FAQ

You can contact us with all your questions.

You can book tours directly through our online booking system. Click on the Book Now button of your chosen tour to enter the booking form.

Deposit payments of 30% per person are required to confirm a booking and this payment is non-refundable. The payment can be made by Visa or Mastercard or by direct bank transfer.

Cancellations must be made in writing. The deposit payment is non-refundable. The balance of your tour will be deducted one month before the start date of your tour. No refunds are given after balance has been settled. If you cancel the tour within 30 days you will lose the full cost of the tour. No refunds are given for services not used by a trip participant. We strongly recommend that you purchase airfare and tour package insurance with your flight supplier at the time you pay the deposit.

The Irish weather can be changeable and is often very localised. This means that you may well have a morning of rain and an afternoon of sunshine - and that the weather may be quite different 10 miles away.

• Cool days in summer: 10 - 15° C (50 - 60° F).
• Warm days in summer: 21 - 27° C (70 - 80° F)

It is a good idea to bring layers of clothing with you each day and to change whenever the temperature does. As a general rule, always bring rain gear with you and remember that the higher you go, the cooler it gets. Traditionally the peak season for visiting Ireland is in July and August, but do not be put off coming earlier or later in the year, as the weather can be just as good if not better. The chances are that over a week or so in Ireland the weather will be varied, with some good and some not so good days, no matter what the time of year. Another point to remember is that while it does rain in Ireland, it is not as bad as some people make out - it is quite often "soft rain"!

Some tour starting points will have a direct bus or train service (Clifden and Westport). Prior to booking your tour, you can check out details on our Getting to/from Tours page and you can also check the timetables for the national bus service at Bus Eireann or the private company Citylink and the national rail service at Irishrail.

Connemara Adventure Tours provide taxi transfers for starting points that need an additional transfer other than bus or rail. Details of this are provided in the individual tour itineraries. The other travel option is to choose car hire.

Most tours are active holidays and require at least moderate fitness levels as per their description. Tours may involve 4 to 6 hours walking, or 3 to 5 hours cycling per day. Checking the suitability of each tour can help you to avoid disappointment. Those unaccustomed to activity are advised to take gentle exercise before the tour to fully enjoy the experience. You need to advise us of any special medical, physical, or health requirements you may have, particularly conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, disabilities, severe allergies etc. and any medication you may be on prior to arrival.

Ireland's climate is mild, frequently damp, highly changeable, with temperatures ranging from 12° to 28° C. We advise that both light and warm clothing is carried with rainwear essential regardless. Especially for the walking tours, good footwear, i.e. water-proof boots with ankle support are essential. You can download here a list of what you need to bring on your tour with us. 

We provide full public liability for guests on our tours, however, we recommend you to purchase full health insurance, including cover for repatriation. You can purchase this insurance from your travel agent.

When you book a self-guided cycling tour, we expect you to have a minimum of knowledge regarding cycling. We at least require you will be able to fix a puncture or change a tube when necessary.

All visitors to either the Republic or Northern Ireland require a valid passport, except British nationals. Holders of UK passports not born in Great Britain or Northern Ireland should bring their passport. EU nationals can stay in the Republic of Ireland indefinitely without a visa. Travellers from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can stay for three months without a visa in the Republic of Ireland and this can usually be extended by making an application to a local Garda station (police) or by going to the Alien Registration Office, Harcourt Street, Dublin (ph: 01-4755555). Nationals of other countries should contact the Irish Embassy for details about visa regulations.

Connemara Adventure Tours does not offer flight booking but can help you to organise transfers from the airports (Dublin, Shannon or Knock) to your first accommodation where your tour starts with us.

The unit of currency in the Republic of Ireland is the Euro written as €. There are 100 cents in €1. Coins come in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, €1 and €2. Price rounding up and down has been introduced in retail outlets to eliminate the use of 1c and 2c coins. Notes come in €5, €10, €20, €50, and €100 (there are €500 notes as well but they are very rare!). Visa and MasterCard credit cards and debit cards, as well as ATM access cards are widely accepted in the Republic and Northern Ireland and, if you have a personal identification number (PIN) cash withdrawals can be made at ATM machines which can be found in all towns, but not always in smaller villages. International money systems, like Cirrus and Plus are linked to ATMs in the Republic. Check with your bank before travelling to find out which ATMs you will be able to use and what charges will be incurred for their use. American Express cards and Diner Club cards are not as readily acceptable.

Electricity is 230V AC in the Republic of Ireland and 240V AC in Northern Ireland. Plugs are three-pin flat but 2-pin round wall sockets are also found. British electrical appliances will work everywhere. North American appliances require a transformer and a plug adapter. Australian and New Zealand appliances need just a plug adapter.

When it comes to tipping there are no hard and fast rules. Some restaurants often add a 10 to 15% service charge to the bill. If this is added then you do not need to leave a tip. However, 10 to 15% is customary if you do decide to tip. In bars and pub restaurants, tipping is not generally necessary although appreciated.

The app "Roadbook for Discovery" that we provide has to be downloaded before your arrival, and you have all the details of your tour on it: itineraries, vouchers, things to do and see, contact details for taxi drivers... It works offline once you have downloaded everything, which means you do not need to use your internet data. It also works as a GPS and will tell you when you need to turn right, left etc. We provide a phone holder for your bike as well and everything is contactless - we do not meet you on arrival and all your equipment will be waiting for you at your first accommodation with your names on the bikes. If there is anything, you can call us and we are never more than 30min away if we need to come to assist you. 

For €125 extra per booking, you can book a meet & greet. This means that we will meet you on your arrival day or the following morning to go through all the details of your tour with you. On top of the app, you get printed maps and route notes that we give you when we meet you, and we go through each day and answer all the questions you may have. This is particulary suited for people who are worried about the app and are not sure to figure out how it works. 

No matter the option that you choose, please note that we live and are based in Connemara, so no matter where you are, we are never more than 30 minutes away from you so we are available to come and help you if needed. 

Before your arrival, you will need to download our app ('Roadbook for Discovery') on which you will have all the details of your tour (routes, accommodation, vouchers, things to see...). The app works offline once it is downloaded, which means you do not need to use your internet data. It works as a GPS and will give you directions, as well a things to see and do on the way, where to eat... We also provide a phone holder on the bike.