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Reviews 2.5.

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Had a great experience with this…

Had a great experience with this company going to the giants causeway, Jackie our tour guide was friendly, hilarious throughout the tour and shared some real good knowledge about the locations we visited, we stopped off in Belfast aswell for an hour on the way back from the giants causeway so it was nice to have a little look around, grab something to eat and stretch your legs as it’s a very long day (around 12 hrs) I would recommend if you are looking to go to the giants causeway from Dublin/ Belfast!

Date of experience : 18 March 2022

the tour was lovely

the tour was lovely, great service, thank you

Date of experience : 29 September 2023

Great Service

Brilliant Irish Tour company. Highly Recommended.

Date of experience : 22 July 2015

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Paddywagon Tours   Reviews

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Reviews 2.5.

Most relevant

False advertising.

Did the Ring of Kerry tour yesterday from Cork. Booked in person at their office. Price on brochure was 49 Euro but was charged 59 Euro by two. I wonder when the price changed? Arrive at meeting point only to find that our names weren’t on the list. Back to office, who told the guide to let us on. The bus was ten years old and didn’t have the advertised 4g WiFi or air conditioning. The guide was like an overbearing school teacher. Apart from that, the places visited were excellent and we had a good time.

Date of experience : August 31, 2024

Purchased tickets for the small bus…

Purchased tickets for the small bus tour to the Cliff of Moher for August 26, 2024. When we arrived the small bus was out of service and therefore had to take the regular bus tour. The cost of the small bus tour was $129.00 and the regular tour was $75.00. The difference is $54.00 for 6 people and our refund should be $324.00. I have sent 2 emails and of course Paddywagon Tours has not responded. So be mindful that Paddywagon Tours are dishonest, sketchy at best and not a good value for your money in that they can't issue a refund when it was clearly an issue with their company. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

Date of experience : August 26, 2024

I’ve done the Northern Ireland tour

I’ve done the Northern Ireland tour, to the Giant’s Causeway. The reason why I’m giving a 3 stars review it’s not because of the guide or the beautiful places we saw. But about the company itself, all explained below. At first I was a little bit disappointed by not having a local irish guide, being a tour guide myself in my birth city in Portugal. It happened to have a portuguese guide in this tour, and while you’re traveling, and paying a lot for this experience, having a guide from my own country, made like half of the experience to go away. He was a great guide and storyteller, giving a lot of historical information, and some personal hints about his life in Ireland. But he was also driving a big bus for at least 12h, almost 600km and talking while driving, being able to rest in our stops inside the bus. I found this very abusive, as it should be at least two people driving and guiding. Also some food or local tasting should be provided by free, as we needed to pay for our lunch. This company was recommended by a former client I had in a tour, but would not use it again.

Date of experience : August 19, 2024

Booked half day tour to Glendalough &…

Booked half day tour to Glendalough & Wicklow mountains. Our driver André and tour guide Michael were fantastic, funny, informative and genuinely great together. The 2 lochs absolutely stunning. A great half day out well worth it! Thank you so much Michael & André 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Date of experience : August 22, 2024

Aaron our driver was great

Aaron our driver was great! Very interactive and allowed us enough time at Blarney Castle! Commentary and Music made the day better!

Cliffs of Mother Trip- Disappointing

Pretty terrible really! You are taken to a "restaurant" which is actually a community centre where you have a limited choice of overcooked, expensive food. A large detour passing through a small town which means an hour in traffic jams. Cliffs of Mother are of course marvellous, but do yourself a favour and hire a car and do it yourself!

Date of experience : August 11, 2024

An awful experience

The 'tour' began in Cork City where we were lead onto a black rental bus which was not very comfortable, instead of the expected green Paddywagon bus, and informed they were short tour guides so one would meet us in Limerick. The driver of this rental bus had never done this route before. When we arrived in Limerick a 'tour guide' got on the bus after his smoke and read what felt like a lecture off a piece of paper, this was the only thing he said until we arrived at the Cliffs. Once we arrived we were not given enough time to explore the area, instead were shuttled to a cafeteria style 'restaurant' for 45 minutes, clearly Paddywagon is getting a kickback commission for this and there is no alternatives at this location. Next we stopped at Bunratty castle for 45 minutes, we asked can we go look at the castle or grounds, the tour guide said no we don't have enough time it would take 90 minutes, and we should go have a pint. When we asked how much the entrance fee for the castle was the 'tour guide' said he didn't know. There was several food outlets at Bunratty castle, we could have spent 90 minutes here and everyone on the tour could have decided if they wanted to see the castle or eat, but no - commission seemed more important then a good experience. Next we arrived at Limerick where the 'tour guide' departed, on the way back to Cork City the bus driver got lost several times and missed his exit, leading us down a narrow country road unsuitable for heavy vehicles causing us to arrive back in Cork 15-20 minutes late. Most of the 'tour' is just sat in silence on a bus, you might as well take public transport to visit these places and leave at a time that suits you.

BEWARE of Paddywagon Tours…

This review is a beware of Paddywagon tours. I booked 15 tickets with them and had to cancel two tickets due to illness 2 months before the tour. They said they would issue a refund no problem. We are going on 3 months and no refund. I have emailed and called several times and been told they are having problems with their credit card company. Things happen and cancellation can occur due to illness or weather. If a company will not honor their cancellation policy BEWARE!!!

Date of experience : April 30, 2024

Totally unprofessional

I had a terrible experience choosing this provider for a daily tour to Blarney Castle/Cork. The tour guide Sean was a totally incompetent, on the bus he was not giving useful information but just talking about his personal life story. When we arrived in Cashel Rock he just let the group by the entrance and disappear, without giving an explanation about what the site we were visiting! Moreover he gave us appointment by the bus at 11:45 but the bus was leaving at 11:25 and I had to arrange me for a way to come back to Dublin! Thanks to a council employee and the women at the info point that helped me, that also told that Paddywagon Tours gave a lot of problems and often let tourists on the street!

Date of experience : July 23, 2024

Better than expected

We were nervous about choosing PaddyWagon after reading the bad reviews here on trustpilot. After the trip from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher, we have only good experiences. The driver Edaurdo was helpful,witty and a good story teller. We can only warmly recommend this company.

Date of experience : July 18, 2024

Worst Tour Ever

This is surely the worst “tour” I’ve ever been on. It was nowhere near what was described on your website. We originally booked through PaddyWagon Tours but it was fulfilled by Luxury Irish Tours. Shame on you PaddyWagon. See comments below: 1. The information states we would be taken in style by a van with no more than 25 passengers. There were 8 of us stuffed into a taxi which smelled like smoke. The only air circulation was from windows. But when they were open they blew in the face of the passengers in the last seat. I personally don’t consider this being “taken in style”. Do you? 2. We were supposed to enjoy a panoramic view of Cork while our guide points out highlights. We did not have a tour guide. After we were driving for 20 minutes or so I finally asked where we were. Not at any time prior to that did he speak about anything we were passing. At that point I knew something was up. When we stopped I asked about this. Our driver admittedly stated he was not a guide and would try the best he can. He was called the night before to take us. He pointed out nothing stated in your description of the tour. Even if he would have said anything those of us stuck in the back couldn’t hear him. 3. We were dropped off in Cork for a few minutes, but really had no understanding as to why. We didn’t have time for lunch. He dropped us off in front of Carrolls gift shop. I want a refund for this tour. You should have contacted us the day before saying you don’t have a driver. We could have chosen to go, but the company decided to stick us in a taxi with someone who has no knowledge of history or interesting points. Or maybe we could have been added to another tour? But no - we sat uncomfortably for hours. It’s really despicable.

Date of experience : July 16, 2024

We toured from Dublin to the Ring of…

We toured from Dublin to the Ring of Kerry on 4/13/24 with Richard O’Brien.We thoroughly enjoyed the day! Richard was very informative,friendly,engaging, helpful and very professional. He even was able to “control” the weather that day and the rain stopped at each stop along the way!! We will highly recommend Richard and Paddywagontours to any and all friends and family who travel to Ireland.

Date of experience : April 13, 2024

They treated us like a disposable tourist

My husband and I booked a bus tour from Limerick to Dingle. Here's the thing - the whole experience felt super disorganized. First off, there was no itinerary, which meant we had no idea about the two surprise stops in Killarney. Then, at one of these stops, there was a massive communication breakdown. The driver told us (me and my husband) to meet at the Kilarney Coach Park in 45 minutes, but with no details and multiple Coach Parks, it was chaos for tourists like us relying on Google Maps! Needless to say, we totally missed the bus to Dingle. And again, I had to call them back to know where and when to get the bus back to Limerick, because they don't offer an itinerary, and they know they are wrong! Furious (and frankly, we missed Dingle on a sunny day!), we emailed the company asking for a refund or replacement tickets. But they just kept brushing us off, saying other passengers managed to find the bus. Seriously?! Isn't clear communication and customer service supposed to be a priority for tour companies? Honestly, based on this whole mess and the bad reviews I've seen online, it feels like they just see tourists as a quick buck and don't care about repeat business. Here I am, living in Ireland for a year, and they treated me like a disposable tourist! I even have the emails to prove I tried to resolve it, but they just kept shutting us down.

Date of experience : June 02, 2024

A group of six of us recently travelled to Giant’s Causeway from Belfast. The scenery was beautiful and I’d recommend a trip to Giant’s Causeway to anyone. Our only problem was our driver. He was most unprofessional in dress and manner. He actually sat with his feet on the dashboard while we entered the coach. He advised strongly not to go into the visitor centre at Giant’s Causeway- that’s a complete waste of money! He made a stupid “joke” about a Japanese couple while we sat opposite a Japanese/Chinese couple! Overall I was embarrassed for the foreign tourists onboard ie is this what Irish people are really like! I would not recommend any tourist to travel with this company.

Date of experience : January 30, 2024

In general trip was good

In general trip was good, Ireland is very beautiful country. The driver Paul was also good, polite and not loud. Calm music in the bus. For lunch I recommend a seafood dish, very tasty and filling. The only thing I didn’t like was the organizational aspect. 80 euros per person is quite a lot of money and everything was really good, but we didn’t get to the Titanic Museum, simply because we didn’t have time. And it's really frustrating because I pay for the tour, but it turns out that I won't get somewhere. This is weird.

Date of experience : April 08, 2024

Giant’s Causeway day trip from Belfast

We were scheduled to take the Giant’s Causeway day trip from Belfast today but were ridiculously screwed over. We arrived at the pick up spot roughly 9 minutes early just to see the tour bus already pulling off. I ran up to try and flag it down just for it to keep driving. We were then approached by a tour guide, Rachel, who said not to worry, there’s another smaller bus waiting for us down the street. We made our way over to the bus just to find out that it was full, aside from one seat. One out of the four of us waiting to board were able to claim a seat while three of us were left outside. We were reassured that the bus we saw pulling out earlier was going to come back for us shortly, but after 45 minutes it was nowhere to be found. We called the company and were told the bus isn’t actually coming and it was our fault we missed it. When we corrected the reality he had to “call to verify” that our story was correct. Alas, he was told we were telling the truth and then only offered us a refund, not a solution. We had to find our own way to the Causeway despite booking this tour several weeks in advance.

Date of experience : June 23, 2024

Didn't respect schedule. C'mon be honest

Booked a trip from Cork to Cliffs of Moher. It said "stop at Doolin village for lunch and visit" and instead without announcing it earlier we stopped at a regular place for lunch. We also missed another stop because they told us it was not accessible (again, NOT advertised before). We chose the tour because of this particular program and they didn't even bother to change it on their stupid site! When I asked they told me "oh yeah this was before, now they changed it". So why fooling people like this?!

Date of experience : November 05, 2023

STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY

The driver left us stranded on a highway 80km from Dublin because he was in a rush to finish the tour early on Christmas Eve. Despite sending multiple emails, we received no response, and no refund was provided. Exercise caution when dealing with this company! If they eventually provide assistance, I may reconsider and update my review.

Date of experience : December 24, 2023

Our first Ireland Trip.

We recently returned from Ireland, where we went on a few tours with your company (from Dublin). We would like to point out one driver especially Gerry (though all have great knowledge). His wit, driving skills and historical knowledge made our all day tours very enjoyable.

Date of experience : April 14, 2023

Irish wit and breathtaking scenery

This is so much more than just a sightseeing tour. Last week our group had the pleasure of being guided by Gerry. Not only is he an excellent busdriver, he is also a remarkable tourguide, historian and in fact a comedian. He took great care of everyone, went out of his way to make it an interesting and unique experience. Us four Dutchies had the BEST time, saw so many wonderful things and we learned so much. I usually get nauseous quite quickly during bus rides but I was completely comfortable the entire trip. I'm so glad we booked with Paddywagon. Do yourself a favor, book the Giant's Causeway tour from Dublin and -if you weren't already- prepare to fall deeply in love with the Emerald Isle!

Date of experience : April 26, 2023

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A Paddywagon Tours Review – Your Complete Guide

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When I was growing up in Dublin I used to see the Paddywagon Tours van parked up the road on my walk to school. I was so curious. What was this bright green bus with leprechauns painted on the side? Where did it go? What kind of people got to venture out in it?

Well, finally, I  can answer these questions! Get ready for an honest, thorough Paddywagon Tours review from this Irish native.

Paddywagon Tours – Dublin to Kilkenny Day Trip

What is the paddywagon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbb2-I1H1b9/

First things first, The Paddywagon itself resembles what I imagine the love-child of a bus and a leprechaun would look like. It is a bright green bus with orange curtains that shuttles tourists around Ireland showing them the highlights of this beautiful country.

This bus is captained by a jovial (well, that can be a tad hit or miss as you’ll find out later) Irish person with inside knowledge of all the best spots. Sounds cheesy? Well, simply put, it kind of is. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing!

What Kind Of Tours Are Paddywagon Tours?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgWTPdrnJy3/

Paddywagon tours offers all kinds of trips to suit all budgets. Daytrips are available from Dublin , Cork, Limerick, Belfast, Killarney and even London and start at 20euro. There are also longer trips available ranging from 2 to 9 days.

So whether it’s a day on the Paddywagon you want, or a week, it’s no problem. From the legendary Cliffs of Moher , the breath-taking Giant’s Causeway or the incomparable Ring of Kerry, Paddywagon has you covered.

What Kind Of People?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi4Id7RgbEJ/

Naturally Paddywagon tours are aimed at tourists wanting to see the best of Ireland. But of course, locals are more than welcome. The Paddywagon tours are suitable for all age groups.

Though, due to the winding nature of a lot of the roads in Ireland, I would HIGHLY recommend some travel sickness tablets for children and any adults that usually suffer.

On my bus a toddler was sitting down the back of the bus (stupid move to begin with) across the aisle from us and, of course, once we hit the mountain roads the child threw up all over itself.

ALWAYS sit at the front if you have a child with you, the back of the bus is the worst place for anyone sensitive to motion sickness.

With regards to nationalities, it seemed to be a fairly good mix. Obviously there was a slight majority of Americans but that is to be expected.

They seemed to be having a great time and were by far the most responsive when the driver requested any sort of interaction from the group.

Myself and my friend (Sarah) were the only Irish people on the bus which made us somewhat of a novelty.

So Which Paddywagon Tour Did I Do?

Myself and Sarah spent a day on the Paddywagon for the Glendalough , Wicklow Mountains and Killkenny tour. At 25 euro for the day the trip is incredibly good value for money. You would spend much more on petrol if you did the drive by yourself. For me, this is a major selling point.

Glendalough is a historic place in Wicklow full of ancient graveyards, a round tower and some of the most beautiful views Ireland has to offer. The Wicklow mountains are full of bright yellow gorse and famous movie locations including THAT bridge from P.S I Love You.

* *READ MORE about the Wicklow Mountains National Park . ** 

Finally, Kilkenny is a beautiful town famed for it’s Hurling team. An old stone castle rises above the town overlooking everything. It’s a beautiful place to enjoy a meal by the river and wander around the little boutique shops. Paddywagon have all the best bits covered.

What’s The Paddywagon Schedule?

The Paddywagon has three different pick up spots in Dublin; The main office (Paddy’s Palace) on Lower Gardiner street, O’Connell Street just beside the Savoy cinema and Suffolk Street just beside the Molly Malone statue.

We got picked up from O’Connell street at about 9.10am on a Wednesday morning, unsure of what awaited us aboard the infamous Paddywagon.

This tour gives you 1hr and 30mins to explore Glendalough, a couple of short photo stops across the mountains and around 2hrs and 30mins in Kilkenny town.

Now, for me, this was perfectly adequate. I knew my way around Glendalough from family visits in the past. There was no need for me to spend 15mins trying to find the bathroom.

I didn’t stroll leisurely towards the lake and then suddenly realise I only had 30mins to get there, take pictures and then get back to the bus.

However, any regular tourist would have found 1hr and 30mins quite a rush in Glendalough. It simply isn’t enough time. 2hrs in Glendalough and 2hrs in Kilkenny would be a better solution.

That aside, the schedule is pretty comprehensive and includes a lot. I was impressed with the amount you could see in one day.

When the tour is finished you are dropped back at your choice of the 3 collection points I mentioned above. We got back into town about 7pm which is a bit later than scheduled, so be flexible and don’t make dinner reservations.

How was the Driver/Guide?

Now, this is the part of my tour that was really just a bit odd. Our driver, unfortunately, seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the proverbial bed. His mood was more changeable than the weather, and in Ireland that really is saying something.

In fairness to him, he made a few decent jokes and he did attempt to get some interaction out of the bus. The Americans and myself were probably the only ones playing along for most of the trip. He also dazzled us with some wonderful tales of Irish history.

However, the real problem with our driver was that he seemed so fed up with us all before we had even gotten on the road. He was barking orders about making sure we were back on the bus at the right time, then explaining the consequences if we weren’t and generally treating us like primary school kids on a class trip.

GOD help you if you wanted to go to the bathroom between stops. He was NOT impressed with one lady that insisted we pull in at the next possible place so that she could avail of the facilities. It was all a bit ungraceful on his part. Honestly, I started rationing my water after that episode because I didn’t want to have to deal with his attitude if I needed to stop the bus!!

Now, I know drivers on these sorts of buses must get very fed up with late people and unscheduled stops, but in fairness, if you’re not going to put a bathroom on your bus it’s always going to be a possibility.

All I would say is, if you have a bladder problem but want to spend a day with Paddywagon tours then I recommend you let the driver know before you get on the bus.

Then there are the obvious tips like making sure you go to the bathroom before you get on the bus, and at every stop, as well as limiting your fluid intake on the bus.

Hopefully you get a nicer driver than we did, but no guarantees!

Any Last Words?

Ok, so that’s all folks, pretty much! My final recommendation before we come to the end of my Paddywagon Tour review would be to make sure that you bring plenty of snacks for the bus and a raincoat/umbrella just in case the Irish weather kicks in.

Oh and don’t let my qualms about the driver put you off. The Paddywagon employs lots of different drivers and the odds are you’ll get a different one from the gentleman (questionable) I had. Plus, even if you did have the same driver as me, maybe I just caught him on an off day. Everyone has bad days!

Soooo grab your best green clothes, your leprechaun catching nets and your Guinness and join one of the Paddywagon tours!

** BOOK NOW – you can book your tour direct with Paddywagon Tours on their website .**

** Paddywagon provided me with a complimentary tour. However, the opinion expressed in this post is, as always, my own.

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Ack… poor Freddie. I’m glad you otherwise enjoyed your trip to Glendalough and Killkenny! I bet it was v. busy!!!!

Did I mention his name??? Ah well, everyone has off days! I felt more sorry for the woman that needed to pee. I did have a really good trip otherwise though. Glendalough was PACKED!

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Address: 34 O'Connell Street Lower, North City, Dublin 1, D01 EY17, Ireland Telephone: (+353) 1 823 0822 UK Freephone: 0800 7834 191 E-Mail: [email protected]

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