The stories my guests and I hear while touring around Ireland or England are all the same. Americans, unprepared and inexperienced with “driving on the left” telling their stories of pure terror. Recently, five adults in their 60s admitted they had given up trying to do it on their own and hired a driver to […]
Category Archives: Ireland Tours
Ireland Tours
2024 Rundown
2024 Rundown with “/” separating trips. With 35 years of experience, only European Focus Private Tours can take you to all of these places and many more, with one guide, one driver, one organizer even in multiple countries on the same trip. No hand off to third parties, no uncertainty, no missed opportunities due to […]
How many (or how few) people can book a tour?
I have done many trips for solo travelers and will continue to offer them in the future. Custom-designed trips built around discovery of ancestral origins or just fun, hassle-free and worry-free travel for up to a maximum of 12 persons. If your party is more than six persons, we use a second vehicle and I […]
ETIAS Travel Application for 2025? and beyond travel to the EU
https://etias.com/etias-application Takes effect “sometime in 2024” according to online sources. Oh wait, now they say 2025. I will believe it when I see it. Your travel agent who books your flights will inform you, or, ask me for the latest update on this many times delayed program.
Seaweed Bath Fun on the Ring of Kerry, Ireland
It never fails – my clients are always more than a little dubious about taking a warm seaweed bath – right up to the moment they sink into the water. And then, it all changes! Owner / manager Brendan does a great job explaining the history of seaweed use and how good the oil is […]
Postcard from Ireland
With Sam, Judy, Colleen and Don at Connor Pass, near Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland. Photo taken by a tourist on Sept 21, 2023.
Unforgettable Stay at an Irish Castle
Repeat guests Sam, Judy, Colleen and Don enjoyed a night at Dromoland Castle in County Clare at the tail end of their recent tour in Ireland, Sept 13 – 23, 2023. This was Don’s sixth tour with European Focus, Colleen’s seventh, Sam and Judy’s fourth.
Dromoland should be called “Dreamland,” because it’s so… yes. The estate was owned by the O’Brien family, and it was not burned during the Irish Revolution of the early 1900s because the family had good relations with the locals, whom they treated with respect. The estate has an 18-hole golf course, extensive woodlands, wonderful paths for walking, a large lake with free rowboats and a gorgeous, peaceful walled garden. Inside, at least three large fireplaces are kept going all day long, adding to the warm atmosphere punctuated by reds, browns and blues. Lush doesn’t begin to describe Dromoland.
I look forward to bringing many more guests to this special place in the future.
Images from our September 21, 2023 stay at Dromoland Castle
Travel Tips, Packing Recommendations, Rules of the Road
TRAVEL TIPS TOP EIGHT European Focus, Inc. European Focus Private Tours Established in 1989 Do NOT hit print unless you want to burn up around 38 pages of paper – smile. Taking 35 – 40 minutes of time to read through these tips, gathered over a period of decades and watching hundreds of people make […]