FAQs
Cruise Ireland by Train and Find Out More about Our Unique Five-Star Tour.
Cruise Ireland by Train and Find Out More about Our Unique Five-Star Tour.
1. Are places limited? How many spaces are available on this tour?
Yes, this tour is limited to 50 guests aboard a private, heritage train. We recommend advance booking to secure a space on this unique touring experience.
The Vintage Train that serves as The Emerald Express is a unique set of carriges and is only used once a year!
2. Who Usually goes on this tour?
We welcome all travellers on tour with us. However, we cannot accommodate young children on this particular tour. You must be over 18 to travel on this five-star rail cruise.
Railtours Ireland is what’s known in the travel/tourism trade as an FIT tour product. This means that it attracts “Free Independent Travellers” of all ages and nationalities. What they have in common is a desire to have a unique touring experience in Ireland. Our tours also provide a comfortable way to explore Ireland without having to drive!
3. What is included in the cost of this tour?
4. Where does this tour go?
Experience Dublin's Fair City before travelling by rail along the stunning East Coast to Waterford, Kilkenny, Cork, Cóbh and the Ring of Kerry. Enjoy an Irish night in Killarney before continuing on through the savagely beautiful countryside of Connemara in Co. Galway. For a full itinerary see our Emerald Isle Express Tour page.
5. How do I get to Ireland?
Getting to Ireland is easy. While we do not offer flights, we recommend AerLingus for the widest selection of routes and best value from North America, UK, Europe and Australia. Remember if you are returning to the USA from Ireland you can take advantage of pre clearance, which is unique to Ireland, and arrive home as a domestic passenger avoiding the queue's at immigration.
You can also take the ferry from The United Kingdom to Ireland. Check out these great tour options from London here.
6. What type of accommodation is used?
We stay in the top five-star manor houses, city and country hotels throughout the Emerald Isle.
7. How much does this tour cost?
This tour comes to €5,999 pps. There is a single room supplement (SRS) of €2,499 for travellers requiring accommodation for single occupancy.
The price in USD, CAD, GBD & AUD will be based on the exchange rate at the time of booking.
8. What is the refund policy on this tour?
Our Cancellation Policy can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
In order to avail of a refund, we require 60 days’ notice prior to the tour departure date.
All refunds are subject to a 10% administration charge.
9. When does this tour depart?
The 2020 departure of the Emerald Isle Express Tour is September 20th 2020.
10. For how long will we be touring around Ireland?
We will spend 6 days touring around Ireland, with a welcome day in the Merrion Hotel in Dublin's City Centre prior to our departure.
11. What is your luggage policy?
All luggage will be taken care of from start to finish. You will not have to worry about carrying luggage from point A to point B, as our Railtours Ireland Team will be taking care of this for you. There is no restriction on the amount of luggage that can be taken on tour.
12. Is there a dress code for this tour?
No, while there is not a strict dress code for this tour, we do have some recommendations below:
We recommend smart casual attire for dinner, etc. at the hotels but we are aware it is your vacation and we want to make it as relaxed as possible. On one evening in Adare Manor, we will be dining banquet style as a group and jackets and ties are compulsory for men, while evening wear is appropriate for women.
13. Is alcohol served on the train?
Yes, our bar car serves alcoholic beverages and all drinks enjoyed aboard the train are covered in the cost of the tour.
Our bar car is the only train in the world that serves draft Guinness and is equipped with high end spirits, lagers and soft drinks.
14. I have dietary requirements; Can they be accommodated?
Of course, this is no problem. If you have any special dietary needs or requirements please let us know at the time of booking so that we can share this information with our five-star partner hotels, the restaurants in which we stop for lunch each day and the team on our private heritage train.
15. Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
As long as you have some mobility then this tour would be suitable. Our private heritage train, along with most coaches are not wheelchair accessible so you must be able to get on and off the coach unaided by Railtours Ireland staff.
If you need extra walking assistance, you may bring a light-weight foldable wheelchair which can be stowed in the luggage compartment.
It is with regret that we cannot accommodate mobility scooters on our tours. You must advise us when booking that you will be using a wheelchair or other medical equipment.
16. Will there be any free time to explore by ourselves or will we be with the group for the duration of the tour?
We will all travel together in a group on our private heritage train and luxury coach to and from the destinations and our hotels. However, at each location you will have the opportunity to explore by yourself or with a smaller group.
Our renowned Railtours Ireland host will inform you of the departure time and show you the meeting point where you will all meet to continue onto the next location. Furthermore, each evening in the hotels there will be some free time to relax and get ready for dinner with the group.
We have a free day of leisure in Adare Manor on day six of the tour.
17. What weather should we expect in late September in Ireland?
Please note it will be mid-Autumn in Ireland and at the best of times we can have four seasons in one day, so prepare for cooler, rather than warmer weather and of course bring light waterproofs for that inevitable drop of rain that makes Ireland the Emerald Isle.
We recommend bringing a good rain jacket and wearing light, comfortable layers of clothing with comfortable shoes.
18. Where can i find an itinerary for this tour?
Please see our Emerald Isle Express Tour page on our website for an itineray for this tour.
If you are interested in joining us on tour this coming September please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we can provide you with a more detailed itinerary which includes approximate timings for the tour, based on previous itineraries.
The exact timings will be confirmed a few weeks before the tour departs when we receive our paths (rail route and timings) from Irish Rail, Ireland's National Railway Operator.
