The ‘Driftwood Irish Journeys of Discovery’ website is now live

Our new Driftwood Journeys of Discovery and up and running. These new tours offer a less active alternative to people attracted to the small-group, off the beaten track format of Vagabond Tours. Instead of the 4x4 tour vehicles, Driftwood passengers travel in a more conventional touring minicoach and although the itineraries are similar to the Vagabond adventures, there will be more sedate and accessible visits to historical sites, and more shopping and free time. The Driftwood website can be found at:

www.driftwood.ie

A bit of pampering on a Vagabond tour of Ireland

We all like a bit of special treatment, and so now on all Vagabond 7 and 11 day tours we are delighted to offer our passengers access to one of Ireland’s finest Spa’s at the Falls Hotel, Ennistymon – which in 2011 we have added to the tours as our overnight stop in County Clare.

The Spa contains 12 treatment rooms including a thermal suite, relaxation room, hydrobath and Rasul Mud Treatment Room. Four of the 12 treatment rooms are delicately incorporated into an old stable building, which was constructed in 1720.

Guests also have full access to the Hotel Aqua and Fitness club which boasts a 20-metre deck level swimming pool (swimming cap required), Jacuzzi, steam room, hydro therapy pool, children's pool, a sauna and outdoor hot tub overlooking the River Inagh – it’s a stunning facility.

For the really active there is also the gymnasium which has computerised treadmills, strength training machines, computerised cycles, dumbells/barbells, computerised steppers, abdominal units, individual cardio TV and heart rate monitors.

Needless to say our driver-guides are very excited about staying there too!

More details on the spa and the hotel can be found at www.fallshotel.ie

Great news: The is no better time to visit Ireland

Here is a superb video produced by Failte Ireland (the tourist board) just to show that Ireland as a destination is still as fantastic as it ever was.

The message is that there is still plenty of fun to be had here and that the infrastructure for visitors really is superb: The hotels are of a very high standard, the food is excellent, the activity options have developed to a world class level and that the welcome is as warm and friendly as ever - in fact even more so.

And right now there are some excellent flight deals into the country. So if anything, the economic downturn has made Ireland an even better place to visit.

Enjoy, and please tell all your friends to watch it, we need to spread the good news.

If the image is a bit small, click on the bottom right arrows and it will enlarge to full screen

Vagabond: As Seen on TV

Vagabond tours was recently featured on RTE 1’s highly acclaimed entrepreneurial show Higher Ground which follows the progress of, and gives mentoring to, a series of start up companies around Ireland. Each episode also features a case study of an established business with similarities to the featured start-up enterprise. Vagabond was used as the case study of an established tour operator as the film-makers mentor and follow the progress of Paul Harmon who is setting up an electric bike touring company in Westport. Hopefully Vagabond has been able to pass on a few helpful hints to Paul to assist in getting his business off the ground.

New For 2011 -Less-Active Small group tours by Vagabond.

In addition to our excellent small group adventure tours in Land Rover’s, for 2011 Vagabond will be offering less vigorous and adventurous trips in more conventional Mercedes minibus’s. The small groups sizes, flexibility and off the beaten track exploring of our current trips will remain, but for those who would prefer a more sedate and less active view of Ireland we will be incorporating more stops such as historical houses and gardens, free time to shop and relax and more accessible ancient sites.

Accommodation will stay the same. We will be staying in quality, locally owned guesthouses and hotels in small rural communities and departure dates will remain the same as the Vagabond trips. The idea being that groups can even spilt during the day, with the active members taking the Vagabond tour and the less active can take the less active option.

Travel will be by Mercedes minibus, or similar, with easier access than the ‘Vagatrons’ and greater space inside.

Further details and full itineraries will be available very soon, but if in the meantime you would like some further information on Vagabond’s new range of tour, please contact us on culturetours@vagabond.ie or call us on the numbers below.

25% off Vagabond tours leaving on 25th and 26th July

We currently have a few spaces left on the Seven Day and five day southern tours leaving on the 25th July and the 5 and 7 day Northern tours leaving on Monday 26th July.

And all remaining places on these tours are discounted by 25%, (5 day tours are discounted from E799 to E599 and 7 day tours are discount from E1079 to E799, prices based on two or more sharing, single supplements apply).

For more details contact vagabond on info@vagabond.ie or call +353 876 494262

Vagabond the Supermodel

Recently Vagabond was contacted by Vodafone (Ireland’s largest mobile phone network) because we had been chosen from their 100,000+ Irish business users here to be featured in their new ‘business dreams’ campaign. Since then we have been photographed standing in a river for four hours (and I even had make up on), been plastered all over the national press, radio, and bus-shelters – and we have also been filmed for online advertising and been included in their direct mailing campaign. The message is, that with Vodafone, anyone’s business dream can come true and our business dream is that our passengers go home loving Ireland as much as we do – and we think you will.