Nancy Doss, IL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, October 2015
I just wanted to let you know how much we truly enjoyed our recent vacation we booked through you. We had a private chauffeur driven tour that was absolutely fabulous. Our driver, John Fleming, was excellent. He took us all around your beautiful country stopping wherever we liked and wherever he thought we would be interested in. He took us to many local places so that we could experience your food and customs. He was very informative. It was truly a wonderful trip.
Nancy Doss, IL
Rick Yanchar, WI, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland & Ireland, September 2015
We are happy to report back to you that our trip was a terrific time for all involved. The hotels were quite nice, as were the breakfasts which came with them. The drivers were all prompt and pleasant. Our first driver, who was Karen, said it was her first time working for your company. She was nice enough to give us a brief drive around the old section of Edinburgh before dropping us off at the Holyrood Hotel. She refused our offer of a tip! Our driver for the day of touring, Charlie, might have been a bit frustrated that we spent a bit of time at Stirling Castle, as we did not have time to get over to Glascow, but we chose instead to try to get to Delhousie castle which we did by about 4:30. More about that in a bit. Our driver to the airport, Allen, was 15 minutes early for the 5:00 am pickup which was quite reassuring. The suggested itineraries were quite nice, and we probably picked out the typical touristy things to do. One thing we decided to skip was the side trip to Blarney castle. We chose to tour the Jameson distillery instead, which was fun. Having done that, we decided to not tour any Scottish distillers. The castle stay was far too short! We realized that it would have been better to not have it be the last night (when we had to catch an early flight). We realize that it gets booked up more for weekends, so it may not have been easy. It was quite pleasant dealing with you and your staff throughout the process of setting up the trip and coming up with the final itinerary. My sister and brother in law had not done a trip like this before and they enjoyed themselves immensely. Regards to you and your team, and should we wish to do this again, we will search you out!
Rick Yanchar, WI
Demi Tsialis, NY, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, September 2015
I wanted to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for making my Scotland dream a reality. I thought the trip to Ireland last year couldn’t be beat, but I was wrong. A gentleman was waiting for me upon my arrival to take me to my hotel. (A lovely ride) The hotel in Edinburgh was centrally located and was able to enjoy walking around the city and exploring as soon as I checked in. A day later my tour guide, Loyd Smith, was waiting for me to drive through the Highlands and absorb the beauty Scotland has to offer. I was in awe. There are no words to describe how beautiful the sites were, the castles, the hiking – ALL OF IT!!! Loyd was terrific – he was eager to show me the sites and shared the history as well. We figured out what fit my style and went exploring!! (and walking – did a lot of it) – I wanted to breathe the fresh air. The Nevis Bank Inn was quiet and quaint and located a good enough distance to where we needed to be. On my last night I stayed at a picturesque castle with the kindest staff. Everyone in Scotland is kind and genuine and made me feel welcome. Since I’ve been back – I can’t stop talking about the trip. Again – I can’t thank you and your team enough. Can’t wait for the next adventure……
Demi Tsialis, NY
Richard Reisman, CA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2015
We returned home last night from our wonderful two week tour of Ireland that you organized. I would like to share some thoughts with you. The itinerary that you arranged was quite good as were the hotels and castles that you selected for our stay. We were most pleased with our driver/guide, Mr. Dave Costello. He was delightful and incredibly informative on all subjects. He is like a walking encyclopedia! He made suggestions to the itinerary including some much appreciated additions to the tour. During the long drives, he would entertain us by reciting Irish poetry, singing songs, and sharing jokes. We very much enjoyed spending our days with Dave and we felt that we were all good friends with him by the end of the tour. I can’t say enough good things about him other than to say that you are lucky to have someone of his caliber to work for your company. Nicola did a good job in helping us to select restaurants during our stay and we were most impressed with the quality of the Irish cuisine. We enjoyed the performance of Riverdance but substituted Trad on the Prom in Galway for Siamsa Tire, thanks to the recommendation of Dave. I would highly recommend that you offer that show on your itineraries. Thank you again for doing an excellent job arranging our trip to Ireland.
Richard Reisman, CA
Susan Steffee, TX, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2015
Our trip to Ireland was wonderful! The countryside is such a contrast to where we live and the people are unbelievably kind and friendly. Our driver, John Fleming, was flexible, very knowledgeable, helped with reservations and took us to some local places of interest that were not on the itinerary. He sincerely wanted to make our trip enjoyable and we loved his sense of humor. ur accommodations were outstanding! We wanted a variety and that’s what we got – the Shelbourne Hotel (magnificent!), 3 castles, a farmhouse and a city hotel. Ballyseede and Dromoland Castles were great, Dromoland being our favorite! Clontarf Castle was a bit cramped and was very crowded to the point that we were unable to eat at either of their restaurants. Also loud music and singing went on into the early morning hours. The farmhouse was delightful. Only recommendation would be that there be someone there to help get bags up the steep, narrow stairway! Service at all our accommodations was outstanding!!
Overall we were able to see and experience everything we wanted to …and more! This was due to your well-planned itinerary and a knowledgable, flexible driver. We would highly recommend the chauffeur driven tour to anyone who wants a more personal, flexible tour. We loved it!!
Susan Steffee, TX
Richard & Carol Barber, AZ, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2015
Thank you all for the effort you put in to make our vacation/holiday one of the best we ever had. Every thing worked like clock work. The drivers were all on time and very helpful. The hotels were outstanding. Your group is one of the best groups I have ever dealt with and if I get the opportunity to use you again I will do so without a single thought. Des was a very professional and accommodating driver. He took us to places we would never had seen on any bus tour. As for the hotels they were all great. The Pembroke hotel in Kilkenny was okay, but since it was the first hotel after staying at the Shelbourne you can understand the comment. We loved your country, the people really made us feel welcomed. Again, thanks for all your help and please thank Nicola for all that she has done for us. Do hesitate to contact me if you need more information.
Richard & Carol Barber
Dave McPherson, AZ, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Scotland, August 2015
We had a marvelous visit to Scotland! Everyone of my family had an almost indescribable time. Thanks to you and Ruth and your team for enabling it! Transportation arrangements in both London and Edinburgh were efficiently provided and the staff were very professional. Accommodations and services provided in Scotland were outstanding with one exception. The services and food at the Rocpool Reserve Hotel were outstanding however one of the reserved rooms required descending about 15 steps in a curved pattern to reach the bathroom facilities, a challenge in daylight and certainly not recommended at night. The seats at the Tattoo were absolutely the best! Thanks to Ruth! We had a wonderful experience which exceeded our expectations! In our collective opinions, your selection of Alan McKenzie as our guide and driver was most important and rewarding to my family! We have been the benefactors of very excellent guides in various countries around the world and Alan ranks right at the top! His professionalism, courtesies, intimate knowledge of history, geography, interesting facts and curiosities, made our days the best! His attentiveness to our grandchildren with his pledge to “make this most memorable” for them could not be surpassed. He was humorous and engaging as he involved them is all aspects of their adventure. I must say, he was the same with the adults, but exemplary with Maisie and John. My recommendation is that Sheenco utilize Alan whenever possible, he was absolutely amazing in all aspects! It should be noted that there is only the one formal dining option at Inverlochy Castle, and only one great restaurant in Fort William, the Crannog, which requires reservations and was booked so we couldn’t eat there. The same considerations for Inverness at either the Mustard Seed or The Kitchen as they required early reservations and other options were somewhat limited. In hindsight we should have looked into more dining options in Edinburgh during the festival. The Balmoral made arrangements for us our last night which provokes the thought that they might have been able to help us during our first two nights there. (Note from Sheenco Travel – a concierge service is available for restaurant reservations so please ask for assistance in advance of your trip). We will certainly recommend Sheenco Travel to our friends and others considering visits to Scotland or Ireland. Thanks again to you and your Sheenco team for making our holidays in Scotland outstanding!
Dave McPherson, AZ
Joe Errington, VA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, August 2015
Joe Errington, VA
Michele Mesko, CA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, July 2015
We loved your service. Our driver guide John was very professional. He was always where he said he would be and always on time. All went completely smoothly at the hotels, the rooms were ready for the three of us and there were no problems with checking in. We appreciated that! We really enjoyed all of our hotels. All in all, you all were really terrific and we very much appreciated all of your help and being there for us when we needed anything. It was such a relief for me to know you were there if I needed anything. Ireland stole our hearts, we absolutely love your country. Isle of Man was very interesting, but it didn’t match the beauty and friendliness of Ireland.Thank you for everything. We sure miss being on our vacation and I would definitely recommend your company to anyone asking me about an Ireland trip.
Michele Mesko, CA
Tami Dorraugh, CA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, July 2015
The highlight of my summer was traveling to Ireland with my family under the expert guidance of Sheenco Travel. It all started with a comment in 2013 from my 72 year old father who said that only place he wished he had seen was Ireland. It started a process with me and my sister to make it happen. I searched various tour companies and got three different quotes from three different travel agencies. We decided on Sheenco Travel and from that point on the experience has been MAGICAL! We started the process with Genevieve Sheehan at Sheenco Travel. She spent the time finding what and where we wanted to do and see. We were open to any suggestions since no one in our group beside myself had been to Ireland. Genevieve recommended an extraordinary 10-day luxury chauffeur vacation with castle stays and beautiful hotel accommodations. After the trip was planned, I had help every step of the way from the outstanding staff including Ruth, Nicola, and Clare. From arrival to departure, Sheenco Travel had everything in order. The few hiccups were addressed quickly by the helpful staff. Anything we needed, from food reservations to tours, was handled with stellar customer service. The BEST part of the trip was our driver, Danny McCarthy. He was an insightful, jovial Irishman full of history, stories and an occasional ballad! We wanted to pack Danny up and take him home after spending a week with him. He was fantastic. The Davenport and Malton Hotel stays were top notch locations that were perfect to explore the areas of Dublin and Killarney. The most breath-taking event was the stay at Ashford Castle. I am still speechless… stunning castle, beautiful rooms, and breathtaking grounds. You felt transported to another time. If you have a chance, do the Hawk Walk! The experience being so close to these spectacular raptors was astounding. The trip was phenomenal…. the sites, sounds and tastes of Ireland have made a lasting impression on our family. I would highly recommend Sheenco Travel to anyone expecting to make a memory of a lifetime. Sheenco Travel will be my go-to travel agency for the MANY more trips we are already planning on taking in Ireland, Scotland and England. I have already recommended them to all my friends.
Tami Dorraugh, CA
Jeff Linzer, GA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, July 2015
We had an absolutely wonderful time! Things went really well. Thank you so much for putting together a wonderful Scottish adventure for us. Now the details:
Edinburgh: Vibrant and classic, this was really a great place to start. The hotel was actually within walking distance of New Town. Had some really great meals and enjoyed going through the castle. The one drawback was the hotel, Bonham. Yes, “boutique” but definitely showing its age. Very friendly and helpful staff, and they served a good breakfast. Could hear guests through the bathroom walls and a loud party in the dinning room late one night. There was scaffolding in front of our window; when we asked what time the workers would start in the morning we were told that the scaffold had been there for a couple of months already and they didn’t expect any work to take place for several more weeks. Room Wi-Fi essentially was non-existent it was such a poor signal. Really doesn’t deserve 4 starts.
Glasgow: We walked the downtown area looking through the shops. The hotel, Carlton George, was a very nice modern boutique with very friendly service. Nicely located just a short walk from the train station. The room was well apportioned and very comfortable. Interestingly, they offer free beer, wine and spirits in the room!
Glengarry Castle Hotel is a hidden gem! Yes, they don’t have an elevator but that was a minor inconvenience. The service was better than I have had at some 5-star facilities. The room had a 4-poster bed, beautiful view of the lake along with a very nice sitting area. The hotel dinner was outstanding, probably one of the best meals we had on the trip. To call this a 3-star facility is an understatement. This should be a regular stop for your guests.
The Kingsmill Hotel in Inverness would best be described as a typical tourist hotel. Clean, well appointed, but nothing special. Just far enough away from things that you need to eat in their restaurant. They but on the face of a gourmet menu but we probably would have done better at a fish and chips stand. Our server went off duty half-way through our meal, leaving one person to take care of the table and take care of the bill. We ended up waiting almost a half hour after we finished before I could get the check. Two other aggravating issues: the lights immediately go out when you remove your room card from the slot (no courtesy delay) and they insist on charging for Wi-Fi in the rooms. Off all the places we stayed, I would suggest you definitely find another location in Inverness.
Dalhousie Castle was another charmer. Very good service, very nice and comfortable room. I liked how they had you go to the library bar ahead of your dinner reservation to get a drink and order your meal. After you had some time to relax you were then escorted to your table with the first course soon to follow. Would definitely stay there again.
OK, now let’s talk about our driver, Angus. He was great! As a tour guide, he pointed out things that we otherwise would have never noticed. He was incredibly knowledgeable. He helped us address each day’s trip, helping us make small changes that wonderfully enhanced our experience. We saw things and went places the average tourist doesn’t go and this just made things all that much better. There is no question that “Gus” helped make our Scotland trip so memorable.
Again, I want to thank you and your team, especially Nicola, for putting together such a great experience for us. I have already recommended you to a couple of my friends; I hope they follow through and make plans with you.
Jeff Linzer, GA
Anita Kale, IL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, June 2015
Thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful vacation!! The itinerary you planned was marvelous, and activities and attractions recommended were excellent suggestions. I will try to capture some of the most important parts:
- Accommodations – we really liked all of them, but the Malton was probably our favorite, with Knockranny House a very close second. The Malton’s grounds are beautiful, as well as the hotel, and an added bonus was a children’s play area outside where our 15-month old grandson could run off some energy. I have to mention that several times when locals asked where we were staying, and we replied the Malton or Knockranny, the response was “wow, how did you get in there? That place is fabulous!” We felt very special! The only thing I have to mention that took us by surprise was the lack of air conditioning in some of the hotels. Being spoiled Americans who love their A/C, and the weather being warmer than usual for the time of year, the rooms were at times stuffy. In all my reading on the internet about Ireland vacations, I never ran across anything that commented on the lack of air conditioning. It makes sense with the age of the beautiful buildings, but it might be nice for you to possibly comment on this with the accommodations. We were able to upgrade to rooms with A/C at the Ashling (extra 30 euros per night), and the evenings were a little cooler at the Malton (but fans provided in each of the rooms), Knockranny and Clontarf so we got by.
- Transportations arrangements – these were fabulous! Our driver, Mark Lyons, was amazing with his knowledge, personality, wit, professionalism and true desire to make this trip as special as possible for us. In addition, he was wonderful with our grandson! The added bonus was that with our small group (10 people) Mark drove a mini-coach that he was able to take on 2-lane roads through the countryside and along the ocean. I’m certain we saw things that people on the 50-passenger coaches are never able to see close up. It was also because of Mark’s tenacity that we were able to find our great, great grandparents’ homestead in County Mayo! That was certainly an emotional highlight of the trip, and I will forever be grateful to Mark for helping us with that. There are still a couple partial walls standing, and it is in the shadows of Croagh Patrick, which can be seen in the distance. Simply amazing! The mini-coach was immaculately clean and very comfortable. Mark was a fanatic about cleaning the windows often, and sprucing up the inside each night. Great choice for transportation!
- Restaurants and reservations – We ate at Bank on College Green in Dublin and loved it! We were running late after doing the Dingle Peninsula and had to call to cancel the reservation at Treyvauds. We ate at An Port Mor in Westport. This was exceptional!! This was the day that several in our party climbed Croagh Patrick, and we were also running late that day. I called An Port Mor to let them know, and they were so accommodating. We were given our own small upper room to dine in. The atmosphere, the servers, and the food were all wonderful! I would highly recommend this restaurant!!
- Customer service from Sheenco Travel – every single employee I interacted with was professional, knowledgeable, friendly, exceedingly prompt with responses, and truly seemed to want to make our vacation the best possible! With this being our first vacation overseas, we had MANY questions, and each was answered with patience and caring. From the first airport transfer, to the hotel reservations, to the mini-coach tour, to the dining reservations, to the last airport transfer – each was seamless and without a glitch! It truly is a testament to you and your staff that this vacation was effortless on our part. All we had to do was sit back and enjoy! And that we did!! It was a joy from beginning to end, and we were all sad to leave. Your company made this trip a magical experience! Kudos to all your employees, and you have our deepest gratitude!
I really don’t know what else to say. I wish there was some way I could include even more superlatives. It is honestly beyond description how much we enjoyed this vacation. We would all like to come back again and explore more of the out-of-the-way locations, and spend more time just drinking in the beauty of Ireland.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!
Anita Kale, IL
Amy Curran, PA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, June 2015
Our trip was wonderful. We saw so much of Ireland. If we did it over again, I would have traveled less and spent more time in a few places- but it is hard to know that ahead of time. Our favorite hotels were Trump at Doonbeg- this was very comfortable for a family of 6. Next best was Ashford Castle. Every hotel was clean, comfortable and enjoyable- those 2 were just a step up…. Our driver Paul was great. He picked great routes between destinations and helped to choose stops for lunch, shopping and touring.
Amy Curran, PA
Judie Von Eiff, IL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, Scotland & England, June 2015
Judie Von Eiff, IL
Angela DiDomenico, IL, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, June 2015
We absolutely loved our journey to Ireland and were enchanted with the island and its people. We all were pleased with the plan but felt we should have organized it with Ashford Castle last as it was the most glorious of our accommodations. Lough Eske is no doubt deluxe but it is without character and you felt you could have been anywhere–there was nothing “Irish” about it and even its help was European. Portmarnock is a beautiful spot but if you are not planning to play golf there then I would not advise staying. Our thought was that perhaps those who wanted to go to Dublin should start at the Shelbourne. Maury and I had absolutely the most perfect days there touring the sights and dining exquisitely at One Pico and Patrick Guilbaud. Then start the journey at Powerscourt which the Sullivans loved and we appreciated its beauty when we went to pick them up there. Dromoland was a delight and we all had fun on the pony cart ride and walking the grounds. Without question our stay at Ashford Castle was most magical. We toured the grounds, went to the local church for mass, visited a pub the Sullivans had been to 25 years ago, went on the lake cruise and learned about the history of the area, ate at a pub in the town of Cong, dined at the cottage on the estate, reveled in luxurious and delicious breakfasts, enjoyed the lounge at night with lovely Irish singing, and slept in beautifully decorated rooms. A third night there would have been a delight with perhaps playing 9 holes of golf. Our driver from the airport to the Shelbourne was excellent in giving us background on Ireland and Dublin. Mark, our tour guide for the trip, was excellent and delighted us with the depth of his knowledge, his humor, and his willingness to indulge us. Our times in the van were relaxing and filled with good spirits and singing! We all thank you at Sheenco for planning a memorable vacation for all of us and I hope my suggestions will be helpful when you are planning other journeys. It is my fondest hope that we shall enlist your services again for another trip to beautiful Ireland!
Angela DiDomenico, IL
Bob & Maryann Hayden, CT, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, May 2015
We cannot thank you enough for your help in planning such a wonderful trip to Ireland for our family (all 18 of us) to celebrate our 60th Wedding Anniversary. We gave our oldest son, William Hayden the job of putting this feat together and when he found you it all came together beautifully. I must tell you that we started to plan this trip last summer. Our travel agent contacted Trafalgar Tours and Grand Circle but they have a policy of not taking any child under the age of five. Even though our youngest granddaughter would turn five on July 2nd, they would not make an exception. We even tried making arrangements through AAA and Brendan Vacations, but the same rule applied. This is when William took over and found you, so I am convinced that things have a way of happening for the best. You did a much better job than Trafalgar, Grand Circle and Brendan Tours. Thank you a million times over. All the accommodations that you made were excellent. Everyone agreed that Ballyseede Castle in Tralee was their favorite and the Fitzpatrick Hotel in Dublin the last night was their least favorite. The best thing that you did was to find Mark to be our driver/guide. He really made Ireland come alive for us and made us so proud of our Irish Heritage. He gave us facts, told us Irish lore, played Irish music, suggested things to do like the Leprechaun Museum in Dublin to amuse our grandchildren and took us to places we would never have seen on Trafalgar, Grand Circle or Brendan Tours, I’m sure. And we didn’t have to have our luggage out in the hall by 7AM! We would certainly recommend you and Sheenco Travel to anyone wanting an extra special private tour of Ireland. Thank you again for all you did to make our vacation extra special.
Bob & Maryann Hayden, CT
Nichole Currie, ON, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, April 2015
We really enjoyed our trip and have lots of great pictures and memories.
Nichole Currie, ON
