Britain & Ireland Grandeur

🇬🇧🇮🇪 Britain & Ireland Grandeur

Welcome

Hi, I’m Parri — your Travel Director for this tour.

I congratulate you on your choice to travel with Trafalgar, and specifically on the Britain & Ireland Grandeur, our biggest trip across the region that covers ALL the highlights!

At a Glance

Tour: Britain & Ireland Grandeur
Duration: 20 days
Countries: England, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland
Start: London
Finish: London
Currencies: GBP (£) and EUR (€)
Style: Fast-moving highlights tour with a great mix of cities, countryside, and cultural experiences

❝Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.❞ -Mark Twain.

👋 A quick introduction

Please take the time to read over the official Trafalgar Tour Itinerary which summaries the tour itinerary and includes other important information.

This page is designed to supplement that document and to help you feel fully prepared before you arrive. It covers additional detail on what to expect, what to pack, connectivity on tour, and a few tips that will make your experience smoother and more enjoyable. It also includes some information which is specific to our departure.

You don’t need to memorise everything here — just use it as a helpful guide in the lead-up to your trip.

Official Trafalgar documents (itinerary, travel documents, and emails) always take priority for confirmed timings and operational details.

📋 Before You Travel - Checklist

✅Travel documents: Ensure your passport is valid for the entire duration of your trip, and your flight booking name matches the name in your passport.

✅UK ETA: The UK Government has recently introduced an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for all visitors. This is a digital permission to travel and if you’re not a UK or Irish national, you are required to purchase an ETA before you travel to the UK. If this applies to you, please visit GOV.UK to finalise this before you travel.

✅Travel insurance: Ensure you have policy number and contact details handy.

✅Joining details: Check your Trafalgar documents and email from me carefully, as this will outline time and place of our departure.

✅Luggage tags: Ensure your suitcase is clearly labelled with your name - this will be handy for the flight over but also for identification on the first morning of tour.

🌤️ 🧳 Weather & Packing

🌦️ Weather

The UK and Ireland are known for changeable weather — sunshine, wind, and rain can all happen in the same day. Because of this, layers are key.

🧳 What to Pack

🧺 Laundry Strategy

Laundry service washes (approx. €25) are usually available to you in Killarney (Days 5-6), Dublin (Day 10-11) and Edinburgh (Days 17-18) so if you are happy to utilise one or more of these, you do not need to carry clothes for the full three weeks. Believe me, most guests bring much more than they need! Travelling lighter makes everything easier.

🎒 Hand Luggage

While small suitcases (ie with wheels) are appropriate as carry-on on airplaces, these bags do not fit in overhead compartments on the coach. For this reason I recommend a small day bag (ie backpack, rucksack) for daily use and to carry on to the coach. Keep medications, valuables, light jacket and documents in this bag so these items are always accessible.

While you are still welcome to bring larger carry-on / hand luggage, please note that they will be stored underneath the coach and so will not be accessible throughout the day - which defeats the purpose of storing items in there you need access to regularly.

📅 Start of Tour

The tour begins in London and departs promptly on the departure morning, so please read joining information carefully. Exact meeting and departure times will be confirmed in your Trafalgar documents, and I will also send a reminder message closer to the start of the tour.

📶 Staying Connected

🌐 Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is provided free at all hotels, at many cafes and restaurants, and often on the coach too depending on where we are travelling at the time.

💬 WhatsApp

I will always give reminders verbally, but to ensure the smooth flow of our travel experience, I will also distribute this key information (eg porterage times, breakfast details, departure times) via WhatsApp.

📱 eSIM (Optional)

Because Wi-fi is often available, having connectivity (mobile data) on your phone is not essential - but it does makes things much easier for you. I find that guests who have mobile data tend to be more relaxed during free time exploring cities, knowing that even without wi-fi they can access street maps, and contact each other (or me) if necessary.

If you want to have this option, and your regular service provider doesn't provide an affordable option, a popular option is buying an eSim from Airalo:

🚌 Tour Pace & Expectations

This is a fast-moving journey covering multiple countries. On most days we depart at 8:00 or 8:30, and we often have an included dinner or night time activities that are recommended. Some days involve longer travel distances, balanced by rewarding experiences along the way.

🚶 Walking

There will be walking every day during our tour, sometimes on uneven surfaces, so comfortable walking shoes (rather than stylish ones!) are recommended every day.

👥 Travelling as a group

Being on time is very important — delays impact the whole group and the daily schedule. Touring works best when all guests are mindful of this, as well as shared spaces and different travel styles. A relaxed and respectful group dynamic makes the journey more enjoyable for all.

🚻 Toilets

💷 Money & Currency

It is important that you are carrying local currency cash during the trip. Note that the Pound Sterling (GBP/£) is used in England, Wales and Scotland, but in the Republic of Ireland it is the Euro (EUR/€).

While using a credit card is handy, local currency is useful when credit cards are not accepted – for example, lunch at small stops, payment to local street sellers, use of some restrooms and tips for local guides. I’ll always try to let you know of convenient times to use ATMs & currency exchanges (and you can exchange money at the airport on your arrival).

🚌 On the Coach

Trafalgar coaches are amongst the most comfortable in Europe, and the views from the coach on our travel days are absolutely fantastic! In the interest of safety, please always ensure that your seatbelt is fastened, and where possible refrain from standing while the coach is moving.

💺 Seat Rotation

During the tour we will use a system of seat rotation to allow everyone to enjoy the views from all parts of the coach.

Please take great care to keep the coach as clean as possible for everybody’s comfort, and while food and drink are certainly allowed on the coach, we ask you kindly not to bring on board hot foods, hot drinks or icecream.

🚌 Coach Facilities

Almost all coaches have phone charging capabilities, a toilet, and wi-fi connection - but note that only has capacity for light usage (messages and emails, not streaming video), and can be unreliable in regional areas, so is not guaranteed 100% of the time.

🏨 Hotels & Porterage

Across Britain and Ireland we stay in a mix of modern and historic properties. Room sizes, layouts and facilities can differ from what guests are used to elsewhere. In particular, the small, independent hotels of Scotland's Highlands and Islands are more basic than those found around the rest of the region.

🌀 Air Conditioning at Hotels

You will have the comfort of air-conditioning on the coach and also at most museums, restaurants and some hotels. Please note, however, that since the UK and Ireland are not known for hot weather (!) most hotels in this region do not have air conditioning. In these circumstances the hotel can provide a portable fan if required.

🧳 Porterage

Porterage for ONE piece of luggage is included per person. I will attach a Trafalgar luggage label to your bag on Day One, but to enable me to identify it please have your own name label on it (you should have this for the flight over anyway).

After arriving at hotels, luggage will be delivered to your room by the porters. Because suitcase delviery can take 30 minutes, if you require toiletries or medications on arrival to hotels, carry them in your hand luggage.

⭐ Optional Experiences

As well as the included sightseeing, we have an exciting range of optional highlights which are designed to complement our itinerary and turn a great holiday into the trip of a lifetime. I will go over the excursions in detail at the start of the tour, and give you the chance to select which you will join us on. Optional payments can be made using Visa, MasterCard or AmEx, or cash in local currency.

🍴 Meals

On this tour, five dinners are included, with the remainder at your expense – Trafalgar have organized several dinners (refer to “Optional Experiences”) that we know are good value and representative of each region’s food and culture, where you may choose to join us. Breakfast is included each morning. Lunch on tour is always left up to you; quite often this will be at en route lunch stops during our travel from city to city, or during free time in a city. For all meals, please ensure that you let me know of any dietary requirements so that I may pass them on to the kitchens.

💶 Gratuities

As in many other parts of the world, tipping is an integral part of the service industry. In bars, restaurants and taxis, a tip for good service is generally calculated at 12-15% of the bill. For all included meals, porters and chambermaids this has been covered in the cost of the tour. It is customary to show your appreciation to local experts on completion of sightseeing tours, usually £1 or €2 per person if you have enjoyed it. Further information can be found in your Trafalgar documentation regarding recommended gratuities for your Travel Director and Drivers.

💡 Pro Tips

📞 Contact & Support

🚀 Final Note

This is a fantastic journey through Britain and Ireland, with a huge amount to see and experience. I sincerely hope that when you return home you will recommend to your family and friends that Trafalgar is the way to go to see Europe and to make great friends along the way.

During our time together my greatest priorities are your health and safety, and your enjoyment of the tour. You now have my phone number and email, so if there is anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask!