Frequently Asked Questions

Same questions, over-and-over -- and from people who aren't even clients but feel that calling an agency to ask 30-minute worth of travel questions (for free) is completely acceptable! My kind demeanor always answered those questions but the business model said that I had to devote my time to paying customers so I thought I'd compromise and post the repeated questions online for all to see!

When can I expect to receive my airline tickets, B&B vouchers and car rental voucher?

This policy differs depending on the tour operator used to purchase your package however documents are usually mailed between 2 and 3 weeks prior to your departure date. This means we’ll receive the documents, check them to ensure they are correct and send them off to you with plenty of time to spare prior to your trip. All of this is, of course, assuming your package has been completely paid by this time.

There are always exceptions for this including:

To ensure your documents arrive in a reasonable amount of time, our system was designed to automatically remind us when a client’s record does not indicate that we have mailed their documents within two weeks of their scheduled departure date. There’s no way around this as the system requires us to acknowledge the message EACH day until we marked the delivery date, ensuring we never forget you!

Why do car rentals charge for the full tank of gas to begin with?

That's a good question and I posed it to one of the car rental agencies at a recent Ireland convention. She said it was "standard" and I interpreted that as, "It's standard so we can make more money."

If you're told to return the car on empty, more than likely you won't because you're unfamiliar with distances in Ireland and don't want to be stuck without gas on the way to catch a flight. You return the car with about half a tank, which you've already paid for. They charge the next person for a full tank as though they put in the full amount -- making more money on the half tank you left them!

You can get around this though when you book your car with me and as a package -- just tell the desk clerk you will return the car FULL and top off the tank before you return. Return the car and go back to the desk ... they will refund you the initial payment for that tank of gas. I even made $.13 one time due to the change in currency during that week!

How do you use B&B vouchers (i.e. when do you turn them over?) and is there any other payment expected?

When you check into the B&B you pay nothing -- payment is made at the end when you finish breakfast. Simply hand the owner of the house your voucher and that's it! Dublin has surcharges but only during the summer therefore you would pay that at this time as well. If you’ve asked for dinner at your B&B or any additional services then you’ll be required to pay for that in cash when you check out.

Where do you recommend we stay while in Dublin?

If you're staying in Dublin check your Town and Country B&B Book for B&B's in North City and South City -- pick a B&B in that area and you be just outside the downtown with many B&B choices. B&B’s will list if they’re near a train station or bus ... or you can drive into the city and park along the Liffey (river) at a meter... or car park and pay a flat fee. I think I've parked along the Liffey without paying at night -- no problem there.

2008 Note: I highly recommend hotels in Dublin for everyone. B&Bs have pulled out of the voucher system which means I cannot guarantee their amenities. Dublin hotels are more expensive but if you start or end in Dublin you can drop the car off early and help save some money there.

How do we contact B&B’s for reservations?

(from Lori - Orlando, FL)
You’ll receive a book about two weeks prior to your departure date however the link for the B&B site is http://www.TownAndCountry.ie. You can search by county and then by town, listing amenities and if they take vouchers (most do!) They'll also list emails, web sites and faxes for those that have them -- and many more are putting up web sites or have email. I've had good experience with email however they may ask for your booking number or a credit card to hold the reservation (even if you’re paying with a voucher). Make sure you ask for the correct type of room: