aaa ireland and scotland tours

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• Brendan Vacations

Explore Ireland and Scotland with Brendan Vacations

Brendan Vacations is the Celtic travel experts. From guided tours to independent customized vacations, they promise uniquely tailored experiences delivered by passionate, fun-loving locals from behind the blue door in Dublin, Ireland.

Why Travel with Brendan?

• They Take You Personally - However you prefer to travel, you’ll stay in hand-selected accommodations, explore exciting sights and experience highly personalized service.
• They’re Committed to Your Well-Being – Brendan has implemented additional protocols to safeguard your health and well-being while you travel.
• They Know Where They Go – Brendan specializes in trips to Ireland and Scotland which allows for a unique focus and an extraordinary experience.

TRAVEL STYLE: LUX SELF-DRIVE VACATIONS If you enjoy the finer things in life and exploring Ireland on your own, Brendan’s Lux Self-Drive travel style is for you. Complemented with exceptional service from their Celtic Experts, these sample itineraries can be customized with exclusive experiences, high class accommodations and a premium rental car. Here is just a sampling of the getaways:

• Epic Landscapes, Cities & Castles: This 7-day independent, fully-customizable journey takes you to the best Ireland has to offer. • Ireland’s Stunning Landscapes & Coastal Views: Spend 12 wonderful days discovering the Emerald Isle your way. • Irish Roads to Cuisine and Culture: this new 10-day luxury self drive takes you on a delicious adventure.

Travel with the Celtic experts at Brendan Vacations to this extraordinary part of the world. From fully guided trips that bring this destination to life to the absolute freedom of discovering Ireland and Scotland on your own, their trips are individually-crafted to help you travel your way.

April 3 | AAA Muskogee | AAA Lawrence 

Member Benefit and AAA Vacations Benefit

AAA Member Benefit:

• Get a $40 optional experience credit per person on guided vacations and save up to $75 per person on Custom Vacations including Locally Hosted, Private Chauffeur and Self Drive Vacations.

AAA Vacations Inclusions (select departures):

• $80 per person optional excursion voucher on guided vacations
• $40 per person optional experience credit (land only) on Locally Hosted Rail packages
• Complimentary Hertz Neverlost® GPS with rental car on Self Drive packages
• $100 per person optional excursion credit, land only (5-night minimum) on Private Chauffeur or Lux Self Drive packages

IRELAND’S SPARKLING GEMS

LOCALLY HOSTED RAIL JOURNEY

Round-trip Dublin, Ireland 8 Days | Now – Oct 2024

Enjoy the warm welcome from your Local Host, explore Dublin, take the train to Killarney and stay 2 nights, experience the Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, and more.

Member price from $1,966*

Advertised rate is for the 1/3/24 departure.

EPIC LANDSCAPES, CITIES & CASTLES

LUXURY SELF DRIVE

Round-trip Dublin, Ireland 7 Days | Now – Oct 2024

Meet your Local Host, take a private walking tour of Dublin, visit Glendalough and Waterford Crystal, Blarney Castle, Killarney, an Irish Pub, and luxurious Dromoland Castle.

Member price from $3,088*

Latest Deals

• Brendan, Cost Saver, Insight Vacations, and Trafalgar: Limited Time Air Offer
• Brendan Vacations - Seasonal Travel Sale

Terms & Conditions

*On-tour Credits or Vouchers must be used on or towards trip, cannot be substituted, or transferred; nonrefundable, has no cash value. Other conditions may apply. Prices are in USD, are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and are subject to availability. Pricing is subject to change. May be combined with 5% Global Tour Rewards savings only, Future Travel Credit carry forward discount or any other discount or promotion. Other conditions may apply.

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Ireland and Scotland Tours & Trips

• Choose from 33 Ireland and Scotland tours
• 1,500+ verified reviews from TourRadar travelers
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10 best Ireland and Scotland tour packages

Compiled by

Steff Ireland and Scotland travel expert at TourRadar

Best of Ireland and Scotland (15 Days)

England, scotland and ireland end dublin, best of ireland & scotland (classic, 14 days), scotland and ireland (summer 2024, 13 days), highlights of ireland & scotland, scotland and ireland with london, highlights of ireland and scotland (11 days), celtic highlights, best of ireland & scotland (small groups, 14 days), england scotland ireland – highlights of uk.

• In-depth Cultural
• Coach / Bus
• Explore the historic Dublin and the remarkable Edinburgh
• Admire the Giant's Causeway and kiss the Blarney Stone
• Learn about traditional farming and indulge in local cuisine

“The city sightseeing tours on the bus were a waste of time. Otherwise just what we expected.”

“Guides were great and the tour was an excellent way to see lots of places in a short amount of time”

• See the stunning Dublin Castle and Edinburgh Castle
• Visit one of Europe’s finest Japanese Gardens in Kildare
• Experience the spectacular scenery of the Ring of Kerry

“This is the first tour we have ever been on and with the expertise and knowledge that Greg has made our trip a once in a lifetime experience!”

• Be serenaded by local musicians in Glaswegian pub
• Visit an Edinburgh pub while locals share folkloric tales
• Take the LegenDerry Walking Tour and uncover Ireland's history

“Only did the Scotland but excellent overall”

“It was a beautiful tour! The itinerary was awesome and well organized.”

“Loved the chosen sites, met great people, had clean hotels and good free breakfasts!”

• Sightseeing

“This is the best way to see Ireland and Scotland. Trafalgar handles everything.”

• Explore the historic city of Liverpool
• See the Giant's Causeway and the Causway Coast
• Wander through the old town of Edinburgh

“Ireland had been on our bucket list and we are so glad that we had included Scotland, England, Wales.”

“The quality of the travel, hotels and experiences were a complete delight to share with the whole group.”

• Christmas & New Year

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The Flaming Lips announce UK and Irish dates, to play Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots in full

Wayne Coyne's band announce Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots shows in England, Scotland and Ireland

The Flaming Lips have announced UK and Irish tour dates for April 2025, at which they'll play their classic 2002 album Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots in full.  The Oklahoma band's 10th album, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots was a Top 10 hit in Ireland, and reached a peak position of number 13 in the UK. Its first single, Do You Realize?? became the band's first UK Top 40 single, peaking at number 32, and was followed by two further hit singles, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 , which reached number 18, and Fight Test , which reached number 28. “The Lips are excited to announce they are bringing the Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Anniversary Tour to England, Scotland and Ireland,” Wayne Coyne's band said, as they shared the tour dates on social media.

The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots tour 2025, UK/Ireland

Apr 25: Birmingham O2 Academy, UK Apr 26: London O2 Academy Brixton, UK Apr 28: Dublin 3Olympia Theatre, Ireland Apr 28: Dublin 3Olympia Theatre, Ireland May 01 Edinburgh Usher Hall, UK May 02: Leeds O2 Academy, UK May 04: Manchester O2 Apollo, UK May 05: Bristol Beacon, UK Tickets go on sale on Friday, June 7, at 10am. Details here .

A post shared by DHP Family Live (@dhpfamilylive) A photo posted by on

The band are currently touring Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots in the United States. Their next show is set to take place at the Buddy Holly Music Hall in Lubbock, Texas on June 21, and the tour continues through to July 26, when they close out the run with a show at the Waterfront Park, in Burlington Vermont. 

A post shared by The Flaming Lips (@flaminglips) A photo posted by on

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A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica ( Birth School Metallica Death , co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography ( Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.

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Retracing the Beatles' steps in Liverpool is the highlight of this British Isles cruise

LIVERPOOL, England – Sixty-four years ago the Beatles embarked on a long and winding road toward international superstardom, ultimately becoming what many consider to be the most influential, culturally significant and celebrated band in pop-music history.

All these decades later, Beatlemania has barely missed a beat.  

Nowhere is this more apparent than this city on the River Mersey in northwest England, where John, Paul, George and Ringo were born, raised and played their first gigs together.       

The Beatles’ far-reaching and colorful legacy is one of the main reasons Liverpool attracts more than a million tourists each year – double the city’s population. According to a government report, Beatles-related tourism to Liverpool brings in more than $150 million annually and supports 2,500 jobs.

I recently joined the throng of nostalgia-hungry Beatles fans during a visit to Liverpool, a port stop midway through a two-week cruise around the British Isles on the 2,668-passenger Holland America Rotterdam. 

Day-tripper: Seeing the Beatles sites in Liverpool in 1 day

Unfortunately, I had to cram all of my Beatles sightseeing — including visits to two museums and venues where the group honed their musicianship and the places that inspired some of their songs — into just one jam-packed day before our ship set sail for Wales.

Yes, to borrow the words of Lennon and McCartney, I was a day-tripper.

I was on a sold-out tour with 43 fellow cruise-ship passengers called “In the Footsteps of the Fab Four.” The excursion was led by John Bruce, a Liverpool musician and guide who proudly noted that he was born in the same hospital as John Lennon. 

“She’s got a ticket to ride,” he quipped as a woman boarded the bus at the start of the tour. It was the first in a day full of references to Beatles songs and amusing — and sometimes poignant — stories.

John Lennon's orange glasses and the famous bronze statue of the Fab 4

We started on Liverpool’s waterfront at the Royal Albert Dock, a mid-19th-century complex of dock buildings and warehouses that also houses several museums, hotels, bars and restaurants.

At the dock a sign in front of the popular Beatles Story museum beckoned us inside to learn “the story of the band that changed the world.” It features re-creations of key locations and events in the band’s career and includes fascinating pieces of original memorabilia. There are sections on each band member’s solo career following the group’s breakup in 1970. 

It was especially moving to see John Lennon’s iconic orange-tinted spectacles, which he was wearing when he wrote the 1971 song “Imagine.” Lennon was fatally shot outside his New York City apartment nine years later. 

Two blocks away is the most popular selfie spot in Liverpool: a bronze statue of the Beatles, inspired by a 1963 photo of the group strolling along the River Mersey. The statue was unveiled in 2015 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the Beatles' last performance in Liverpool.  

Exploring the Cavern Club and other Beatles haunts on Mathew Street

Many of Liverpool’s must-see sites related to the Beatles are clustered on Mathew Street, less than a mile east of the Beatles statue. You’ll know you’re in the vicinity when you pass the Hard Days Night Hotel, the Hey Jude Hair and Beauty Salon and the Rubber Soul bar.

Mathew Street is home to the legendary Cavern Club, where the Beatles played an astonishing 292 times between 1961 and 1963 when they surged to prominence on the Liverpool music scene. 

The original Cavern Club was demolished in 1973 but reopened 10 years later at a spot 20 yards down the block, using the same dimensions and many of the club’s original bricks. The Cavern Club still hosts live music; McCartney performed there as recently as 2018. 

Across the street is a statue of a young John Lennon and the Wall of Fame, which showcases 58 records from Liverpool-based artists that reached No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart. Besides the Beatles, Liverpool has produced numerous other hitmakers, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Searchers and Cilla Black, who once worked as a hat-check girl at the Cavern.

The Liverpool Beatles Museum, another attraction on Mathew Street, has more than 1,000 items of Beatles memorabilia displayed on three floors. I especially enjoyed seeing two of the original seats from Shea Stadium, where the Beatles played a landmark concert in 1965 in front of 55,000 screaming fans. The museum is owned by the family of Pete Best, the Beatles’ original drummer who was fired by the group in 1962 and replaced with Ringo Starr.

Seeing Penny Lane and Strawberry Field in south Liverpool

After visiting Mathew Street, we drove through south Liverpool and passed by the Beatles’ childhood homes and schools. We stopped at Penny Lane, which Paul McCartney immortalized in a 1967 song that was a tribute to his Liverpool upbringing. Over the years, Beatles fans have pilfered so many of the Penny Lane street signs that the city has had to affix them to metal posts.    

We also stopped at the entrance to Strawberry Field — formerly the site of a Salvation Army children's home — where John Lennon played as a child. It inspired him to write the 1967 song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

Bruce, who has been leading Beatles tours for six years, played the two songs over the bus’s sound system — along with his own recording of “Let it Be” — while he offered his interpretation of the songs' meaning.       

“I’m a musician and I have a passion for the Beatles,” he says. “When you reveal the reasons about why they wrote some of their songs, it’s incredible. Sometimes I’ve had people at Penny Lane with big tears in their eyes because it means so much to them.”

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British Isles cruise on the Holland America Rotterdam

The cruise started and ended in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where the Holland America line was founded 151 years ago. The Rotterdam ship, which took its maiden voyage in 2021, is the newest addition to Holland America’s fleet of 11 ships. 

Our sailing was close to capacity, with more than 2,600 passengers, about half of whom were Americans. There was also a large contingent of Dutch passengers; all of the ship’s announcements were made in both English and Dutch. Cruises to the British Isles typically run from late April through October.    

We stopped in 10 ports over the course of two weeks in such places as Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown Dependency that was the birthplace of another famous pop group, the Bee Gees.

But it was Liverpool — and my pilgrimage to trace the footsteps of a group that produced so much groundbreaking and enduring music — that I’ll remember the most.     

Fittingly, as our bus returned to the cruise pier at the end of the tour, Bruce ended his commentary with yet one more reference to a popular Beatles song.

“Congratulations,” he told us. “You’ve just spent a day in the life of the Fab Four.”

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Cruise: British Isles and Beatles history

The Beatles Story:  beatlesstory.com .

Liverpool Beatles Museum:  liverpoolbeatlesmuseum.com .

Holland America Line:  hollandamerica.com .

Dan Fellner of Scottsdale is a freelance travel writer. Contact him at  [email protected]  or visit his website at  DanFellner.com .