speaker 1:But they say, if you kiss the Blarney Stone mills, which is actually uh, where a lot of the wool.
Speaker 2:You know local sheep oh wow, yeah, so you can buy clothing retail.
Speaker 1:It's a retail store and they make it all right there, that's nice, so they get it right from the sheep right to the presses. Wow, so you can do that now. Do you spend the whole day in Blarney?
Speaker 2:Actually, no, so after you after Blarney, then you're going to go ahead and go to Killarney and for the afternoon, and then you're going to check out the town right before dinner at your hotel and where you're going to stay the night in Killarney. Ok, so is there another dinner with?
Speaker 1:the group there is Wow, yeah, so how many? How many dinners are included on this tour?
Speaker 2:So we actually have dinner almost every single night as a group, with the exception of the Day One, day, one right. Yeah, and Day Two because of St Patrick's Day. Okay, so basically you know. We have four, three, one, two, four dinners.
Speaker 1:Three dinners. So you have three dinners and you said breakfast, breakfast, daily.
Speaker 2:Yeah, except for the day that you arrive.
Speaker 1:So that's kind of nice too, I know. And then the motor coaches are they air conditioned, wifi capable and all of that Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Our motor coaches are beautiful motor coaches, clean, modern. Again, we have a very, very good reputation for all of our escorted tours and everywhere they're going on the tour, there is a tour guide.
Speaker 1:Yes, so if there's a place that they're going, like Baloney Castle, people will be talking about why and how Correct. That's really nice, yeah.
Speaker 2:And they give history along the way as they're driving. They'll show different things along the way.
Speaker 1:They have a microphone. So over on your left, over on your right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, some of our drivers, they're so much fun. Some of our drivers will put on some music and sing along and have everybody sing along.
Speaker 1:My family history is from Ireland, so they like to party. Yeah, yeah, who doesn't? Who doesn't?
Speaker 2:So now, where are we going after Killarney? You'll go ahead and stay the night in Killarney that evening, right? And then you're going to go ahead and depart from there the next day and you'll do the beautiful drive of the Ring of Kerry.
Speaker 1:The.
Speaker 2:Ring of Kerry. Yes, so you'll travel from Killarney and then it'll take you through the Ring of. Kerry, you get to go to the famous traditional Puck Fair. It's very, very popular.
Speaker 1:Okay, Explain the Puck Fair because a lot of people go. What is a puck fair? They?
Speaker 2:have a fair. It's an Irish festival fair called the puck fair, and it's a tradition in that particular area, so it's more about the old traditions of Ireland. I mean because when I hear the word puck, I think yeah, like a hockey puck yeah.
Speaker 1:No I actually think of Shakespeare. Yeah, oh, ok, yeah, midsummer Night's Dream Puck, right, exactly. Yeah, that little imp in there.
Speaker 2:Exactly, exactly that's. It's kind of the old, old, historical Irish ways, the things they used to do. So the Renaissance time.
Speaker 1:Nice, very cool, absolutely so they'll. They'll be enjoying the puck fair and we're gonna carry that's correct after they get. So now, when they do the pucks where that's included in the tour yes, yes, it's all included, okay so how long do they stay there? I'm sure that's an all-day event well, it's it they.
Speaker 2:We just actually stop there so they can kind of see it. It's more of like a two-hour little stop.
Speaker 1:But it's on a whole day. So just kind of puddle about Correct. Well, that's kind of cool, that's kind of cool, so what?
Speaker 2:happens next? Well then you go ahead and drive along the coastline and you'll go through the peninsula, through Glen Beg, waterville. So those are the actual scenic areas of the Ring of Kerry. So it's very scenic.
Speaker 1:Very, very scenic.
Speaker 2:You can see the mountains, the valleys, the lakes. So where do we stop? So there are a few little stops and there's no particular stop, because it really does depend on the driver, because the Ring of Kerry is very scenic and very large. So there are a few stops. You might stop along the way for a little bathroom break. You know pictures, things like that, right, because if somebody wants to get out and take pictures because it's very pretty, Absolutely Okay.
Speaker 1:So this is more of the scenic part of the trip, Correct? Okay, so I'm sure they're going to be lighting somewhere for the night.
Speaker 2:Yes, they're going back to Killarney. Yep, they go back to Killarney, and then the very next day, which is day six, they'll go ahead and depart Killarney and they return to the East. Coast, so they're heading back to Dublin. That's correct Heading back to the Dublin area and they'll go ahead and stop along the way. They'll visit the Newbridge Silverware Visitor Center, newbridge.
Speaker 1:Silverware.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, yeah, that's actually a silver company, okay, and so they'll stop there, of course, for some amazing shopping. They have all kinds of different products now they're in dublin. Are they going to guinness? This is actually along the way. So then, uh, if they want to go to the guinness storehouse like it's something that they would be able to do again on their free time, because they're gonna have so much free time- in dublin Right, because they're there for two days and then their last day is in Dublin.
Speaker 1:Correct. So it's not. The Guinness is not included, but they can do it Correct. It's correct Now. I've I've been to Ireland, I've been to Dublin, but I did not go to Guinness.
Speaker 2:I've seen it.
Speaker 1:I've said, oh, there's Guinness and never, we never went. You have to go, you have to go.
Speaker 2:The history the history of the Guinness storehouse, even if you're not a beer drinker. Just the history and going in there to see how the beer actually was created and where it came from, and just they go into the entire history of it and then at the end of the tour they actually show you how to pour a real Guinness. How to pour to get the head yeah exactly they show you and they'll let you actually pour your own Guinness.
Speaker 1:You know, my sister and brother-in-law went as well, and we weren't together at the time, we went separately, but they never said that they got to pour their own. I'm going to have to ask them now. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:And they actually, they'll actually if you'd like.
Speaker 1:Not everybody wants to oh, not everybody wants to.
Speaker 2:But if you'd like you can go ahead and pour your own, and then at the very top of the Guinness Storehouse they have an amazing bar that overlooks the entire city of Dublin. Oh how nice. So it's round, so you can actually walk around and see the entire thing.
Speaker 1:Now, we had talked prior about Guinness beers and, as you know, I'm not a big Guinness lover because the beer is very bitter, but a lot of people like it. But you told me there was a little trick. There is because I'm the same way.
Speaker 2:I'm the same way as you and I am not a big guinness fan until I went to ireland and they introduced me to what's called a black and a black and black and black it is a black current right in the guinness, so they go ahead and put a little black current prior to pouring the guinness right and then you know, continue through the process, and, oh, my goodness, it gives the Guinness such a sweet taste.
Speaker 1:Oh, so it's like. So it takes that bitter taste out.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and it gives it more of a sweet taste.
Speaker 1:Now we have local drinks around here, so I'm going to have to see if they'll know what I say when I say I want a black and black. If they don't, I'll have to tell them.
Speaker 2:They should know. If they're in a true Irish bar, they will know what a black and black is, without a doubt.
Speaker 1:So now this is their last day in Ireland. Is there something special that the tour does on their last day?
Speaker 2:Well, they're going to go ahead and continue on to their hotel, which is in the coastal downtown, and it's called. Balbrigana. It's in a little coastal town Right and it's in Balbrigana. It's in a little coastal town Right and it's in the northern part of County Dublin, so it's not in the city center.
Speaker 2:This time it's in the northern part of Dublin, right? So they'll go ahead and enjoy their night there, and they also get, of course, a dinner as a group that evening. So the last hurrah. Yeah, that's very nice, and you said there's only 32 in the group.
Speaker 1:Correct Now because it's only 32 in a group and it is. It is St Paddy's Day. How many of these tours do you have? We only have one, only one, only one tour. So if somebody wants to do this right away, they're going to have to get on board right away, because that I'm going to imagine that would sell out very quickly. Yes it will. So they have to contact their board right away because I'm going to imagine that would sell out very quickly.
Speaker 2:Yes, it will.
Speaker 1:It will sell out, so they have to contact their local travel advisor and say hey, get me on this.
Speaker 2:Correct and it does start March 16th. And, of course, for the six nights, they're staying at some of our first class superior hotels all over the place and we are offering a special right now, oh, what's the special? It's a hurry up and book.
Speaker 1:Right if they can get in there fast enough.
Speaker 2:If they get in there fast enough, they need to make sure that they ask their travel agent for the $100 per person off. Oh, $100 per person off. And so that brings your tour land tour only to $1,899 for the six nights with everything Per person Per person.
Speaker 1:Correct, that really isn't bad. And that's the meals. Those are the tours that are included. Absolutely, the hotels are all included, correct, and your fun bus driver.
Speaker 2:Yes, and our fun tour guide. Exactly, bus driver, you got it.
Speaker 1:You got it Now. You've been back from Florida to Ireland a few times. I have, and have you been.
Speaker 2:You've been to Blarney Castle you just said that today when else have you been that you would recommend people to really say, okay, I want to go here. So one of my favorite places is actually Dingle Peninsula. It's not included in this tour but we have several other tours that do include Dingle Peninsula, and why and it is a small well, the peninsula itself is absolutely beautiful scenic.
Speaker 2:It is on the west coast of Ireland and the scenery is just gorgeous. You might even be able to catch a sunset. Yeah, I had to think east coast, west coast because in Ireland.
Speaker 1:You can go to one side of the island and see the sunrise, while on the other side of the island.
Speaker 2:you see the sunset, kind of like in florida right right, so, uh, and the island is so small you know you can get from one side of the island to the other in about three hours, three and a half hours, so it's really really easy to do yeah, you can sit back and forth exactly, exactly, but they they're going to want to see all the different things and and they want to experience.
Speaker 1:You know everybody has. They're under the impression. Oh, I mean, you're in ireland. All they have for meals is meat and potatoes, but it's so much more than that, so much more.
Speaker 2:And Dingle has the best fish and chips. Because it is such a small little fisherman's town, they take the fish right off the boat Absolutely Freshest fish and chips you will ever have.
Speaker 1:That sounds yummy, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:It's so, so good.
Speaker 1:Some of the things I do when I go travel. I usually talk to the locals and say, where do you eat? And they'll pinpoint you right to the good places. Oh yeah. So, neil, I am talking with Diana from Celtic Tours Vacations. Anybody who wants to do the St Paddy's Day needs to contact their travel advisor right away. Correct, so they can get in here, because they only have one tour and only 32 people. Correct, Now, can you include airfare in this? Do they have options for that?
Speaker 2:Absolutely, we can include the airfare. It's a fun, like us, go ahead and book it as a full package. If they want to do, if they want to add nights you know pre or post to the tour, oh, so we can do a pre or post, we can add additional nights for them. So if they want to do, if they want to add nights, you know, pre or post to the tour.
Speaker 1:Oh, so we can do a pre or post, we can add additional nights for them.
Speaker 2:So if they want to come in a little bit earlier and stay in Dublin or, you know, stay a little bit later and do some other things, they can absolutely do that as well. We can go ahead and book those things for them, okay.
Speaker 1:You know St Paddy's Day. Everybody's Irish on St Paddy's Day, so they need to go to Ireland to really be Irish.
Speaker 2:Everybody's got a little Irish in them at some point. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. So now we know that this is happening very quickly, but Celtic Tours does Ireland in its entirety, so there are other tours available. So if you can't go on St Paddy's Day, there's definitely other times that you can go. Is it year round?
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, yes, absolutely. We have tours that are all year round that would fit your vacation time from anywhere from five nights to nine nights. Wow, Our escorted tours.
Speaker 2:If they're interested also and don't want to do a tour with other people. We can do a self-drive if they're interested, or we can do what we call our independent journey, where we can go ahead and piecemeal it together for them. So if they want to come into Dublin and then they need to transfer to their hotel and then they want to go ahead and take the rail from Dublin to someplace else, and you can work with your travel advisors to create this package for them.
Speaker 1:Like if I wanted to go and research my family history, I can say, well, I want to be here, and I want to be here, and we can work that out. Absolutely, I like that, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I'll tell you, one of the most popular things right now are multi-generation.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's really, really popular. So you know, grandma and grandpa want to take the entire family, so they take their kids plus their kids, you know.
Speaker 1:So private chauffeur drives are honestly the way to go with a multi-generation Private chauffeur drives. I know a few people that would probably love that. How many people fit into these vehicles? Is it like a?
Speaker 2:big expedition? It is not. It's typically small. You'll have your own driver. We'll put the tour together for you. Your travel agent will put the tour together for you and then it's like 12 people maximum.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:It's like a Mercedes Springer, oh, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's a very comfortable vehicle, absolutely, and it kind of gives that personal touch when you have, you know, a private tour and a chauffeur that's going and the chauffeur, I'm assuming is the tour guide, absolutely, you got it so they'll know all the little tricks and places to go to. That sounds great.
Speaker 2:They will. And I can tell you, our drivers are second to none. I mean, they're absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1:Now, if somebody wants to do a private tour, like a private chauffeur, driver or everything, do they have to book that like years in advance, or oh no, not at all.
Speaker 2:What I do recommend is for any of our tours, I would recommend at least 90 days out.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's not bad at all.
Speaker 2:No it's not I. You know, I wouldn't recommend calling us and saying I want to leave next week because that's very difficult to do. So you know about 90 days out. We can typically go ahead and book our chairs.
Speaker 1:Now, because you do multi-generational, is there an age limit that you know?
Speaker 2:no child under five, or we have absolutely no age limit whatsoever. No age limit.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:And we actually have a lot of things for families to do. We can take them to a sheep herder, a sheep shearing, you know where? The kids would absolutely, absolutely love that Right. They could be involved in that process and see the sheep and the baby sheep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you can actually cater to the family. So that's nice.
Speaker 2:We have all kinds of different family things that we can do, that's very good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you know. I know a lot of people like to see the dogs. Yeah, how the dogs work the sheep and how you know. Yeah, it is amazing.
Speaker 2:It is, it is. It is, just with a whistle or a command. I know you know, go from one place to another.
Speaker 1:Now do you ever have where you can actually stay in a castle?
Speaker 2:tours actually have a two-night castle stay All the tours. All of our tours, except with the same paddy stay. All of our tours have a two-night castle stay. That's all of our escorted tours. So, depending on where you go, you could stay in Kilronan Castle, which is amazing and beautiful. It's kind of in the northwest part of the state I mean we just have so many different places that they can go and castle stays. They can go on Christmas days they can go Glen Bay Castle as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's nice too. Now we're going back to St Paddy's Day. St Paddy's Day, of course, is in March. Yeah, and what's the?
Speaker 2:weather like. So it is an island. I always recommend everybody to take a look a week before you go, because you just don't know to take a look a week before you go because you just don't know Right, but typically in March timeframe it's probably around the 60s during the day and then drops down to about the 40s in the evening.
Speaker 1:So dress in layers. Absolutely Always dress in layers so you don't need to bundle up with big muckalucks or anything like that. Correct Dress in layers, that makes sense. So make sure you have a light jacket and a sweater.
Speaker 2:Yep layers. That makes sense. So make sure you have a light jacket and a sweater, and that worked really well. I was actually there in March one year and I did bring a little heavier jacket because I'm a Florida girl, so I get cold. I understand.
Speaker 1:I was over there in July and I was going to Northern Ireland and I had a coat gloves, I was freezing and I think it was like 50 degrees, exactly, exactly so you know it, freezing, and I think it was like 50 degrees, exactly, exactly so you know it does depend, but I definitely recommend bringing layers and these trips.
Speaker 2:You do not have to get dressed up and fancy, you know.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:They're very, very casual. We want you to have a great time.
Speaker 1:The people in Ireland don't care if you're all fancy, you know Right, they're very laid back, exactly. Don't care if you're all fancy, you know Right, they're very laid back. Exactly, exactly, they're very laid back. Well, diana, I do appreciate you talking with me today and I know you're going to be back to talk more about Celtic tours and all the different places they go other than Ireland and that's going to be exciting. So thank you for joining me today.
Speaker 2:I appreciate it. No, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:I would like to thank my guests today for sharing their travel experiences. If any of these adventures excite you, feel free to contact me. Z at z michelson travelcom. You can check out my website, z michelson travelcom, or you can call your local travel advisor and just say you heard it on Z Michelson Travels podcast. Remember, travel really opens up the world to you with food, culture, exploration and excitement. And we find out we truly are all the same. Travel safe and shoot for the stars. And if you only get to the moon, have leashed and made the trip. This is Zee Michelson. Remember. All my podcasts can be heard on any of your preferred podcast providers. And don't forget, zee is spelt Z-E-E. Thanks for tuning in and have a great day.