Sustainable Ring of Kerry Rail Tour from Dublin

We had a great day out at the Ring of Kerry day tour with our guide John Todd and driver Batt O’Connell. Both of them are full of knowledge about Ireland, cultures and have many interesting facts to share and even some beautiful singing by Batt and poetry recital by John. Certainly very entertaining and fun. And it helps especially when we are blessed with a sunny day. The scenery around the Ring of Kerry are amazing and the optional sheep dog show where the sheep farmer showed how his trained dog round up his sheep was very entertaining and informative. Certainly worth paying to watch it. John was also very good in keeping us awake during the train ride to and from Killarney with his mini quiz/fun facts and also caring to enquire how we were getting back to our hotel at the end of the trip, ensuring we were not stranded at the Heuston train station.

If you are planning a trip with Railtours Ireland, pray that you get John ( I dont know his last name) for your guide. He looked after us from the train station to the coach transfers like an organized parent, but with significantly better jokes.John managed to turn history and folklore into a comedy routine while keeping us entirely on schedule. He has an endless supply of local facts, brilliant banter, and the magical ability to make a train journey feel like a night out at a local pub. Thanks to him, we didn't have to stress about directions, driving on the wrong side of the road, or missing a single connection.10/10 experience. If you take a tour, ask for John—the man is an absolute Irish national treasure!

We really wanted to see the Ring of Kerry, but we decided to make our base Dublin, and this seemed like a good option. The guide at the train station was easy to spot, and the very nice older gentleman guide accompanied us on the train, where we all had seats. The transfer to the bus was easy, and the guide on the bus was great too. The weather didnt' cooperate too much, but it was a very nice day. The bus driver made several stops for us to get out and take pictures, and we pretty much saw what we wanted to see. The only con is the price, which I thought was pretty expensive compared to bus only tours, but we did go around the whole Ring. I originally had 2 tours booked and had to cancel one and switch the other due to my flight being cancelled, and they were accomodating except for charging a 10% fee, which I will try to claim from my trip insurance. Overall, very nice day.

Peter was very good. Very polite and helpful. Helped us across our vacation. Book with him.

We had an amazing day touring the ring of Kerry. Our host from rail tours John Todd was kind and fun to hangout with . His insights helped us to be prepared for the tours. Our host and driver Batt from deros was fun, energetic and helpful to every one on the bus. The last and only bit to note is that the time between some stops can be increased.

We enjoyed this tour so much! It was an amazing experience from start to finish.A special thank you to John Todd he was incredibly informative, friendly, and made the journey so enjoyable. We really appreciated all the stories and insights he shared, and it was a pleasure spending the day with him.Killarney was absolutely beautiful, with stunning scenery at every turn. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Ireland!

It was a 111-mile drive on a bus...Not worth it! I did like the train ride, I love train rides. Pick another tour!

Fiona was excellent tour guide. The guide on the bus was a little difficult to understand his accent. I wish he could speak slower. Also not too much time in Cork. One hour is not enough to eat and look around.

Do not go on this tour if it is forecast to be a warm day. We were in Ireland during a heatwave and the coach we were on for 7 hours was between 95*-105* F all day with no air conditioning and only minimal stops to cool off. We chose this tour so my year older parents could experience the Ring of Kerry. My parents sat in direct sunlight from the sunroof for the majority of the day with no way to shield the direct light and heat. The conditions on the coach were unsafe and did not allow us to enjoy the day. The tour guides simply commented “it is warm” and that Ireland rarely gets that warm so doesn’t have the infrastructure to deal with this. I understand this in older buildings, but not on a bus. The temperature was unacceptable, especially considering we were not allowed to eat or drink on the coach. We stopped at 6 places on the Ring of Kerry to take photos which were only 5-10 min stops. Even though this is a Ring of Kerry tour, we had several 30-45 min stops at very small locations which were extra money and were not well advertised prior to the tour and seemed to be a financial arrangement between the company and the stops. You either had to spend the money on the activity or sit and wait by the coach for the activity to be finished. It would be much more preferable to stop in larger locations (e.g. some of the villages along the way) with more choices for activities.

Tour really showed the picturesque landscape of Ireland’s Ring of Kerry. Train from Dublin to Killarney was very relaxing. Then the bus throughout Kerry was fantastic. Norm was a terrific guide and kept us informed on everything around us. We made a couple of stops along the way that were not included in the door. I would highly recommend you save yourself 8 euros and bypass the museum. Enjoy a nice Irish coffee in the Inn instead! Museum was awful. The other stop was a demonstration from a herder showing his dogs bringing sheep down from the hills. It was the best 7 euros we spent… it was truly amazing to watch these dogs at work. Overall the tour was great. In the 14 hours you are on it, you will see some of the best views in all of Ireland.