Private Driver for Irish Vacation

Some of my pals on a hillside in Dingle
A Holly Tree in Bloom I took this picture about a month ago as i was amazed at the amount of berries on this holly bush.All of the berry bearing trees seem to be carrying a lush amount of berries this year and the old people would always tell you that this is a sign of a very hard Winter on the way as nature prepares plenty of berries for the birds to keep them going through the long Winter ahead. I do believe and respect the handed down knowledge of these oldtimers and find that many times they are way ahead of our professional weather forecasters, especially when it comes to long term forecasting. I would have to admit that i was grateful that my touring season had come to an end recently but it has not led to the break i thought i would get. I have been so busy, first of all catching up with so many things that had been left undone, and now to an unexpected flood of enquiries for next year. I am both surprised as well as flattered by this and i do have to thank so many people for referring their friends and relations to me, and i thank you all sincerely for that. It does take a lot of work when preparing a plan for a party, and i do not take this task lightly. When somebody contacts me i like to call them and discuss their ideas with them and get to know exactly what they have in mind. It is not something that can be done through one phone call or a few e-mails, and sometimes the process goes on for literally months. The main thing that has to be agreed is that we have a committment on the time frame and the dates and a pretty accurate price estimate that will not change much unless the client makes radical changes to the plan such as adding extra days or upgrading their accommodation request to much more expensive hotels. Once the client is happy enough to settle on a date and has accepted that we are now in basic agreement a deposit is requested, and i never ask for a large deposit. When i commit a period of my touring season, and receive a deposit from someone, nobody else can have that period and my clients can rest assured that their holiday is now safely booked. Usually at this stage we have a very good idea of their program, but reasonable changes can be made. I always advise people to take out holiday insurance which will cover them against unforseen circumstances,such as a last minute cancellation, as this will cost them their money. Late cancellations leave me with blank dates which a have no chance of filling as people coming on holiday never leave things that late. When it is not my fault i cannot be blamed, nor can i afford to suffer these kind of losses. In this regard i am no different from any other touring company, and indeed am much better than many who want your money maybe months in advance. Outstanding monies must be paid not later than 2 weeks before clients are due to arrive in Ireland. In all of my years touring i have never had any clients cancel out at the last minute....except for recently when i took a booking at very short notice...without a deposit...that resulted in an e-mail cancellation less than 48 hours before the tour was due to start...an e-mail which i did not receive until 36 hours before the time, due to the fact that i was on the road. The only good thing about it was that the booking was not for a long period, 4 days, so that was what i lost, and it could have been worse. I can assure you that i was annoyed,and let them know that, but the less said the better. To help to relieve any doubts that prospective clients may have about me and my service i always offer people contact numbers of people in the USA who have toured with me previously who will talk to them and help them to decide if i am the one they need. I have many wonderful friends in the USA and they have stood by me now for many years and helped me in so many ways to grow my business. As each year goes by that list grows and i have had so many offers of help from clients that i have never even gotten near to availing of a fraction of them. Again i want to take this opportunity to thank you all. Getting back to preparing for a new group....once we have agreed a program and the deposit is paid we are now through the most important stages. From there on until the time they come to me here in Ireland, we remain in touch as often as needs be, maybe making slight adjustments here and there when possible that help to make the program better for my clients. It may be some information about some place they may wish to travel to where an ancestor came from, or a visit to someplace they have just read about....but they are usually just minor adjustments as we have done our work well early on. It is amazing just how well a program can be crafted to suit clients when i have a good idea of where they think they want to go and just what they think they may want to see. Many of their ideas can be great but sometimes my knowledge can help them to make adjustments which will make their program so much better....and they can see that and are delighted to have it pointed out to them. My programs are tailored to the needs of my clients and my knowledge of my country is a huge advantage to these people when they only have a limited amount of time and want to see and do so much. Together we work out what is best and that helps to ensure, as far as is possible, a holiday of a lifetime for them. Making up your mind early on and getting it off the ground and up and running is so much better. By getting in early, you are also coming to me when i do have many dates available which i will not have later on in the year. I will do all i can to help and i will let you know early on if i feel that my type of service is right for you. Remember...it is more expensive than bus tours or hiring your own car but what you get for the extra is more than worth it. I rarely lose a tour through pricing and i think it that most people are fully aware that it is going to be a bit more expensive...but it is not that much more expensive. The only extra money people spend outside of my price is what they spend on the food that they eat as we travel or at night and whatever they spend on shopping or visiting places that have entrance charges. Here once again my experience is invaluable as i know all the best places to eat, and which also offer the best prices, and the best places to shop. People are never forced to visit any places that charge entrance fees, and really there are not that many when it comes to my tours. The bottom line really is that it does not cost you anything to make an enquiry and find out. So what is this post all about today? We Irish have more than 40 million relatives of Irish descent in the USA and i have never met one of them yet who did not have in mind a visit to Ireland sometime before they die.It is in the blood, and they are proud of it, but when you do have a dream you want to hang on to it. It is a dream that cannot become a reality without a definite plan and the means to carry out that plan. I believe that many people are afraid that to make that dream come true they will need a lot more money than they can afford and they are afraid that in pursuing the necessary information that they will shatter that dream. I am not too sure just how many millionaires have toured with me but i can assure you that i have had a lot more middle of the road incomers with me who managed very well indeed. Maybe i can help to make your dream come true. Give me a try and let us find out.