Great trip, especially for the price, given that other tour companies charge two to three times for essentially the same experience and don't include airfare. What I liked: it was my first trip to Ireland, so with no previous experience there I can't imagine how it could have been better, with only a couple of exceptions I'll mention later. I found the people wonderful, the country safe and clean, the music and culture engaging, the history gripping, and the food acceptable (who goes to Ireland to eat potatoes three times a day anyway?). The landscape, especially in western Ireland, is stunning. We had adequate time to see and do what we wanted for the most part. Our Dublin guide Gerry Cooley was a hoot, engaging and informative. Our main guide/driver Peter Murphy was adept at maneuvering our bus along the narrow Irish roads and a bottomless source of information and good humor, though he was a bit chippy on occasion. Our lodging and included meals were better than what I had expected, given the trip's price point. Flying into Dublin and out of Shannon is a great idea, since we can clear customs back to the US at Shannon airport. I highly recommend this tour. What could make it better: our hotel in Dublin, Camden Court, was just fine and conveniently located downtown, but adjacent to a pub which disgorged late night revelers below our window until three in the morning. Since we spent our first two nights, Friday and Saturday, there I got little sleep on top of not sleeping on the overnight flight from JFK. I suggest finding another hotel for those first two nights not next to a pub. Our first gathering in the Dublin hotel was at dinner. It would have been nice if Peter Murphy had given us a few moments to introduce ourselves to one another. This is common practice with other tour groups and makes for a more enjoyable experience, especially since Smartours does not provide name tags/lanyards. I could have used more time at Kylemore Abbey. The two hours we were given to tour the gardens and mansion, while eating lunch, we're not nearly enough time. These were minor inconveniences. I can't say enough good things about this tour.