Kurt and Mary Kleinhans, NY, Custom Chauffeur Drive, England, October 2024
Eithne, Kurt and I wanted you to know how much we enjoyed our trip to England!!
Between the initial plans made with Theresa and the finalizations made with you we had one of the best trips we’ve ever taken. We enjoyed your suggested additions and experiences and were so happy we had you arrange for tickets ahead of time.
Our driver/tour guide, Roddy, was excellent. Extremely competent and filled with many fun pieces of information.
The hotels were lovely and the scenery was breathtaking and the people we encountered were so helpful.
Thank you for all your help,
Kurt and Mary Kleinhans, NY
Peggy and Jerry Faerber, TN, Custom Chauffeur Drive, Ireland, England & Scotland, September 2024
We would like to thank the people at Sheenco for making our 50th wedding anniversary celebration and tour fantastic. We couldn’t be happier with our trip. It will be a memory we will hold dear for the rest of our lives. We were well pleased with all our accommodations, meals and drivers. With ten different accommodations, seven different drivers, two train trips and four airline arrivals (departures), there were so many things that could have gone wrong, but everything went smoothly. The trip was well planned and even more importantly it was well executed. All the details came together. Also, because Sheenco told everyone it was our 50th anniversary we received several room upgrades, complimentary bottles of champagne and chocolates–all unexpected but very much appreciated.
Our only problem during the entire trip came on our last day. A driver was supposed to pick us up at our hotel and drive us to the airport. However, the driver called and said he couldn’t make it due to mechanical problems. After a moment of panic, our hotel was able to get us a driver from an uber like company (Freedom Now) and we made it with time to spare. We don’t hold Sheenco responsible; it was beyond their control and it all worked out.
All of our hotel and castle rooms were 5 star and they lived up to their reputation. The food was fabulous, especially the breakfasts which were always included. Breakfasts were so bountiful and of such variety that we usually skipped lunch.
We had seven different drivers and they were all excellent–punctual and safe. Their vehicles were all top notch–Mercedes sedans or Mercedes mini-vans. We had one driver for ten days—Roddy Young, a 48 year old Scot from Glasgow. He was exceptional—witty , knowledgeable, flexible, desirous of pleasing and making sure we enjoyed our trip. Most importantly he was a safe and good driver. He even wore his kelts one day. He drove us a total of 1500 miles. He set the standard by which we judged all the other drivers.
In summary, we loved our trip. We wouldn’t change a thing and even though we spent almost 30 days in the British Isles, there were still plenty of things we didn’t get to see. Maybe there will be a next time.
Gratefully,
Peggy and Jerry Faerber, TN
Karen & John Murphy, OH, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, September 2024
We had the most wonderful time ever! Fantastic does not begin to describe it.
I loved having the car service pick us up and return us to the airport. I wish I could remember our driver, but he was wonderful. He gave us some great advice and was very friendly and knowledgeable.
We had a great time in Dublin! Brooks Hotel was nice. I liked the area the hotel was in. It was very close/walkable.
The Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour is a wonderful way to see the city and not have to walk/drive everywhere. Besides the normal tourist attractions like Trinity College, Dublin Castle, etc. I highly recommend the National Leprechaun Museum. It’s nothing like it sounds, but rather a story telling afternoon/evening and I would absolutely go again. We weren’t able to do the Guiness Tour, they were sold out too soon for us, but we knew we’d be back in a week so it was ok. The reservations for Bank on College Green was a great idea, the building was stunning and we had a table upstairs ready for us, which made us feel special, and the food was great!
I loved Galway! It had a great water-town vibe to it and the shopping area was fabulous. Hardiman Hotel was very nice too, although the lack of air conditioning was unexpected, not a big deal though since it wasn’t hot outside. The young lady at the front desk was extremely helpful and had lots of advice regarding ways to see the Cliffs of Mohr. If you are looking for a suggestion for a great local place for dinner, Murty Rabbits has an awesome fish pie. The atmosphere here was so friendly and laid back. We took a tour bus to see the Cliffs, so we could enjoy the country side and not stress about driving, plus the nap on the way back was nice too.
I don’t have enough words to express our love of Ashford Castle. Our room was beautiful, the Castle and grounds were stunning. The service there was more than I could have imagined. Dinner at The Dungeon may have been the best meal I have ever eaten. John loved the boat tour to the lake’s island where we had a tour guide through 800 year old ruins. It was amazing! We were very sad to leave after only one night. The Hawk Walk was all booked by the time we got there. We could have spent several days there!
One of the suggestions in the itinerary was to stop at Foxford Woolen Mills, and it was a great suggestion! I bought a beautiful blanket and we had great lunch at the café upstairs.
Lough Eske Castle was also lovely. Our suite was amazing, very large, almost the size of a small apartment. But I will say that the outlet situation was not great. There were very few convenient plugs. Not a huge deal, just made using a hair dryer and charging my phone awkward. The service wasn’t as great as the other accommodations. Dinner took a very long time, as if they were understaffed. The first night they were very nice, but the second night we felt a little forgotten about. We were able to drive into Donegal and walk around town. We saw Donegal Castle among other sites had lunch at Olde Castle Seafood Bar, which was very tasty!
We went straight to the Giants Causeway on the way to Ballygally. This was the only day the weather didn’t cooperate. The wind was crazy and the rain was chilly, but I did not care. It was fascinating and so much fun!
We adored Ballygally Castle! It was much smaller than the others, but they told stories about the history and had a Ghost Room, which was heartbreakingly fascinating. The Games of Thrones Doors and Glass of Thrones were also very interesting. We didn’t know about those before, but if we are able to go back, we will definitely check those out. We did the Games of Thrones Studio Tour south of Belfast and had a great time. That didn’t leave us much time in Belfast, but we were ok with that.
We drove by Castle Roch on the way back to Dublin. It looked like they were restoring/renovating it so we could not get close, but that was ok. Next we tried to go to Brú na Bóinne, but we accidently went straight to the site instead of the visitors center and they couldn’t sell admission tickets there. Our fault, but not a big deal because I was looking forward to getting back to Dublin.
The Merrion was top notch! The room, the building, the service, all wonderful!! Would definitely like to stay there again and longer than one night. We were able to get tickets to Guiness Tour and had a good time there. We did go to Bang restaurant and it was very good! The concierge was able to call over at the last minute and got us right in.
It is very nice not worrying about finding breakfast before starting our sight-seeing every day. We felt very taken care of everywhere. The people were wonderful, not just the staff, but the locals we spoke to also.
We both agreed that this was the best vacation we ever had!
I hope this information helps. Thank you so very much!
Karen & John Murphy, OH
Bill and Insuk Durham, MA, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, September 2024
Fantastic indeed!
Great sightseeing and hiking aside, negotiating 1200 km of narrow, curvy Irish roads at posted speed limits that defy reason made for a unique adventure. I loved going around corners on two wheels; Insuk was more white-knuckled about it. You did a class job of translating our naive vacation wishes into a meaningful trek through a lot of territory, and you laid out the detailed itinerary thoughtfully. I’d call it intense but practical. We stuffed a lot into each day, but not too much; we hit almost everything you suggested without having to push or exhaust ourselves.
Getting a full day in Dublin was the result of landing at 4:30 am. Can’t remember if I told you or not, but the Davenport Hotel actually opened up a room to us before 1 pm, so we were able to do 6 hrs of wandering, relax for a couple of hours, then go out and wander for another 6 hrs.
Speaking of which, getting Vodaphone SIM cards on the first day was quick and inexpensive. Good strategy.
We walked all over Dublin and Galway, now know the streets like the back of our hand. Hop on hop off bus tours also helped; I highly recommend.
The hotels were way above our expectations. I can’t believe you wrangled us the Presidential Suite in the Knockranny House in Westport! What a treat. We felt like king and queen for a day (2 days actually). As for the other hotels the Park House in Galway had the best location in terms of easy walks to shops, attractions, restaurants etc. Same for the Davenport in Dublin, even though it’s a much bigger town. The Lake Hotel in Killarney was lavish, situated for great hikes to Muckross, but was a bit isolated from the town. Kind of forced us to do both dinners at the hotel. I wonder why the hotel doesn’t run a shuttle to the town.
The Clontarf on the last night took the liberty of changing our room to two double beds, making it sound like an upgrade. I naively assumed double bed meant something different than in the US and didn’t discover the error of my assumption until after we had unpacked and eaten dinner, too late to change. Oh well, tiny beds.
We didn’t get to do Croagh Patrick because of the weather (but we did at least visit the place). And we did have gorgeous views of the mountain the next day from the Knockranny Presidential Suite. The rainy-day Croagh Patrick substitutes you offered, the Clew Bay Heritage Center and the Westport House (the mansion) were unexpected pleasures, probably the most interesting and best narrated of all the castles/museums we visited.
We stopped at the passage graves at Bru na Boinne but could only get to the visitor’s center. On the day we were there, tours of the Newgrange site itself were booked 11 days out! On the other hand, the visitor’s center very is good, worth a visit by itself, you learn a tremendous amount about archeology and details of the neolithic. And you can at least get a peek of Newgrange 800 m away.
The Irish people already have a reputation for warmth and friendliness, so we were prepared for the smiles we received at every turn. Museum docents lavished time on us (those at Newgrange and Westport especially). Two, I repeat two, different shop owners in Dublin actually walked us up the street to target locations (like the Vodaphone shop) when it was clear we couldn’t follow directions in our jet-lagged and underslept condition. Being from Boston, which is already half Irish, it almost seemed like home.
Thanks again!
Bill and Insuk Durham, MA
Clive Lewis, VIC, Custom Self Drive, England, September 2024
Hotels
Bloomsbury: great location, big rooms, very good breakfast room, BUT show recess ridiculously narrow; plastic edge on shower door had a gap of 1-2 mm which flooded the bathroom; plug on basin stuck (which was repaired quickly) and the lighting was designer chic gloomy: impossible to read lift notices: room dark too
Indigo Bath: Great location, big room, good bathroom, good lighting, good breakfast room. A bit of a labyrinth: have to go down to -2, cross through what looked like garden sheds then up to +2: took some getting used to
Arden Stratford: Great location; big room; very good bathroom, roomy feel to the whole hotel. Good breakfast room
Indigo Chester: Great location reasonable breakfast room. The room had two large beds which made it very very cramped. TV came on at 3am (probably previous occupants had sent an automatic turn on: turned me off!) With a couple of exceptions ,the staff a little supercilious including one who stoutly maintained we had not paid for breakfast: I think you were the one to sort him out!
Wordsworth Hotel Grasmere: Picturesque Hotel beautiful location good parking : lovely room, (Woodrow Wilson suite) Breakfast room just: I think they need an actual chef! Staff not local and not much help, although friendly…..I think the owners need a good kick up the bum: badly run though not the fault of the staff
The Grand York: the best! Genuinely friendly and helpful staff; enormous room; very good bathroom. Terrific breakfast and dinner. I’ve stayed in quite a few 5 star pubs, but this had to rate as one of the best.
Ashdowne Park: This hotel was superb. Very professional where the previous one was utterly amateurish and shambolic. The rooms were palatial very well appointed and we had a superb dinner in the luxurious dining room
Itinerary
By and large stuck to Sheenco Itinerary
The weather was pretty good by and large first storm occurred on the drive to Highclere Castle and Bath and continued through the night and into our tour of Stonehenge but it lifted in the days in Bath, where it was overcast but fine. Again, when we drove from Stratford to the lakes district, it poured, but when we arrived in Grasmere, the clouds lifted, and we had five very sunny days.
The trip to King Charles private gardens at High Grove was fascinating, as was the tour of Highclere Castle although the weather prevented us looking through the park
Your idea of the base in Stratford and exploring the Cotswolds from there was spot on. Such pretty country, such picturesque villages. Perhaps I would exclude Cheltenham where we went to see the composer Holst’s house. The steam train ride was interesting: steam train affecionados are a breed apart!
We were so lucky with the brilliant weather in the lakes District….so much to see and do….again stunning scenery…again to base ourselves in Grasmere was a good call on your part. The drive from Keswick and the Buttermore Loop, the steam yacht at Coniston and Beatrix Potter at Hilltop were some of the many highlights
so once again Eithne, thanks for a terrific tour!
Clive Lewis, VIC
Mike & Michelle Fink, KY, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, September 2024
Eithne,
What a wonderful trip! Ireland is beautiful – green as green can be. You did a fabulous job for us, and we are very appreciative of your details and hard work. You had us mapped out perfectly.
The hotels you picked were top notch and the food was super. The castle for 2 nights was the highlight of our trip and Truffle Honey was over the top perfection!
We will be back and hope you will guide us again.
Thank you so much,
Mike & Michelle Fink, KY
Michelle & Matt Schimpler, MD, Custom Self Drive, Scotland, September 2024
Yes, we had an amazing time! Scotland is very beautiful and magical. Our favorite accommodation was the Waldorf Astoria The Caledonian. The service, the rooms (we had two different ones) they were comfortable and quiet. The concierge there was great. And the breakfast buffet was such a huge selection. The car company that picked us up and drove back to airport were wonderful people. Our flight was delayed and the first driver waited for us to get there and the last day Edinburgh was having road issues and they were late (supposed to be picked up at 8:45 our different driver finally reached us at 9:40) again there were road problems so not their fault and they were on it to get us to airport in time (and he did!) so we really liked the car service.
I can also say that Georgie at Enterprise car rental is awesome. Super friendly and helpful and went out of her way to make us feel comfortable about driving on left side of the road.
My husband and I thank you all that from day one of planning (with Shonni) this vacation to all the e-mails (Eithne) and answering all our questions to going out of way to make sure rental was changed for our time to make it work for us, to wanting to make sure about dinner reservations and having our itinerary planned out perfectly (Eithne) we appreciate and thank you all!!
Michelle & Matt Schimpler, MD
Joe Skrzypczak, CT, Custom Chauffeur Driven, England & Scotland, September 2024
The trip was fantastic!! All drivers were on time. The castles stays were great.
Definitely will use Sheenco again. Already thinking Scotland!
We did learn a lot about ourselves on this trip too. We love the castles and suite room size. Don’t like cities and prefer countryside and places that have golf and gardens. Love being driven everywhere. And don’t like hoping from one place to another. Packing and unpacking was a drag. Next time we will stay at each place minimum 3 nights.
Anyway, I wanted to thank you Naomi and the Sheenco staff for putting together a wonderful trip.
Joe Skrzypczak, CT
Alan Cox, NC, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, August 2024
We are back home from a truly wonderful 10 days in Ireland. Thank you so much for your help. The weather was amazing. The scenery – barren rocks (Burren), rocky coasts, green countryside, mountains (especially on DIngle and the Conor Pass), and small towns were amazing as well. Your mountains, by the way, are part of the same chain we have in North Carolina (the Applachian Mountains), from back when the continents were connected.
We loved the cleanliness, even signs saying one town was the “Tidiest.” We loved the friendly people. We struck up some long conversations with gardeners, wedding folks, servers, and regular folk.
Irish roads are something else! So narrow, windy, no shoulders, just rock walls and bushes. I did fine driving, although the car did get a lot of surface scratches from bushes. One of the smart things I did was buy some scratch polish at a car shop before turning the car in. It passed inspection. (You might want to let people know about the roads.)
Hotelwise – nothing beats Gregan’s Castle Hotel. Ballyseede Castle Hotel grew on us a lot and it was nice to have a place for 5 days so we could roam, not pack. The OLd Ground Hotel was a nice place, particularly since it was a “city center” (or maybe “town center”) hotel. Food at all 3 was very good. Nice breakfasts. We had one dinner at Gregans (the menu is limited) and it was one of the most elegant we’ve ever had. We ended up have four dinners at Ballyseede – 2 in the informal room, and 2 in the dining room. All very good. Lots of potatoes (at one of the meals I think we had 4 different types of potatoes). We had both dinners at Old Ground. The first was great and as we walked around town nothing seemed better for the second night. Ennis town center, by the way, has a bit of construction going on in the pedestrian area.
Sightseeing highlights were Dingle Peninsula, the Flying Boat museum, Ardfert cathedral ruins (had a great 25 minute private discussion with the attendant who knew about all 6 churches on the site), Cliffs of Mohr (although we didn’t walk to them, some of it was blocked off due to 2 people dying from falling recently). The boat ride was enjoyable. We recommend telling people to sit on the top, not inside. Lots of people inside got seasick.
Kenmare was pretty. We did some of the Ring of Kerry; it would have taking too long to do the whole thing. Muckross was pleasant in the National Forest. Bunratty Farms and Castle were very nice. Especially the Farms; that’s where we had a 20 minute conversation with the gardener who we stumbled upon. She has been there 28 years, and talked about her children (the different plants).
We weren’t impressed with Galway – we were there midday and not when the pubs were active. Turns out we like nature more than cities. Someone recommended visiting Ballybunion beach. We we not impressed.
I may have left some things out, but this gives you a good idea of what our trip was. We drove 1074 miles.
We would definitely use you again. We would be happy to recommend you to anyone. I did not view you all as “travel agents” (at least those in the US), but rather as “Irish Expert Travel Advisors.”
Thanks to you and all the team that worked with us.
Alan Cox, NC
David Gray, VA, Custom Chauffeur Driven, England, August 2024
The trip was fantastic! The hotel was perfect and our guide, Glyn, was wonderful. Couldn’t imagine it being better!
Thank you!
David Gray, VA
Paul Walsh, ME, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, July 2024
I am writing this email to you to commend you and your team (Shonni and Naomi) for having planned a spectacular trip to Ireland to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary. The trip was very complex including 20 individuals including our eleven grandchildren from the ages of 17 to 6.
The trip could not have gone any better!!!!! We will all have memories that will last the rest of our lives.
Thank you for what you do and how well you do it. You have an outstanding team. Shonni and Naomi are expert at what they do. The drivers, Kenny and Martin, were incredibly thoughtful and professional. And the photographer, Nick, was also a true professional and very talented with a great eye.
Paul Walsh, ME
Jerry Cox, MI, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, May 2024
Back home and happy for it, but the trip was excellent. It was my third trip to Ireland, but the last was over twenty years ago and so much has changed…but not the magnificent golf courses, they were superb! I had already played them all except Ardglass and Portstewart so I knew what I was in for. The two new ones didn’t disappoint. As for Ballybunion and Lahinch no golfer should ever go to Ireland and not play those. Ditto Portmarnock and Royal Dublin. I’m still very sad we missed Royal County Down and Royal Portrush but that is the way it goes. As for the hotels they were uniformly fantastic, especially Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney. As for the car, be sure to tell your clients if they are traveling as a foursome with golf clubs to get the largest available SUV. As a threesome we barely had room in a standard SUV for three golf bags and three suitcases.
The only negative comment I would make, and it has nothing to do with you and your crew’s work, was that the itinerary was too ambitious. When planning the trip, I was thinking like I was still 40 and I am twice that age. It turned out to be too much walking and too much driving. Here are five “rules,” I suggest you consider booking future golf trips to Ireland, even with experienced golfers, especially older ones:
NEVER book a tee time after 1:00 pm. The rounds are usually 5 hours and late tee times like we had really screw up your evenings, especially with the driving.
NEVER book two tee times in one day. It is simply too arduous, especially with almost always walking the course and with the driving to the next site.
Try to book golf on alternating days even if that means you have to play fewer courses or elongate your stay. It would make the experience much more enjoyable.
If you are arriving in the North, have Pounds Sterling currency in hand; if in the Republic have Euros. You can use a card at hotels and shops, but not for caddies.
Try to book two even three consecutive nights in the hotels and then drive to the courses you intend to play in the morning for an early tee time.
On the several days we had late tee times, we did not get to our hotel for the night until after 9:00 and in one instance almost 10:00. The kitchens were closed so we missed dinner entirely. I should never have agreed to the late tee times. Bad planning on my part, for which I take full responsibility!
I did all of the driving and with the walking, the toll was great. Again, this was my idea but I would never do it again! Apart from all of that, it was a truly great experience and my Son and Grandson had the time of their lives. I rate the trip a 9. The only 10 I ever saw was Bo Derrick, and she was actually a 11! LOL….
All the Best!
Jerry Cox, MI
Susan Fallon, TX, Custom Chauffeur Driven, Ireland, May 2024
The trip was enjoyed by everyone and I’m still grateful for your managing to catch us up to our other two travelers who had gotten in on time. The hotels were all very nice – Ashford Castle was in a class by itself. The Dylan was the least favorite as the group had their first experience with smaller beds and the atmosphere was not quite the same as the Traditional hotels like Killarney Park. Danny was an excellent guide – always early. I can’t travel ever again without Sheenco’s help.
Thank you again for a first class experience and service.
Susan Fallon, TX
Eileen & Thomas Houlihan, PA, Custom Self Drive, Ireland, April 2024
We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the many sights we visited during our travels through the Emerald Isle! The highlights were certainly the accommodations at the Merrion Hotel, The Muckross Park Hotel, Ashford Castle and the Carton Hotel. Less so was the rather disappointing, bland room we had at the Hardiman Hotel in Galway. We were told that the room we were provided was due to our late arrival and that they would consider moving us to a different room the next day. We declined the offer since it would be for a single night’s stay and not worth the effort. Jennifer and Jean-Noel’s accomodations were much more what we would have expected.
Among the other notable highlights was the Ring of Kerry tour and our delightful driver, Jerry. He was an exceptional tour guide and congenial host. We very much enjoyed our day with him!
The EPIC museum was truly outstanding, memorable and moving. We spent over four hours wandering through the many exhibits and stories about the Irish Diaspora. Of course Ashford Castle was magnificent: the grounds, accomodations, the dining areas and the staff were all truly first class. We took in the boat ride on the Lough Corrib piloted by Captain Patrick, who provided an overview of the Castle, its history and owners, and the geological significance of the Lough. We could have spent more time at Ashford!
Aside from these few faux pas, our trip was wonderful and we thank you and your colleagues at Sheenco for organizing a wonderful holiday for the Houlihans and Roussels!
Eileen & Thomas Houlihan, PA
