Paddywagon Tours

Who they are

Paddywagon Tours is an Irish coach-tour operator that began in 1998. Its founder and chairman is Cathal O'Connell, and the company that runs it, Paddywagon Ltd. (company registration 269921), has its head office at Beresford Place, beside Lower Gardiner Street, in central Dublin. It also has a sister company, Elegant Irish Tours, for higher-end trips. Its formula is designed for independent travellers who want to see a lot in a short time: transport, guide and a fixed timetable, but with free time at each stop.

Which tours they run and from where

They leave daily from Dublin and also from Cork, Limerick, Belfast, Killarney, Galway, Dingle and Dunmore East. They run day tours and half-day tours, and also trips with overnight stays. From Dublin they go to the Cliffs of Moher, the Giant's Causeway, Belfast, Blarney Castle, Kilkenny and the Wicklow Mountains; from the west and south they cover the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula and the Wild Atlantic Way. Their website also advertises Christmas tours.

For this guide, the best fit is the half day to Glendalough in the morning: pick-up between 8:00 and 8:20 at three stops in the centre, a walk to the upper lake and the monastery ruins, and back in Dublin around 12:45, depending on traffic.

Coaches, guides and languages

They travel in Mercedes-Benz coaches with 4G wifi and USB sockets, and each tour has a driver-guide or a local guide. When their fleet is not enough in high season, they hire private coaches of the same standard, but always with a Paddywagon guide. The website is in Spanish, but the Glendalough page says that tour is in English only, and the others do not advertise any other language: expect the commentary in English.

Their terms say that the tours are designed for people over 18, although in practice families and groups of all ages travel and there is a child fare. They warn that the tours are not suitable for very young children or for people with reduced mobility, and ask that any health problem be notified in writing before departure.

Bookings and cancellations

The simplest thing is to buy on their website: the ticket arrives by email and it is enough to show it on your phone. Anyone who books directly has a guarantee against overbooking. If you buy online, you can cancel with a refund up to 24 hours before on day tours and up to 72 hours before on multi-day tours; the money returns to your card in 5 to 10 working days, minus the payment fee, of around 2.9%. What is bought in a shop, by phone or in cash is not refunded, although the date can be changed within the same deadlines. If you book through an agency or a platform, cancellation is done through them. There is no refund for bad weather.

For groups they offer private tours with their own vehicle and driver-guide, hotel pick-up and a tailor-made route, for groups of 2 to 2,000 people; you ask for a quote using a form on their website. On private tours, cancellation is free with 28 days' notice; with 14 they refund half and with 7, a quarter.