My husband and I did Legends of Ireland 10 day tour. I would never recommend this tour because you are on the bus soooo much and little time at each highlight. Example, 1 1/2 hour drive to get ferry to Aran Island, then 50 minutes on ferry after bus tour you have 1 hour to wait for the ferry , etc. After traveling almost 2 hours from Galway to Dublin, we get to the hotel in time to change and go to fairwell dinner another hour away! the dinner was terrible and the music was not great. basiclly we got to see highlights of Ireland and were on the bus a lot. The hotels were very nice, but we did not have much time to enjoy them. ONe of the tours was a visit to Moriarty's a store owned by CIE. There are plenty of other places to shop I don't think we need to waste time to go to this one read more

Just returned from an 11-day Taste of Scotland and Ireland tour with CIE Tours - amazing trip! Our Scotland guide, Heather, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Scotland. She had everyone on the bus speaking Scottish Gaelic by the time we took the ferry over to Belfast (much to the chagrin of the Irish driver, George - ha!). Once in Ireland, George pulled double duty as driver and Tour guide. His love for his homeland only elevated his knowledge of the Irish landscape and history. Both he and Heather always made sure that we were fully aware of the schedule and rolled with a few changes due to the weather. The local shows that were part of the itinerary were very enjoyable, especially the Medieval dinner at Bunratty castle. The busy itinerary did not leave much free time in many places, but just getting to visit those places was absolutely worth it. Also made some great friends along the way - tripmates and locals, alike! Highly recommended! read more

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I would not recommend this tour company, nor take another tour with them. A friend and I took The Highlights of Britain tour, for 14 days/13 nights. Most of the hotels were dirty, the included breakfasts lacking, and the included dinners no better. All the included dinners were in the hotel, not one out, not one with included wine or drinks. All wine/cocktails had to be ordered at the bar and none of the bartenders seemed to be able to do more than poor a beer or glass of wine. Drinks were very expensive...example when ordering something as ordinary as Gin/Vodka and tonic, you were charged for the alcohol and again for the tonic! We had very long days most of the tour and typically didn't reach the hotel until 6 or 6:30 which left no time to relax and get ready for dinner. In several locations, we weren't able to change for dinner at all due to tight time table and or our luggage not being delivered in time. None of the meals were special or representative of the area we were in. While in Edinburgh, we attended the Military Tattoo. This very special event doesn't start until 9:30 pm which get's you back to the hotel around 12mn (if you're lucky and everyone get's to the meeting place). The tour director expected everyone to be up for breakfast at 7 am and departure at 8am, even though our next event was fairly close by and not pressed time wise. None of us were happy about that, and finally someone spoke up and got him to change the departure by at least an hour. He said he hadn't thought about it, was just going by what was on the computer. As a tour guide who's done this for a good number of years, I would expect a bit more common sense. The coach isn't particularly comfortable with limited leg room, and really no where to put a carryon. The coach holds 44 people, but thankfully our tour group was 36 people which gave the larger folks (tall men with long legs), the ability to move to a seat on their own...even with that many of them said they were still uncomfortable. Comparing the comfort to Insight Tours leaves CIE really lacking. We had hours on the coach in total silence. I've taken 2 other tours where the guide talked about the area we were in, or what we were seeing out the window. This tour guide didn't do much of that, and when asked a few questions about things seen, he didn't know and or googled it. We had a good time, met nice people and enjoyed what we saw; but the tour could have been better with clean hotels, better meals, etc. read more

I have a hard time believing their rating is so low after our experience. We absolutely loved our "Mystical Ireland" tour as led by Alistair the director and Sean the driver! Alistair made us feel like we were honored guests and old friends from the moment we stepped on the coach and that treatment didn't stop until we said our goodbyes. The entire ride was warm and inviting. At the end, we were legitimately sad to be going our own way. We hit a ton of locations I never would've thought about and several I had (and was looking forward to). Everything was gorgeous, which is more a credit to the country than the company, but the tour made certain we got to see it all! While we were on the road, our tour director regaled us with the history of the area, as well as recommendations on what to do for food and with any spare time we happened to have. We wouldn't have had access to 1/10th of the information we received if we had gone out on our own. After reading some of the reviews, it seems like a lot of issues arise during initial travel to or from the destination. Travel can be uncertain, even in the best of circumstances (especially when we went, as there were strikes going on in more than one airline we were using to get there and back again). I would heavily recommend travel insurance to EVERYONE, regardless of whether you're utilizing a tour agency or going independently. Seems like it would've saved some negative reviewers a big headache. read more

CIE worst tour company ever experienced.. We spent close to $8,000 for this bus tour. Tour guide Mike awful and very rude. Rushed us everywhere and never present. If we asked him a question he would snap back. He talked about his ex wife. We drove long hauls & then had only 40minutes to see the Kelvingrove museum. have to have bags out the door at 7am and not get to our next hotel until 5-6pm-then rush for dinner. Our guide would constantly called tour Scottish Dream which was wrong.He was confused but he insisted he was right until we all said that we wanted clarification. Truly a BUS TOUR, since we were on BUS more than Tours. We droves long. if lucky we got on a ferry to get to use a bathroom. When transferred to other guide she got on the bus and said " YOU POOR POOR PEOPLE". Scotland guide would stop for what he called as a "QUICK PIC". Take a picture in 5 minutes, hurry back on bus! They didn't supply water on bus.If we wanted water, we would have to pay 1 Euro. We were not allowed to use the bus toilet. NICKLE and DIMED on our trip for 15 days.They tell you about the tipping process! The food No matter where we went it was the same menu.Chicken, salmon or vegetarian. Like eating BAD FOOD AT HOTEL WEDDING. Taken to a restaurant, but were not able to order off the regular menu. Same choices-chicken, salmon or vegetarian every evening. The flavor of the food was bland.Rushed at dinner. We had to pay for our wine, soda or cocktails. Charged for soda water. Scottish evening at the hotel was tacky. Breakfast same everywhere we went. Pre-made food. Scrambled eggs had a bad odor and watery. One morning I put scrambled eggs in my plate, there was a bad odor coming from eggs my husband said DO NOT EAT THAT! We opted for the oatmeal (porridge) which was watery.Ireland Guide was nicer but still same kind of format. Pay 1 euro to the bus driver for a bottle of water. No use of bus bathroom. Guides never came on our tours, they disappeared the minute you walked off the bus.Ireland guide was better. Hotels were pretty on outside but rooms rundown. One hotel I had no hot water.The manager was under bathroom sink trying to fix hot water issue. The hotels were 3 star. In Dublin we stayed at the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road.AWFUL.Given a handicap room with a hospital bathroom falling apart. It just had a curtain for a shower and a chair. They charged us for a bagged breakfast when we left early in the morning for our flight. It was a muffin, banana and yogurt. No coffee or water. To go on a tour and pay so much money , not be given water on long haul drives, not served wine with dinner, not given a choice of restaurant quality food and be treated like cattle was just horrible. So before you think of using CIE, Think again and use another company. read more

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09/10/2022 14 Day bus tour of Ireland and Scotland. Beautiful countryside and enjoyed a few places we went to but not worth the money at all. I know this company has been in business for 90 years but recently the trip of a lifetime was a trip of misery. The small group we paid for was combined into a large group of 36 people. We were crammed in this bus, told not to move seats. The CIE tour leader left on day 5, so the tour bus leader was the bus driver. We were stuck in the back of the bus. He was nice to the people in the front and yelled at us that he is NOT going to repeat himself. Plus we got covid on the bus. SO MANY PEOPLE. Beautiful scenery and a few nice hotels, but not worth the $ or stress. I wish I would have read the reviews. I trusted the travel agent. BEWARE!! read more

We took the Scottish Isles and Glen Tour through CIE International Tours. It was a bus tour through the Scottish Highlands. We were disappointed with the meals provided. The meals were not a taste of Scotland rather they were tasteless and meager. When meals were not provided we were not guided to reasonable restaurants. Most of the time was spent finding and asking others where to eat. Our guide should have had this information available. Many of the tours were self guided. It would have been better to have a guide describing what we were seeing. For example, we went to the Culloden Battlefield and Museum. The museum was fine. But without a guide we missed the importance of the actual field. We left confused. Also we went on the Loch Ness Cruise. It was not a real cruise. Come to find out, it just a ride to Urquhart Castle that we already saw. We just dropped off and pick up more passengers. it was a waste of time and money. This is just a few of the many disappointments with the tour. We found it very frustrating working with the CIE organization. They discounted our concerns and, even after contacting the CEO, all our complaints fell on deaf ears. CIE offered little compensation for dissatisfaction. As a result, we would not recommend this tour at all. It makes us question other tours they offer. read more

Very Deceptive. The tour guides will except you to sit down before the tour starts and do marketing materials for them, this took hours. Then, they will inform you of expectation of their tips at the end of the tour. The tour went okay but the guide was usually no where to be found once the bus stopped at the assigned attraction. In short, there was really no need to pay CIE for the guide only the transportation. This company is horrible, my advice is stay away!!!! read more

The best guided bus tour we've ever taken. The Irish Adventure tour encompasses the circumference of the island of Ireland and Murt the tour guide/driver was the best guide. So much history learned in 9 days. Five stars all the way!!!! read more

Do not do business with this company. They cancelled tours because of covid and are refusing to refund!!! BAD !

Thank you CIE Tours! I just flew back yesterday from doing the 9 days - 8 nights "2014 Irish Pubs & Folklore" Tour. First of all Matt Nolan our tour guide was fantastic and his customer service is incredible. I went on this tour with my Mom and we made many friends on the tour as well. I learned so much about Ireland on this trip and there is no other way to do Ireland than with CIE Tours. Every day was a new adventure and I loved everything we did. Some highlights of mine were the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle "Kissing the Blarney Stone", Guinness Tour, Brazenhead in Dublin, Achill Island with lunch at Beehive Restaurant, Walking Tour in Kilkenny. I loved Ireland and it is such a beautiful country. Thank you so much CIE Tours for an incredible vacation I will never forget! Meals: Everything was delicious from Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Kate Kearney's Cottage had an incredible Fried Brie Salad and Brazenhead night was great as well! Hotels: Favorites were Ashling Hotel in Dublin and Wyatt Hotel in Westport Tips: Exchange for euros in Ireland when you land, Sign up for the Horizon Tax Free Shopping card that CIE mails you before your trip. I received a great amount back before departing Dublin from using this card with purchases in Ireland. Bring comfortable walking shoes and clothing. read more

Cie Tours International - With our Tour Guide Matt at Kilbeggan Distillery - Tours Near Me - Cedar Knolls, New Jersey

CIE Tours is the best! I recently went on a trip and they do a great job in hooking you up with great accommodations, providing a kind and knowledgeable staff and having impressive itineraries. I highly recommend them for a trip to Europe, especially for the U.K. and Ireland. Each year they have various tours that cover different regions. Bon Voyage! read more

Cie Tours International - Tours Near Me - Cedar Knolls, New Jersey

My husband and I purchased the small group Scottish and Irish Gold trip, airline tickets, and trip insurance from CIE for the trip leaving in Sept. 2023 for a grand total of a little over $13,000. This included being met at the airport and a group trip from the airport to the hotel in Scotland. This review is not about the trip, but about CIE's service. We never got to Scotland or Ireland. CIE's booking agents are pleasant, professional, and knowledgeable. A few weeks before the trip we received a call saying the last leg of our flight changed. We needed to okay a different flight. We also needed to find our own ride from the airport to the hotel or book a shuttle with CIE at the additional cost of $200 and we would miss our first excursion. We paid for the shuttle. The next day I had a panic attack and called CIE asking to please try to find a different flight so we would be met at the airport. The agent was very patient and but there were no other flights. She explained that after getting our luggage we would call the shuttle company. They would expect our call, send someone we would meet them at the car. We decided to still go on the trip. When we arrived at our airport to get our tickets and have our TSA pre-check numbers added to them there was a problem with my ticket. Airline personnel were having trouble getting a ticket for me and my pre-check number didn't work. They finally printed a ticket and said it would probably be okay by the time we got to the gate. When I scanned my ticket to get on the plane, a "DO NOT BOARD" message came up. The airline person said they never saw a message like this before. My husband didn't have any problem with his ticket. They worked on it, held the plane, and finally we were allowed to fly to O'Hare Airport. The flight was delayed for engine problems and was finally cancelled. We called CIE's emergency number 3 times as we kept learning more about our next step. The person who answered says he gives the info to CIE and that someone from CIE would call us. NO ONE EVER CALLED. We decided to fly back home because we would miss 3 days of our trip and have no idea how we would get to the bus. No one ever called to learn why we didn't show up for the shuttle that was expecting our call or at the hotel in Scotland or even to ask what happened to us. A few days later we contacted CIE about getting our money back. The only way to contact the help desk is by email. We explained what happened. The email came back saying that because we didn't cancel our trip 24 hours before the start of our trip we weren't entitled to a reimbursement. If there were any questions call the given number. We called that number only to get a booking agent who couldn't help us. We sent another email and explained what happened, asked to have someone call us or give us a phone number so we could speak with someone. The email we received back from them was the same as the first one. We called the number given a second time and asked to speak with someone at the help desk. The CIE agent said he didn't have a phone number for the help desk. We'd have to email them. Then we asked to speak to a manager. He said he didn't have a phone number for the manager. The manager was the help desk. Next we emailed to let them know that after trying to work with them and getting no help we would have to leave a poor review. Then the email we received said file with Trip Mate Insurance with "trip interruption" as the reason. We filed all the paperwork with Trip Mate and were told it would be 30 days for the outcome. 30 days later our request was denied. We called and were told it was because our trip was cancelled less than 24 hours in advance. We told them it was an interruption because we started on the trip and the flight was cancelled. The Trip Mate agent said CIE told them we never left on the trip. If we sent proof of the flight cancellation our claim would be reopened and we would hear in 30 days. 30 days later, no response. Another phone call and speaking with a manager we were told that it looked like we should get a refund. 3 months after the initial filing we finally received our refund. read more

This company kept my airfare for which they received a full credit from the airline. I was transferred to several representatives who claimed that they did not receive a refund from the airline during the pandemic. The flight to Italy was cancelled for several months and the agency that booked the Italian tour could only convince CIE to return a portion of the over $6000.00 that I paid for this trip. Don't trust this company. read more

We did the Taste of Ireland small group tour. It was such a wonderful experience. Everything was taken care of from picking up bags outside our room doors to hotel check-ins with bags delivered to our rooms. Not only was Ireland more beautiful than we expected, driver/tour guide, Brian, made it an amazing experience. He was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the trip. This was our first time tour so I have nothing to compare it to, but I would definitely go with CIE if they are available in another country we visit. A few things I would suggest, I will do my own airfare next time. Since we didn't book our flights, Aer Lingus wouldn't let us change our seats prior to going to the airport. We did upgrade to business class, which was expensive but worth it for an overnight flight. Also, review your itinerary for nights that dinner is not provided. Find out estimated arrival time and make reservations ahead of time. When we arrived at Killarney all the recommend restaurants were booked. We did find a place with outdoor seating but there were other restaurants we were looking forward to. Just to point out how the driver went above and beyond, my wife's maiden name is O'Brien. When we went to Bunratty Castle, which was owned by the O'Brien clan way back when, the driver spoke to the people and surprised us by being named the Lord and Lady of the dinner. He really went out of his way to make the trip special. read more

The company are crooks and and have no values and have stole my money. They holding on to my full payment of $7000 for 1 year to rebook a trip that no longer exists as of now and a trip they canceled. Why should they be able to hold full payment when that was not required when I booked. They should only hold the original deposit not the full payment. read more

I was supposed to be picked up at the airport. This did not happen. I had to take a taxi to the hotel. A day before the trip was over, we had a Covid test. Multiple people were positive. We were not allowed on the bus and had to find our way back to the hotel. We were then treated very poorly. We were essentially left to our own devices. We were told to contact our travel insurance carriers and had to manage our trip from there. I had to arrange my transportation to a new hotel and my flight home. Not to mention the stress of being in a foreign country all alone. once they have your money, you are on your own . read more

We booked a family vacation in June 2020 to UK for our sons graduation. We had to rebook for July 2021 but UK still at a level 4 Covid. Our son is now joining the military and we can no longer go. CIE TOURS is holding our $600 deposit hostage and will not refund! Total scammers to take your money! read more

I can't say enough great things about this company. This was the first coach tour I have ever booked, and I had to call the reservation line several times with questions, and the representatives were always very helpful and friendly. (My one complaint is that I did call a couple times and was on hold for nearly 20 minutes before I finally hung up. Both times. That's unacceptable to me.) We took the "Leisurely Ireland" tour in August 2013 and it went beyond all my expectations. The food and accommodations were outstanding (in fact, I'd say luxurious), as well as our guide (Dermot) and driver (Sean). Sure, you can't always spend as much time somewhere as you may like to, but there are so many advantages to taking a coach tour. They just tell you when to show up, and they do the rest! You do have to get up fairly early, but unless the bus is moving locations that day, you're not obligated to participate in anything. You can stay back at the hotel for a free day. Everything is included (they do not push ANY optionals on you), except remember to save Euro to tip your driver and guide at the end. I traveled with a friend and we were pleased to see that not everyone was traveling in couples (some were families), and we ranged in age from 30-80 (average age maybe 40). We made friends for life on this tour! We had every evening free to do as we pleased, and we hung out with a lot of our tour friends. I would recommend CIE without hesitation for any trip in Ireland. In fact, I'm looking into them for an Eastern European trip next year. Stay tuned! read more

My two special girlfriends and I just finished a great 14 day girl trip through England, Scotland and Ireland. Our two Guides were Gordon and Garry. Gordon left us after England and Garry took over as driver and tour guide...I never realized how hard these folks have to work to keep a bunch of us Americans straight...All kidding aside, we learned a great deal about your wonderful countries. Our guide Garry was a wonderful historian and loves his Ireland. We learned so much more about history than we had ever known from your side of the country. Our group was wonderful and we meld together and made some wonderful friends. I KNOW we had the best GUIDES you have...Thanks for a great visit. Barb B read more

STAY AWAY from this company!!! They are not refunding the cost of my trip that THEY cancelled due to Covid. They are CROOKS and have not heard the last of me! read more

On November 26, 2019 , 3 couples ages 74-80 provided a $1000/ couple deposit thru Affordable Tour for the CIE guided tour Jewels of Ireland with a Departure Date of August 2, 2020. Our last hurrah to Europe dur to our ages and health situation. March 2020, Covid struct the world and the trip was cancelled. We thoroughly understood. CEI offered the same small group trip on August 13, 2021, which we agreed to take. Both CIE and Affordable Tours maintained the same booking numbers. June 18, 2021, our final payment was due. On June 16th, prior to the final payment, Al Carver wrote CIE asking if CIE was still going to have the SMALL group Aug 13th trip. On the same day, CIE representative Amy Brown's email response was, "YES! Our Ireland tours are set to begin in August". Therefore, we paid the balance using a credit card. On July 3, 2020, 17 days later, CIE cancelled the trip offering a LARGE GROUP trip starting a week later. The large group trip was unacceptable to us. We paid for the small group and expected it. WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REASON WHY CIE CANCELLED OUR SMALL GROUP TRIP. We could NOT postpone another year. Fortunately, we cancelled the remaining payment with the credit card company. However, CIE has not returned our $1000 deposit which CIE has held for 2 ¾ years. Even though CIE cancelled our trip and due to our increasing ages, we decided to self-drove a car around Southern Ireland arriving on August 12, the date the CIE tour was to begin. We also went to the CIE office at 35 Lowes Abby Street in Dublin. Regrettably, only 2 marketing ladies were present. They stated that the remaining staff was working from home. We explained the situation and they were both shocked that CIE had not completely refunded our money to us given that CIE cancelled at the last minute. In fact, they confirmed that CIE had provided tours in early August and were providing tours currently. My husband and I are both professional and have never experienced or would do to our customers what has happened to us by CIE. When a contracted service is cancelled by the service provider, moral ethics expect the money returned, especially after 2 ¾ years of using it. We do hope that CIE is an ethical company that will do the right thing and return the $1000 deposit. We are not asking for the 2 ¾ year interest on the deposit money that has been in the CIE's possession, merely the deposit. read more

I recently got back from the 11-day Clans and Castles with Edinburgh extension. Here's how I rate the tour: Overall: B+/A- (4.33 out of 5) Tour guide: A (Graham Bruce) Itinerary: A Hotels: C Breakfasts: A Dinners: B Bus comfort: B, because we only had 30 passengers and could spread out. If this was a full bus, it would have been cramped. Clientele: Mostly couples in their 60s and 70s from the Midwest, south, and rural northeast I would have given this tour 5 Yelp stars if the hotels were better and centrally located, and if the dinners were better. Scotland is outrageously beautiful, with WOW sights every day (see photos below). The itinerary was excellent. Graham was a fantastic tour guide with a great sense of humor who put 100% into his narration. I learned a tremendous amount about Scotland from him. He also played Scottish music and music by Scottish artists. Only one stop was weak (Brody Castle was underwhelming). We got off the bus at least every 90 minutes, which was great. The hotels, however, veered from 1-star (the Balmacarra) to 5-star (Glen Mohr). Single people were given horrible rooms at the Balmacarra. It was impossible to take a hot shower at the Balmacarra--you either had cold or scalding hot. The Glen Mohr was my favorite hotel--it had a fantastic location on the river and near the city center. The hotel staff were very helpful and friendly. The bed was extremely comfortable, and the bathroom was lovely. However, one couple said that their room was extremely small. My room at the Winnock Hotel was comfortable, but someone else got a room with a shower that was made for a small child. The Norton House in Edinburgh was lovely, but it was a $40 taxi ride from the city center. The hotel dinners were mediocre, so I ate out twice (which I enjoyed, because I got a chance to try restaurants). I had three cold showers on this trip due to plumbing issues. I do recommend this trip as long as you are flexible about the hotels. I do not recommend doing the Edinburgh extension, because it did not include vouchers for a taxi both ways, and I didn't have enough time to do the tours that were included with the extension. You would be better off moving to a hotel in Edinburgh city center. If CIE replaced the Balmacarra with a better hotel and used a hotel in Edinburgh city center, this would be an A-rated, 5-star trip. Email me at sparklingsoul1234@yahoo.com, if you want to ask me questions about this tour. read more

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Not very happy with them. Booked a Scotland tour in September for a tour to take place in May. After paying in full and making other coordinated plans ... flights, before and after events, etc., ...they cancelled the tour with less than a month's notice. Very unpleasant experience. Also, after agreeing to take a less luxurious tour, they agreed to pay transfer fees because of change in location. When I told them my costs included a £20 taxi tip, they refused to pay it. Very dissatisfied with their handling of the whole matter. Will not use them again. read more

I went on a Portagul/Spain trip with CIE. The hotels were great, but the food experience was a nightmare. The two mishaps were in Spain. The first town where we were to have lunch, the restaurant refused to let us in. The second was in Barcelona. We were to have a wonderful experience with a Spanish meal. Instead, we were led upstairs to a dark run-down room that looked like a storage area. We were served Chicken legs with a Campbell soup sauce, French fries and a piece of French bread. We complained so much the owner gave us two desserts. The tour guide led us with a big stick with a white flag on it. I felt like I was on a cattle drive. We never got to enjoy the villages, there was always a time-frame that had to be met. Do not waste your money on this company. read more

FABULOUS...FABULOUS...FABULOUS is all I can say. I used Globus Tours for England last year but we wanted to try a different tour company because we wanted to see Castles. CIE Tours was much better because they had the itinerary that we wanted plus they included all the sightseeing and meals. The other tour company made us buy extra tours. It was ridiculous. Our tour guide with CIE in Scotland was Ross Tillbrook, he was Fantastic. He was knowledgeable, funny, interesting and caring. I will definitely use CIE Tours again. Not only was the tour great but they sent us a pre travel goody package for the tour. We really appreciated all the details. In my opinion, they are A++++++ Thanks for a great experience. read more

My wife & I just returned from an Irish Adventure tour over Thanksgiving week. The tour could not have been any better! Starting with our tour guide, John Costello. His knowledge of Irish history, his sense of humor and his love of country made a great trip absolutely incredible! He spent the entire week catering to our every whim. Including taking singing requests on several occasions (a wonderful version of Danny Boy, I might add!). Additionally, the hotels and meals were 1st class all the way. The International Hotel in Killarney even prepared a complete Thanksgiving dinner for our group. We can't wait to return. read more

I recently completed the 15-day CIE Jewels of Ireland tour with my wife and another age 50+ couple. The bottom line for me--it was a great tour itinerary in a beautiful country, with charming people, a wonderful driver, mostly nice hotels...and a disappointing tour director. While I might consider using CIE again for a tour of England and Scotland, I probably would not consider them for other locations in Europe. I think our tour with Insight Travel in Italy in 2013 was a much more satisfying experience overall. The itinerary of the CIE tour was certainly comprehensive, if a little too hectic at times. We especially enjoyed the places where we stayed for at least 2 nights (Dublin, Dingle, Donegal & Galway) and had more free time, plus the one night we stayed at a castle hotel. The 1-night stays and hotels in Kinsale, Ennis, Belfast and Drogeda were less satisfying. The combined tour bus (both Jewels of Ireland and Southern Gems for the first week) was never full, and the eight who departed after the southern part of the tour, left us a bus with the comfort of extra room for much of the tour. The CIE bus driver for most of the tour, Dennis, was amazingly competent and pleasant. I think we made the right choice by going with a tour rather that driving a rented vehicle on narrow Irish roads. Unfortunately, we found our experience with the CIE tour director and guide to be disappointing. She seemed to be very knowledgeable, but her attitude seemed to be poor. Her manner of communicating information on both logistics and Ireland's history and culture suggested she was not interested in ensuring she was understood, or in engaging with those on the tour. She was generally unavailable when we were not with her on the bus. By the end of the 15-day tour she had still not learned our names, and she deflected my comment when I mentioned that to her. She also didn't seem to be concerned when I told her that I had slipped on wet floor tile and injured my knee--she told me that the hotel staff might help me. (Fortunately, the hotel staff provided a bandage and directed me to a pharmacy that was open on a Sunday) The tour director never once followed up with me to ask how I was feeling, as I completed the tour with the aid of an Ace-type knee bandage. Overall, the tour director struck me as someone who was competent, but just going through the motions. She didn't seem to be committed to serving the needs of our group or tourists in a truly professional manner. I think she was fortunate to receive even a minimal tip from us. read more

A friend and I just returned from a two-week tour of Scotland and we couldn't have asked for a better trip. We books our flights through CIE and they got us the seats we wanted. All the hotels were four or five star, and if we had any problem at all Janet, our tour guide, took care of it. Colin, our bus driver, was outstanding. He made the tour a lot of fun while allowing us plenty of opportunity to make photo stops and "comfort" stops. CIE also took us to more remote places that other tour companies did not, and breakfast and dinner was included with the package. A great value for the money. We would love to travel with CIE again, and we highly recommend. read more