Travel Tour Ireland

Two-wheeling through Europe

A dozen or so years ago, when my wife and I were living in Hanoi, Vietnam, and needed a break, I booked a seven-day bicycle tour of Ireland through one of the big international touring companies. Two weeks before we were to fly to Dublin, the company notified us it had canceled the trip.

My first reaction was, well, that shoots down our vacation. The Internet was just becoming part of everyday life then, and before abandoning ship, I thought I'd give it a try on the chance it could salvage our trip. I typed "cycling Ireland" in my browser. Up came the name of a family in Killarney, County Kerry, whose business was putting together customized bike tours on the Dingle Peninsula for individuals and groups. The O'Callahans' price was about a third of what we'd have paid the company that canceled.

Sandy and I signed up and e-mailed some friends in the States, asking if they wanted to join us. Fifteen did. Thus was born what is now an annual tradition: Every June I find a local tour operator in a foreign country who will organize and customize a bicycle trip for 15 or 20 friends. Our costs generally undercut what the international touring companies charge for the same trip by half or more, and we aren't denied any of the comforts or amenities of the pricier itineraries.

So that explains why, as I write these opening paragraphs, I'm sitting with friends on the deck of an 11-cabin boat built in Rotterdam 84 years ago. We are docked on the small island of Albarella, Italy, awaiting a dinner of mussels, clams, and sea bass the cook just purchased in the fish market. The skies have cleared and a warm breeze wafts across the harbor. We are midway through a 125-mile bike ride from Venice to Mantua. I paid $26,000 to charter the Vita-Pugna ("Life Is a Struggle") for the week, which, split among 20 people, comes to $1,300 each - pretty reasonable for a "hotel," three meals a day, bicycle rentals, and a guide who bikes with us.

Tour Ireland next spring with alumni travel program

The Binghamton University Alumni Association and the Department of Theatre are sponsoring a tour of Ireland, March 30-April 8, 2012. Open to the public, this trip is part of the Alumni Travel Program.

Faculty hosts and experienced world travelers Tom Kremer and Carol Hanscom will serve as the guides for this adventure, bringing the legacy of Ireland to life as they lead travelers on tours of the Cliffs of Moher, ancient religious sites and Blarney Castle.

The tour will cost $3,199 per person, based on double occupancy, and includes round-trip airfare, lodging, some meals, admission fees at various venues and all travel within the country. A $500 deposit is due upon registration.  Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

To register or to obtain more information, contact the Alumni Relations office at 607-777-2431 or partner agency Travel with the Experts at 732-292-0034.  View a detailed itinerary in the “Events and Networks” section of binghamton.edu/alumni .

Frommer's Ireland from $90 a Day

Frommer's Ireland 2007

Cruise Travel

Cruise Travel

Cruise Travel