This is the place for updates on our upcoming Ireland Getaways and for additional information that pertains to your November, 2008 jaunt to the Emerald Isle! Scroll down for fuel surcharge update! EXTENSIVE IRELAND FAQ - CLICK HERE! Ireland: Some Questions and Answers! Q. Do I need to take a hair dryer with me? A. No, they are supplied in each room at the hotels. Q. Is there Internet service at the hotels? A. There may be, but the best bet will be the very inexpensive Internet Cafes located steps from the hotel in downtown Galway City. Q. What is the electric voltage in Ireland? A. 220 volts. You'll need an adapter to operate most US devices; there normally is a 110 volt electric outlet for shavers in the hotels, but we find it does not always work properly. Q. How about money exchange, etc? A. You may want to bring a small amount of euros with you. You can get such in pre-packaged amounts at AAA offices, or change dollars to euros at most banks here, though most may have to order it for you. Upon our early arrival in Ireland, only the Bureau De Change (not the Irish banks) will be open. We suggest only changing a small amount there. Wait until we arrive in Galway to change the bulk of your dollars. The exchange rate will be better at the local banks and there are several a few blocks away from the hotels! Traveler's Cheques can be exchanged at the bank, with your passport as ID, and you can get them in Euros at many AAA offices in the US. We do not recommend taking Traveler's Cheques in US Dollars. If you take cash, do NOT take any $100 bills! Due to counterfeit problems, these cannot be exchanged; stick to $50s and under. See below for details on AAA Tip Paks. There is always a variable surcharge for any money exchange, be it at an ATM, Bank or Bureau de Change. We recommend against the use of pre-paid Visa or American Express Travel Cards. Detailed money exchange info will be in your document packets, to help you decide what is best for you... DO NOT LET merchants charge your purchases in US Dollars on your card! They get a hefty premium for that and as such YOU will pay through the nose. Charges should be processed in euros only!! Q. What about credit cards? A. MasterCard and Visa are accepted at most larger stores and restaurants; American Express to a lesser extent. Discover is a US-based card and will not be accepted in Ireland - leave home without it! There are ATMs at banks and the at airport. Credit cards may not be accepted at small shops and other establishments, especially out in the country however, so please keep that in mind! Check with your credit card company to see what fees they levy on ATM transactions in Ireland, as well as foreign exchange fees on purchases. That way the bargain you thought you had might remain as such!! Q. How is the weather in Ireland this time of year? A. Changeable! It will likely be in the 50s by day and upper 40s by night. Expect some rain and some sun. The rain only makes things greener on the Emerald Isle! Dress in layers and take some rain gear with you – at least an umbrella and water resistant shoes and perhaps a raincoat – that way, it won't rain at all!! See the Irish weather link near the bottom of this page for much more on the weather in the Emerald Isle! Q. How do we tip the driver guide? A. That is entirely at your discretion...We would suggest perhaps 4 to 6 Euros per person per day as a general guide – more or less is up to you and how you feel about the service provided. You may give it to the driver-guide on the last evening or even as we load or depart the coach on the day we return from Shannon. We'll provide envelopes for you, so not to worry! Q. Is there a rest room on the coach? A. No, unfortunately. Frequent stops will be made however, including for any “emergency” situation. Q. May I leave the group to do my own “thing” one day? A. Certainly! Just be sure to let us know ahead of time so we don't lose you! Nothing is mandatory on this tour!! Q. How should I pack? A. As lightly as possible; you are limited to ONE checked bag on the coach (therefore ONE checked bag on Aer Lingus) per person, NOT to exceed 62 linear inches and 70 lbs each – not that we intend to help with bags that heavy!! You may also bring one carry-on, (needs to be tagged as well) which must weigh 13 pounds or LESS and be within 22X18X10 inches in dimension and one “personal item” (camera bag, purse, etc) per person. Keep ALL medications and film in your carry-on please! See the Aer Lingus baggage info below for more details...For general carry-on baggage guidance, please click here! General checked-baggage information can be found by clicking here. Note the new restrictions on liquids - if in doubt, put them in a zip-lock bag and then into your CHECKED baggage!!! See the "3-1-1" rules link on our facts page - or click here (PDF download brochure). Q. How about smoking in Ireland? A. Currently, all pubs are still nonsmoking – let's hope it stays that way! Coaches are also nonsmoking. For a great road map of the country simply click here! For a map of Galway City and our hotel location, [click here]
Latest Updates - (04/08) Aer Lingus has instituted (as expected!) a fuel surcharge/tax increase of $15 per person, unfortunately. We hope this will be the extent of it. The surcharge will be added to your final invoice total, due here prior to July 31st...Thanks for your understanding! Air has been secured and our rate confirmed - $1499pp + departure taxes/fuel surcharges (currently $115pp, subject to further change). A flyer has been included in our New Years newsletter, giving our clients and past passengers first shot at initial availability. We are limited to 35 seats again this year, which means just a few singles will be available at the $329 supplement. Please bear in mind that Galway is a more expensive destination - in fact, it is Ireland's fastest growing city - and coupled with the weak dollar, higher overall airfares and crazy fuel prices, the 2008 getaway is a bit more expensive. With that in mind, it will still be a GREAT value considering what is included, so we hope you will ALL think about joining us this time (or once again)!! Document Party!! As always, we will host a "document party" for our travelers. This year it will be a "wine and cheese" affair in the hall of Faith Lutheran Church at 1120 Silver Lane in East Hartford on Saturday evening, October 18th at 7pm. We'll have snacks, door prizes, a showing of the 2007 getaway DVD and lots of fun. You'll get your travel documents, meet your fellow passengers, make car pool arrangements and have all of your questions answered! Pencil in the date; more details to follow in the future! ***For a map to the party, [click here]!*** [CLICK HERE] to download a pdf version of our flyer (Adobe Acrobat Reader required) **This tour has a 100% cancellation penalty (thus the travel protection insurance!). Why is the insurance mandatory? Even in the very unlikely event that you have medical insurance that will cover you in Ireland for accident/illness, etc, that insurance will NOT cover you should you have to cancel for such reasons prior to departure! Your medical insurance will also NOT cover you if you have to cancel due to a pre-existing condition of any kind (or such a situation with a traveling companion or immediate family member) OR if the Tour Operator (Sceptre Tours) or the Airline Carrier (Aer Lingus) defaults financially or fails to operate, causing the tour not to operate! We therefore will decline to accept any group passengers who for whatever reasons opt not to purchase such coverage...It is for YOUR protection as well as ours! Thanks for understanding... ***For a map to us at 16 Brooke St, Bloomfield, [CLICK HERE]*** Dinner will be served not long after take-off; a VERY minimal breakfast snack will be served prior to landing in Shannon. Seating configuration for Aer Lingus' Airbus Aircraft is 2/4/2: a window and aisle, four in the center section and another aisle/window making each row 8 across. This gives each row 2 window and 4 aisle seats, but undoubtedly some folks may be in the center of the "center" section however, most of our group is usually (note - "usually") seated fairly near each other, but again, it's the luck of the draw so pleeease...grin and bear it!! Thanks! Current flight schedule on Aer Lingus (subject to change): Depart Boston Sunday, Nov 2, EI 132 - 7:20pm, arrive Shannon 6:15am Monday, Nov 3 Depart Shannon Saturday, Nov 8, EI 133 - 1:15pm, arrive Boston 3:20pm We expect to be back in Bloomfield by 7pm Saturday the 8th... CURRENT Aer Lingus Baggage Guidelines for OUR trip: Flights to and from the USA only - Economy ClassTo comply with TSA regulations, passengers will be subject to secondary security screening immediately prior to boarding. CARRY ON INFO:
CHECKED BAGGAGE INFO: New Free Baggage Allowance:
For the LATEST rules and regulations related to baggage and security, go to www.aerlingus.com DIRECTIONS TO D&D TRAVEL: To reach us from I-91 north, take the I-291/Windsor Route 218 exit 36B, stay to the left; go left at the end of the ramp and follow west to the light at Blue Hills Ave. Take a right, get into the LEFT lane, go to your 2nd light and turn left onto Park Avenue, at the Getty Station. Take your 2nd right onto Nelson Dr and then a left at the stop sign onto Brooke - we are at #16 - the last house on the right at the dead end...From Bloomfield Center, follow Park Ave (Rt 178) east, make NO turns and then go left on Nelson and left onto Brooke St. We are 2 miles from the center of town...From I-91 south, take the Rt 218 exit 36, go right at the end of the ramp and continue as above. From Rt 178 in Bloomfield Center, simply head east toward Windsor; make NO turns! Go 2 miles and take a left onto Nelson Drive, then a left onto Brooke. We suggest you make a "dry run" if you are not familiar with the area, as we MUST depart at 2pm and will be UNABLE to wait for anyone!!! Thanks! Here are a few links of interest: Ireland weather: www.ireland.com/weather (weather and climate info for Ireland, including Galway area) Currency Converter: www.x-rates.com/calculator.html (get the latest Dollar-to-Euro conversion rates)
D & D TRAVEL SERVICES, LLC: (860) 243-9458 or (800) 613-0282 click to email us: dennis@ddtvl.com |
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