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A Paddywagon Tours Review – Your Complete Guide

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When I was growing up in Dublin I used to see the Paddywagon Tours van parked up the road on my walk to school. I was so curious. What was this bright green bus with leprechauns painted on the side? Where did it go? What kind of people got to venture out in it?

Well, finally, I  can answer these questions! Get ready for an honest, thorough Paddywagon Tours review from this Irish native.

Paddywagon Tours – Dublin to Kilkenny Day Trip

What is the paddywagon.

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First things first, The Paddywagon itself resembles what I imagine the love-child of a bus and a leprechaun would look like. It is a bright green bus with orange curtains that shuttles tourists around Ireland showing them the highlights of this beautiful country.

This bus is captained by a jovial (well, that can be a tad hit or miss as you’ll find out later) Irish person with inside knowledge of all the best spots. Sounds cheesy? Well, simply put, it kind of is. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing!

What Kind Of Tours Are Paddywagon Tours?

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Paddywagon tours offers all kinds of trips to suit all budgets. Daytrips are available from Dublin , Cork, Limerick, Belfast, Killarney and even London and start at 20euro. There are also longer trips available ranging from 2 to 9 days.

So whether it’s a day on the Paddywagon you want, or a week, it’s no problem. From the legendary Cliffs of Moher , the breath-taking Giant’s Causeway or the incomparable Ring of Kerry, Paddywagon has you covered.

What Kind Of People?

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Naturally Paddywagon tours are aimed at tourists wanting to see the best of Ireland. But of course, locals are more than welcome. The Paddywagon tours are suitable for all age groups.

Though, due to the winding nature of a lot of the roads in Ireland, I would HIGHLY recommend some travel sickness tablets for children and any adults that usually suffer.

On my bus a toddler was sitting down the back of the bus (stupid move to begin with) across the aisle from us and, of course, once we hit the mountain roads the child threw up all over itself.

ALWAYS sit at the front if you have a child with you, the back of the bus is the worst place for anyone sensitive to motion sickness.

With regards to nationalities, it seemed to be a fairly good mix. Obviously there was a slight majority of Americans but that is to be expected.

They seemed to be having a great time and were by far the most responsive when the driver requested any sort of interaction from the group.

Myself and my friend (Sarah) were the only Irish people on the bus which made us somewhat of a novelty.

So Which Paddywagon Tour Did I Do?

Myself and Sarah spent a day on the Paddywagon for the Glendalough , Wicklow Mountains and Killkenny tour. At 25 euro for the day the trip is incredibly good value for money. You would spend much more on petrol if you did the drive by yourself. For me, this is a major selling point.

Glendalough is a historic place in Wicklow full of ancient graveyards, a round tower and some of the most beautiful views Ireland has to offer. The Wicklow mountains are full of bright yellow gorse and famous movie locations including THAT bridge from P.S I Love You.

* *READ MORE about the Wicklow Mountains National Park . ** 

Finally, Kilkenny is a beautiful town famed for it’s Hurling team. An old stone castle rises above the town overlooking everything. It’s a beautiful place to enjoy a meal by the river and wander around the little boutique shops. Paddywagon have all the best bits covered.

What’s The Paddywagon Schedule?

The Paddywagon has three different pick up spots in Dublin; The main office (Paddy’s Palace) on Lower Gardiner street, O’Connell Street just beside the Savoy cinema and Suffolk Street just beside the Molly Malone statue.

We got picked up from O’Connell street at about 9.10am on a Wednesday morning, unsure of what awaited us aboard the infamous Paddywagon.

This tour gives you 1hr and 30mins to explore Glendalough, a couple of short photo stops across the mountains and around 2hrs and 30mins in Kilkenny town.

Now, for me, this was perfectly adequate. I knew my way around Glendalough from family visits in the past. There was no need for me to spend 15mins trying to find the bathroom.

I didn’t stroll leisurely towards the lake and then suddenly realise I only had 30mins to get there, take pictures and then get back to the bus.

However, any regular tourist would have found 1hr and 30mins quite a rush in Glendalough. It simply isn’t enough time. 2hrs in Glendalough and 2hrs in Kilkenny would be a better solution.

That aside, the schedule is pretty comprehensive and includes a lot. I was impressed with the amount you could see in one day.

When the tour is finished you are dropped back at your choice of the 3 collection points I mentioned above. We got back into town about 7pm which is a bit later than scheduled, so be flexible and don’t make dinner reservations.

How was the Driver/Guide?

Now, this is the part of my tour that was really just a bit odd. Our driver, unfortunately, seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the proverbial bed. His mood was more changeable than the weather, and in Ireland that really is saying something.

In fairness to him, he made a few decent jokes and he did attempt to get some interaction out of the bus. The Americans and myself were probably the only ones playing along for most of the trip. He also dazzled us with some wonderful tales of Irish history.

However, the real problem with our driver was that he seemed so fed up with us all before we had even gotten on the road. He was barking orders about making sure we were back on the bus at the right time, then explaining the consequences if we weren’t and generally treating us like primary school kids on a class trip.

GOD help you if you wanted to go to the bathroom between stops. He was NOT impressed with one lady that insisted we pull in at the next possible place so that she could avail of the facilities. It was all a bit ungraceful on his part. Honestly, I started rationing my water after that episode because I didn’t want to have to deal with his attitude if I needed to stop the bus!!

Now, I know drivers on these sorts of buses must get very fed up with late people and unscheduled stops, but in fairness, if you’re not going to put a bathroom on your bus it’s always going to be a possibility.

All I would say is, if you have a bladder problem but want to spend a day with Paddywagon tours then I recommend you let the driver know before you get on the bus.

Then there are the obvious tips like making sure you go to the bathroom before you get on the bus, and at every stop, as well as limiting your fluid intake on the bus.

Hopefully you get a nicer driver than we did, but no guarantees!

Any Last Words?

Ok, so that’s all folks, pretty much! My final recommendation before we come to the end of my Paddywagon Tour review would be to make sure that you bring plenty of snacks for the bus and a raincoat/umbrella just in case the Irish weather kicks in.

Oh and don’t let my qualms about the driver put you off. The Paddywagon employs lots of different drivers and the odds are you’ll get a different one from the gentleman (questionable) I had. Plus, even if you did have the same driver as me, maybe I just caught him on an off day. Everyone has bad days!

Soooo grab your best green clothes, your leprechaun catching nets and your Guinness and join one of the Paddywagon tours!

** BOOK NOW – you can book your tour direct with Paddywagon Tours on their website .**

** Paddywagon provided me with a complimentary tour. However, the opinion expressed in this post is, as always, my own.

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Ack… poor Freddie. I’m glad you otherwise enjoyed your trip to Glendalough and Killkenny! I bet it was v. busy!!!!

Did I mention his name??? Ah well, everyone has off days! I felt more sorry for the woman that needed to pee. I did have a really good trip otherwise though. Glendalough was PACKED!

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Paddywagon Tours founder hopes to corner the market in global day trips

Cathal o'connell, founder of paddywagon tours, had been guiding backpackers from africa to auckland and australi....

Cathal O'Connell, founder of Paddywagon Tours, had been guiding backpackers from Africa to Auckland and Australia's Bonsai Beach for several years when he decided to start up a similar business in Ireland, reports Forbes. The tourism industry had long played to middle-aged and elderly American tourists looking for their Irish roots. O'Connell decided to aim for the younger crowd. O'Connell, a.k.a. "Dublin Charlie" says he founded Paddywagon Tours some "beery afternoon" when he wrote the name on a beer mat in New Zealand. “The name ‘Paddywagon’ came to me in a flash,” O’Connell once said in an interview. “I knew everybody else in the business would hate what I would be doing under that name for subverting everything they were trying to pretend to be. But I knew young people, who they had ignored for years, would love it. That name was my gold.” He began his business by festooning his buses with leprechauns, sending nude streakers bearing “Paddywagon” banners across Australian sports pitches, buying up rundown buildings across Ireland that he called “Paddies Palaces." “Today’s young people don’t come here because they’ve read every last word of Joyce or Yeats, they’re lucky if they’ve even heard of them. But they are as entitled as anybody else to enjoy Ireland’s hospitality and to be well looked after at prices they can afford, even if getting drunk is one of their biggest goals,” said O'Connell. “We were the first to understand our market segment, which includes a lot of young females from America and Australia and the U.K. whose chief purpose is to get drunk in a trustful setting with hilarious people right and left.” Paddywagon Tours had grown exponentially throughout the last decade, but then the economy tanked with Irish hotels becoming more economical for every age group and competitors pushing in on Charlie's market of adventure travel for the young. Today, O’Connell’s business handles around 90,000 visitors a year. Day trips have become one of the highest growing areas of the travel market, but providers of those are difficult to find. O'Connell seeks to remedy that gap with his new venture DayToursWorld.com, with $400,00 of seed funding from the government, which is now on the look out for ideas that have big growth potential. “We found that 80-90 percent of day tour activity and excursion providers do not possess a booking engine and through our research with Enterprise Ireland we discovered that the world day tour market had a value of $89 billion in 2011,” O’Connell has said in a recent interview. Forbes reports that the company, which is seeking international investors, is back to its guerilla marketing tactics, offering free stays in its “Paddies Palaces” for lodging X number of promotional emails on its behalf. The company's marketing man Steve McPhilemy has said that the new enterprise already has 15,000 excursion accessible on its website. Offerings at the moment cover not only trips in Ireland but also also horseback tours of the Abu Sir pyramids in Egypt, quad bike safaris along the Nile, walking tours in Rome, cooking classes in Turkey, ballooning in Cappadocia, bicycling in Sydney, and ghost hunting in Prague.

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Welcome to Paddywagon Tours Ltd

Travel agency, about paddywagon tours ltd.

Paddywagon Drivers are known throughout the world as being many things - Celtic Chieftains, Warrior-Poets, Gaelic Princesses and by several grandiose titles we?ll keep quiet for now! Their competence and professionalism is renowned. Their ability as drivers and professional Tour leaders is our great source of Irish Pride. All are 100% Irish and are committed to the Paddywagon Travel Philosphy. The Clann (Gaelic for family) began in 1997 with Cathal, Big Joe and Belfast Joe. Soon destiny brought Pol and Colm to the fold. Then the Northern triumverate of Doctor Martin, Joey and Stephen McP were initiated into the brotherhood.Down through the years Clann Paddywagon has grown and bonded together, united in our passionate and overwhelming love of Ireland and our ambition to ensure you feel for our beautiful motherland as much as we do, to ensure the independent traveller wins again! And again and again

Backpacking

Eco-friendly, family holidays, yoga & meditation.

Paddywagon Tours

• See all photos

Cliffs of Moher Day Tour from Dublin: Including The Wild Atlantic Way

Blarney Castle Day Tour from Dublin Including Rock of Cashel & Cork City

Giant's Causeway Day Tour from Dublin

Cliffs of Moher and Galway City Day Tour from Dublin

6-Day All Ireland Tour from Dublin Including Accommodation

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Paddywagon Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Paddywagon Tours

Review Highlights

“ Both kissing the Blarney Stone and seeing the brutal beauty of Cliffs of Moher should be on everyone's lifetime bucket list. ” in 57 reviews

“ We had an excellent time with Sean for our tour to Northern Ireland to see rope bridge and the Giants Causeway. ” in 16 reviews

“ Each stop on the tour had something beautiful to see and when we finally got to the Cliffs , they took my breath away. ” in 60 reviews

Location & Hours

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5 Beresford Place

Lower Gardiner Street

Republic of Ireland

North Inner City

Serving Dublin Area

Amenities and More

About the business.

Business owner information

Business Owner

We are Ireland's Number 1 Tour Company and lovingly operate the only All-Ireland hostel/B&B network, the sparkling Paddys Palaces. Paddywagon is officially the 'Most Fun Tour Company' in the world, as voted by over 900,000 reviewers at Hostelworld.com Our award-winning tours of Ireland are: All-inclusive World Famous For the young and young at heart oh, and No-one can beat us on price See all of Ireland's major attractions; The Cliffs of Moher, Giants Causeway, Blarney Castle, Ring of Kerry, Dingle Bay and many more! …

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Overall rating

220 reviews

If you're looking for an easy way to get around Ireland, Paddywagon is definitely a good option! The drivers were funny and entertaining and had some information on Ireland, but they didn't go into details, which is completely fine because we spent a bit of it sleeping, because we were so tired from a day long travel the day before. We brought our 14 month old with us. You have to pay for a seat for infants/toddlers and they will supply a car seat which we ended up installing it ourselves since we knew how to. If you do the tour from Cork to Dingle, it was very pretty! Especially around Slea Head Drive. At Killarney, you switch to a smaller van, which was expected from our end because I had read some reviews about it already and confirmed it with the tour company. I had been in touch with Paddywagon via email prior to visiting Ireland, and they were responsive. If you're looking for a way to just get around Ireland, low key, low stress, I would recommend Paddywagon!

I recently embarked on a tour with Paddywagon, and my experience left me with mixed feelings. Initially, I was somewhat disappointed, but upon further reflection, I discovered redeeming qualities. Despite encountering certain negative aspects, I must recognize that the driver did provide us with alternative options. I had booked the tour with high hopes of visiting the renowned Dark Hedges. However, to my dismay, the driver informed our group that it was no longer included in the itinerary due to safety concerns and ongoing tree removal. While the disappointment of this unforeseen change lingers, I appreciate that such matters were beyond the driver's control. It is crucial for Paddywagon to expeditiously update their website to ensure accurate information is provided to their valued customers. Furthermore, the early start time of 7:20 am enforced a regrettable sacrifice of missing breakfast at my hotel, which proved quite inconvenient. Additionally, the scheduled lunch stop at 2pm seemed inadequately timed, particularly considering the exclusion of the Dark Hedges from the tour. It would be in the best interest of Paddywagon to contemplate adjusting the tour schedule to accommodate these changes. The driver, to their credit, did offer an alternative tour by means of the black car tour, albeit at an additional cost of £20. However, as I had previously partaken in this tour some years ago, I found myself contemplating how to spend my time while others indulged in the black car tour. During the scheduled meal break at the chosen restaurant designated by Paddywagon, I found the vegetarian options to be rather limited. Consequently, my only viable choice was a bean burger, which failed to elicit any particular appeal. Enhancing the dining experience would significantly contribute to overall customer satisfaction, warranting Paddywagon to ensure the provision of a more diverse range of restaurant options, catering to various dietary needs. On a more uplifting note, the driver made a commendable effort to compensate for the earlier disappointment by graciously dropping us off at the bustling Christmas Market, while the remaining group proceeded with the black car tour. This kind gesture provided me with the opportunity to immerse myself in the market's festivities, savor a meal in the city center, and enjoy the enchanting atmosphere, thus amplifying my overall experience. Additionally, I must express appreciation for the chance to visit the awe-inspiring Giant's Causeway, capturing enchanting photos and videos of the picturesque location. However, I feel obliged to caution prospective visitors against perusing the merchandise at the black building gift shop situated alongside the site, owing to the exorbitant additional costs associated solely with browsing. Based on these considerations, I find it fitting to rate my experience with Paddywagon as 2 1/2 stars. I earnestly hope that this feedback will be taken into sincere consideration by Paddywagon, for the purpose of enhancing their services and overall customer satisfaction in the future.

When we went to Ireland, we did THREE tours with Paddywagon Tours and they were all fabulous. Our first was the Cliffs of Moher day tour, which included a drive along the gorgeous Wild Atlantic Way, a stop at the Burren "baby cliffs" that are a smaller version of the Moher cliffs, and Bunratty Castle which looked straight out of Game of Thrones. The weather was a little rainy and foggy, but it made more mysterious feeling like we were on the moors from an old Bronte novel. We next partook in the Giant's Causeway day tour. We stopped first in the Dark Hedges which stood in for the "King's Road" in Game of Thrones. We drove along the beautiful Causeway Coastal route to Giant's Causeway. The humungous rocks of Giant's Causeway make you feel so small and insignificant in the world! After we hiked around the Causeway rocks, our tour group headed to Belfast to spend about an hour in the capital of Northern Ireland. Lastly, we chose the Blarney Day Tour to kiss the Blarney Stone! We drove through the Golden Vale (gorgeous scenery) to get to our first stop which was the Rock of Cashel which was so breathtaking. We next meandered on over to Cork County where we got to spend a little over an hour to have a quick lunch and a bit of shopping. Our last stop was to Blarney Castle, where our tour included skip the line tickets to get our lips on that stone! The tour guides and bus drivers were all very knowledgeable throughout each of these tours, as well as friendly and engaging on those long bus rides. If you're planning a trip to Ireland (mostly if you're basing yourself in Dublin) I HIGHLY recommend utilizing Paddywagon Tours!

See all photos from Sara C. for Paddywagon Tours

Guide... 9/10 Itinerary... 10/10 Accommodations... 9/10 This was a great itinerary with a day filled with adventures. Our trip to Cork and Blarney had great stops with lots of great stops to stretch your legs. The weather did not cooperate the later half of the day, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the insides of Blarney Castle. Make sure that you come prepared for any weather because the show will go on! Our guide Sean was incredibly knowledgeable about all things Irish. He provides a wealth of information to help understand the diverse history of this island country.

Paddywagon did a fantastic job-loved the tour. We started with a pickup a couple blocks from O'Connell St. Seats were comfortable and great air conditioning. Our driver was very friendly. We stopped after about 1.5 hours for a snack and restroom break. Then about and hour at Rock of Cashel, Cork City and finallly Blarney Castle. It was a perfect trip!

Ian was an incredible tour guide and overall person. Thank you for making our trip AMAZING!

HIGHLY recommend this company if you are doing any tours. We made the mistake of doing a different company with our middle one and we didn't like it. He drivers for Paddywagon are so much better!

We took the tour to Cliffs of Moher - it was a must out of Dublin and we were nervous to drive on the other side of the road so a bus tour seemed perfect. The first bus was full so we decided to wait. The tour guide on that bus was kinda creepy towards some younger girls anyway so we weren't mad. Luckily, our tour guide Cash was awesome, attentive, so nice and funny, and great to listen too. He also had great music taste! We were super glad to get him. 10/10 as far as he goes, he has great explanations and facts and we felt very safe with his driving. The tour itself was okay, nothing special. We had a few quick touristy stops where we couldn't do much, but that comes with the industry. They definitely talk up the trip more than it actually is, but we didn't mind, we had a one track mind for the cliffs. I was a little worried about having to pee, but we made pretty frequent stops which was perfect. The cliffs were fantastic, and the tour definitely gives enough time for it - I believe almost two hours. It was perfect for a long walk, we were able to go out about a mile and back with a little time to check out the visitor center. Pretty standard tour as far as bus tours go, but definitely worth if for a budget way to see the cliffs!

Watch out at the Molly Malone pick up they skipped this stop for Belfast. Look elsewhere unreliable and wasted a day waiting for a pickup that never showed. Just terrible and they have little concern for the lack Of availability. Phone called and no pick up. Disappointed and going to other tour companies. It was ok in the end.

Paddy wagon

We had such a great experience on the Cliffs of Moher tour! Our tour guide Dave was very knowledgeable and knew how to have fun. I highly recommend this tour if you are visiting Dublin.

the cliffs!

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Reviews 2.6.

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Unprofessional behaves

I had a disappointment with the Blarney Castle, Rock of Cashel & Cork tour that I participated on 19/05/24. When we arrived at our first stop, the Rock of Cashel, at 10:40 AM, we were informed that the site was closed due to the visit of the President of Italy, who would be there until 2:00 PM, making it impossible for us to visit. This event and the subsequent closure were clearly announced on the official Rock of Cashel website, indicating that the information was publicly available. It is concerning that Paddy Wagon did not verify this information before selling the tour. As a result, we missed out on a highly anticipated part of the experience. Only 10 minutes were added to the time allocated for the other locations, which was insufficient to compensate for the missed visit. Consequently, we neither visited the Rock of Cashel nor had the benefit of spending additional meaningful time at the other sites. In addition to this issue, I would like to highlight that although the bus was noticeably new, the WiFi did not work, contrary to what is advertised on Paddy Wagon's website and brochures. Furthermore, the air conditioning was also non-functional, making the journey uncomfortable. Passengers had to manually open and close the overhead air vents in an attempt to make the trip more bearable on a day when the temperature reached 21 degrees Celsius. These issues resulted in a significant detriment to the overall tour experience, and I feel that the tour did not deliver on its promise. The Paddy Wagon Tours never provided an appropriate compensation or rectification for the inconvenience and disappointment caused. I sent emails and they never replied!!

Date of experience : 19 May 2024

Very happy with the experience!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We were both very happy with the whole trip to Glendalough. Our guide Rory was very nice and seemed like he really enjoyed doing his job! He was also full of knowledge about everything we came across during the bus ride. The sights were so beautiful! Like taken out of a fairy tale. I can only recommend others to take the trip!

Date of experience : 17 May 2024

What do you mean "pride of Ireland"…

What do you mean "pride of Ireland" pure nonsense. Nobody asked the rest of Ireland. Also calling it a paddy wagon is wild considering the history of that name

Date of experience : 16 May 2024

We toured from Dublin to the Ring of…

We toured from Dublin to the Ring of Kerry on 4/13/24 with Richard O’Brien.We thoroughly enjoyed the day! Richard was very informative,friendly,engaging, helpful and very professional. He even was able to “control” the weather that day and the rain stopped at each stop along the way!! We will highly recommend Richard and Paddywagontours to any and all friends and family who travel to Ireland.

Date of experience : 13 April 2024

In general trip was good

In general trip was good, Ireland is very beautiful country. The driver Paul was also good, polite and not loud. Calm music in the bus. For lunch I recommend a seafood dish, very tasty and filling. The only thing I didn’t like was the organizational aspect. 80 euros per person is quite a lot of money and everything was really good, but we didn’t get to the Titanic Museum, simply because we didn’t have time. And it's really frustrating because I pay for the tour, but it turns out that I won't get somewhere. This is weird.

Date of experience : 08 April 2024

Stick to the agreed upon arrangements or think it through for safety

For the most part, I enjoyed the tour that I booked which was the overnight to Belfast, Giant's Causeway and Dark Hedges/ Dunluce. I have to attribute this to Frank, our day 2 driver,who was very personable and not only kept us on schedule but managed to arrange for the Black Cab tours that had been missed the day prior due to the marathon. The issue occurred on the first day of the tour. The driver was surly from the start greeting people with "if you stuck your phones in my face you're not getting on the bus." We made it to the Titanic Experience and then he was dropping us off at accommodations for the night. I had booked the backpackers ticket which meant a mixed dorm in a hostel. The expectation was that at worst there would be multiple females and males sharing bunk beds/individual sleeping pods. When the driver announced we were getting upgraded to hotel rooms, it seemed like a pleasant surprise until he paired me into a room with a stranger (male) that had joined the tour last minute. I expressed concern that we would be in a room alone together and he quibbed,"you'd have been rooming with him anyway." I explained that being in a group dormitory with the accountability of multiple other people in a shared space was a very different dynamic than 1 on 1 in a hotel room but he was only interested in being done with his day and he left.So I ended up staying on my phone chatting with loved ones all night to stay awake and feel safe. The gravity of the situation seemed to have escaped the Paddywagon driver. Changing the accommodations and not allowing an option to choose a safe alternative sleeping arrangement, creates a potentially unsafe situation where anything could happen and they are putting people at risk. I firmly established boundaries and was fortunate that male assigned to the room was respectful/aware of the discomfort with the situation. It could have turned out very differently, especially if it had been a younger, less experienced/less confident solor female traveler placed in that situation. Like it or not, if a tour company puts a vulnerable person in a 1 on 1 situation in a hotel room with someone that decides to take advantage of the situation/is an opportunistic predatory type individual, that company is responsible for whatever happens behind closed doors.

Date of experience : 04 May 2024

Cliffs of Moher and Wild Atlantic Way

I booked the Cliffs of Moher and Wild Atlantic Way trip from Limerick through Viator. They didn't operate the itinerary advertised, skipping out what should have been the most interesting part. The driver claimed this was because authorities had issued new restrictions on where coaches could turn around. The driver extended the stop in Bunratty, but even with an extended stop it was too short to visit the castle. Arrived back in Limerick 1.5 hours earlier than scheduled due to the omitted parts of the tour. I contacted Paddywagon with feedback and they refused to accept any responsibility for failing to operate the tour as advertised. Gosha, who manages their Viator inbox, has absolutely no customer service skills whatsoever. He replied like he wanted to start an argument with me and even called me the wrong name.

Date of experience : 27 March 2024

A group of six of us recently travelled to Giant’s Causeway from Belfast. The scenery was beautiful and I’d recommend a trip to Giant’s Causeway to anyone. Our only problem was our driver. He was most unprofessional in dress and manner. He actually sat with his feet on the dashboard while we entered the coach. He advised strongly not to go into the visitor centre at Giant’s Causeway- that’s a complete waste of money! He made a stupid “joke” about a Japanese couple while we sat opposite a Japanese/Chinese couple! Overall I was embarrassed for the foreign tourists onboard ie is this what Irish people are really like! I would not recommend any tourist to travel with this company.

Date of experience : 30 January 2024

STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY

The driver left us stranded on a highway 80km from Dublin because he was in a rush to finish the tour early on Christmas Eve. Despite sending multiple emails, we received no response, and no refund was provided. Exercise caution when dealing with this company! If they eventually provide assistance, I may reconsider and update my review.

Date of experience : 24 December 2023

Didn't respect schedule. C'mon be honest

Booked a trip from Cork to Cliffs of Moher. It said "stop at Doolin village for lunch and visit" and instead without announcing it earlier we stopped at a regular place for lunch. We also missed another stop because they told us it was not accessible (again, NOT advertised before). We chose the tour because of this particular program and they didn't even bother to change it on their stupid site! When I asked they told me "oh yeah this was before, now they changed it". So why fooling people like this?!

Date of experience : 05 November 2023

Cruise ship unable to dock in Dublin

Our cruise ship could not dock due to high seas so we missed the Dublin port. Contacted Paddywagon several times to ask for a refund. Paddywagon already had my money, so they did not even bother responding to my email! Poor customer service!!!!

Date of experience : 30 September 2023

Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains

Went on a half day morning tour to Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains. Great trip, had er very nice guide/chauffeur called Alex who shared interesting stories about Ireland. Very beautiful mountains as well.

Date of experience : 02 November 2023

Never recommend

The staff is definitely rude and improfessional. I feel very uncomfortable in the coach because of the terrible driving. We also had to stay in the highway for more than one hour while the driver didn't even try to explain. Will never reommend to anyone.

Date of experience : 01 January 2024

Our first Ireland Trip.

We recently returned from Ireland, where we went on a few tours with your company (from Dublin). We would like to point out one driver especially Gerry (though all have great knowledge). His wit, driving skills and historical knowledge made our all day tours very enjoyable.

Date of experience : 14 April 2023

Irish wit and breathtaking scenery

This is so much more than just a sightseeing tour. Last week our group had the pleasure of being guided by Gerry. Not only is he an excellent busdriver, he is also a remarkable tourguide, historian and in fact a comedian. He took great care of everyone, went out of his way to make it an interesting and unique experience. Us four Dutchies had the BEST time, saw so many wonderful things and we learned so much. I usually get nauseous quite quickly during bus rides but I was completely comfortable the entire trip. I'm so glad we booked with Paddywagon. Do yourself a favor, book the Giant's Causeway tour from Dublin and -if you weren't already- prepare to fall deeply in love with the Emerald Isle!

Date of experience : 26 April 2023

This Tour Overdelivered!

This tour easily under promised and over delivered! We saw more sites than expected, a surprise dinner, a bus-on-ferry crossing of the Shannon River, and good accommodations. Our driver/guide, Cash, kept us well-informed, in good spirits, with great recommendations for food, drink, and shopping. Optional additions included a boat trip to view the Cliffs of Moher and a horse & carriage ride in Killarney. When the chef didn't turn up to cook breakfast the morning after Daylight Saving Time kicked in, our B&B host and Cash jumped in to cook all of us a full Irish, and it was delicious...and they kept us on schedule, bravo! I would do another tour!

Date of experience : 24 March 2023

AVOID! HORRIBLE! NO CUSTOMER SERVICE! NOT TO BE TRUSTED! Wife and friends booked 2 day trip (Dublin-Cork-Dublin). 2nd day they were left at The Cliffs of Moher. Driver told them trip had changed without any explanation. Had to make it back to Dublin by other means. Driver (Kevin) offered no help. Head office asked them to send an email with their issues. Ireland is wonderful, but do yourself a favour and avoid this company as they will ruin the experience! AVOID!

Date of experience : 22 July 2023

My GF and I took a day tour on…

My GF and I took a day tour on 10/24/22. Bryan was our tour bus driver. For the most part the tour was presented nicely however towards the end of the tour Bryan decided to start talking about his opinion about Irish politics. We sure didn't ask for his opinion to be broadcast on the Bus speaker system nor did anyone else on the bus. So instead of having a enjoyable trip we wound up having to listen to Bryan ramble on, VERY unprofessional.

Date of experience : 24 October 2022

Do not book this company!

Do not book this company!! Terrible customer service! On our booking email there was no details about arriving at the bus stop 5-10 minutes early for our full day Belfast day tour. So we arrived on time (8:15am) and the bus left right in-front of us! Absolutely terrible when people have paid good money to visit Dublin & for the tour. Our day was wasted and we were so disappointed to miss this experience We have called the head office hundreds of times with no response. It’s just terrible. The students who take free walking tours around the city care provide better customer service! More care should be taken.

Date of experience : 20 June 2022

Disgraceful customer services

Bus was oversold so I had to sit in the guides seat at the steps. 20 minutes into the journey a passenger vomited all over me, when I notified the office of this they offered me a freely available 10% discount code to use on my next booking.....

Date of experience : 08 July 2023

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Paddywagon Tours

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Cliffs of Moher Day Tour from Dublin: Including The Wild Atlantic Way

Blarney Castle Day Tour from Dublin Including Rock of Cashel & Cork City

Giant's Causeway Day Tour from Dublin

Cliffs of Moher and Galway City Day Tour from Dublin

6-Day All Ireland Tour from Dublin Including Accommodation

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

PADDYWAGON TOURS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Paddywagon revenues down €10.75m in 2020 due to pandemic

Tour bus operator hit hard by social distancing rules and halt in overseas tourism.

Paddywagon was established by Cathal O’Connell in 1998. Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times

Independent tour bus operator Paddywagon suffered a €10.75 million or 77 per cent hit to revenues in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New accounts for Paddywagon Ltd show the business recorded a pre-tax loss of €1.33 million in the 12 months to the end of October 2020.

This follows a pre-tax profit of €862,338 in 2019, a negative swing of €2.2 million.

Revenues reduced from €13.98 million in 2019 to €3.22 million in 2020.

Work visa crisis may choke hospitality recovery, recruiter claims

New dispute about development of €25m hotel on Dublin’s James Street

Tourism Ireland paid more than €52,000 for Ryder Cup hospitality tickets

Tourism businesses warn that staffing crisis could shut them down

During 2020, the tour bus operator missed out on its overseas customer base as discretionary international travel came to a halt, while Covid-19 social distancing rules for bus operators also restricted numbers.

Underlining the impact the pandemic had on the business in 2020, overall visitor numbers to one of Paddywagon’s most popular destinations, the Cliffs of Moher, declined by 80 per cent.

Paddywagon is a bus operator, hostel operator and tourism merchandise supplier.

The accounts show their tour bus income declined from €13.9 million to €3 million, while in 2020 the business also generated “other sales” of €126,872 and shop sales of €34,374.

Numbers employed by the business during the year declined from 118 to 62 as staff costs reduced from €3.53 million to €1.24 million.

The sharp drop in staff costs included swingeing cuts to directors’ pay from €150,000 to €66,354. The directors are listed as company founder Cathal O’Connell and Cormac O’Connell.

The loss for 2020 takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €971,079, offset by a profit of €335,551 on the sale of assets.

The business was established by Cathal O’Connell in 1998.

At the end of October 2020, the firm’s accumulated profits stood at €2.8million - during the 12 month period the firm’s cash funds reduced sharply from €2.75 million to €679,473.

Gordon Deegan

Gordon Deegan is a contributor to The Irish Times

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Unprofessional behaves

I had a disappointment with the Blarney Castle, Rock of Cashel & Cork tour that I participated on 19/05/24. When we arrived at our first stop, the Rock of Cashel, at 10:40 AM, we were informed that the site was closed due to the visit of the President of Italy, who would be there until 2:00 PM, making it impossible for us to visit. This event and the subsequent closure were clearly announced on the official Rock of Cashel website, indicating that the information was publicly available. It is concerning that Paddy Wagon did not verify this information before selling the tour. As a result, we missed out on a highly anticipated part of the experience. Only 10 minutes were added to the time allocated for the other locations, which was insufficient to compensate for the missed visit. Consequently, we neither visited the Rock of Cashel nor had the benefit of spending additional meaningful time at the other sites. In addition to this issue, I would like to highlight that although the bus was noticeably new, the WiFi did not work, contrary to what is advertised on Paddy Wagon's website and brochures. Furthermore, the air conditioning was also non-functional, making the journey uncomfortable. Passengers had to manually open and close the overhead air vents in an attempt to make the trip more bearable on a day when the temperature reached 21 degrees Celsius. These issues resulted in a significant detriment to the overall tour experience, and I feel that the tour did not deliver on its promise. The Paddy Wagon Tours never provided an appropriate compensation or rectification for the inconvenience and disappointment caused. I sent emails and they never replied!!

Date of experience : May 19, 2024

Very happy with the experience!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We were both very happy with the whole trip to Glendalough. Our guide Rory was very nice and seemed like he really enjoyed doing his job! He was also full of knowledge about everything we came across during the bus ride. The sights were so beautiful! Like taken out of a fairy tale. I can only recommend others to take the trip!

Date of experience : May 17, 2024

What do you mean "pride of Ireland"…

What do you mean "pride of Ireland" pure nonsense. Nobody asked the rest of Ireland. Also calling it a paddy wagon is wild considering the history of that name

Date of experience : May 16, 2024

We toured from Dublin to the Ring of…

We toured from Dublin to the Ring of Kerry on 4/13/24 with Richard O’Brien.We thoroughly enjoyed the day! Richard was very informative,friendly,engaging, helpful and very professional. He even was able to “control” the weather that day and the rain stopped at each stop along the way!! We will highly recommend Richard and Paddywagontours to any and all friends and family who travel to Ireland.

Date of experience : April 13, 2024

In general trip was good

In general trip was good, Ireland is very beautiful country. The driver Paul was also good, polite and not loud. Calm music in the bus. For lunch I recommend a seafood dish, very tasty and filling. The only thing I didn’t like was the organizational aspect. 80 euros per person is quite a lot of money and everything was really good, but we didn’t get to the Titanic Museum, simply because we didn’t have time. And it's really frustrating because I pay for the tour, but it turns out that I won't get somewhere. This is weird.

Date of experience : April 08, 2024

Stick to the agreed upon arrangements or think it through for safety

For the most part, I enjoyed the tour that I booked which was the overnight to Belfast, Giant's Causeway and Dark Hedges/ Dunluce. I have to attribute this to Frank, our day 2 driver,who was very personable and not only kept us on schedule but managed to arrange for the Black Cab tours that had been missed the day prior due to the marathon. The issue occurred on the first day of the tour. The driver was surly from the start greeting people with "if you stuck your phones in my face you're not getting on the bus." We made it to the Titanic Experience and then he was dropping us off at accommodations for the night. I had booked the backpackers ticket which meant a mixed dorm in a hostel. The expectation was that at worst there would be multiple females and males sharing bunk beds/individual sleeping pods. When the driver announced we were getting upgraded to hotel rooms, it seemed like a pleasant surprise until he paired me into a room with a stranger (male) that had joined the tour last minute. I expressed concern that we would be in a room alone together and he quibbed,"you'd have been rooming with him anyway." I explained that being in a group dormitory with the accountability of multiple other people in a shared space was a very different dynamic than 1 on 1 in a hotel room but he was only interested in being done with his day and he left.So I ended up staying on my phone chatting with loved ones all night to stay awake and feel safe. The gravity of the situation seemed to have escaped the Paddywagon driver. Changing the accommodations and not allowing an option to choose a safe alternative sleeping arrangement, creates a potentially unsafe situation where anything could happen and they are putting people at risk. I firmly established boundaries and was fortunate that male assigned to the room was respectful/aware of the discomfort with the situation. It could have turned out very differently, especially if it had been a younger, less experienced/less confident solor female traveler placed in that situation. Like it or not, if a tour company puts a vulnerable person in a 1 on 1 situation in a hotel room with someone that decides to take advantage of the situation/is an opportunistic predatory type individual, that company is responsible for whatever happens behind closed doors.

Date of experience : May 04, 2024

Cliffs of Moher and Wild Atlantic Way

I booked the Cliffs of Moher and Wild Atlantic Way trip from Limerick through Viator. They didn't operate the itinerary advertised, skipping out what should have been the most interesting part. The driver claimed this was because authorities had issued new restrictions on where coaches could turn around. The driver extended the stop in Bunratty, but even with an extended stop it was too short to visit the castle. Arrived back in Limerick 1.5 hours earlier than scheduled due to the omitted parts of the tour. I contacted Paddywagon with feedback and they refused to accept any responsibility for failing to operate the tour as advertised. Gosha, who manages their Viator inbox, has absolutely no customer service skills whatsoever. He replied like he wanted to start an argument with me and even called me the wrong name.

Date of experience : March 27, 2024

A group of six of us recently travelled to Giant’s Causeway from Belfast. The scenery was beautiful and I’d recommend a trip to Giant’s Causeway to anyone. Our only problem was our driver. He was most unprofessional in dress and manner. He actually sat with his feet on the dashboard while we entered the coach. He advised strongly not to go into the visitor centre at Giant’s Causeway- that’s a complete waste of money! He made a stupid “joke” about a Japanese couple while we sat opposite a Japanese/Chinese couple! Overall I was embarrassed for the foreign tourists onboard ie is this what Irish people are really like! I would not recommend any tourist to travel with this company.

Date of experience : January 30, 2024

STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY

The driver left us stranded on a highway 80km from Dublin because he was in a rush to finish the tour early on Christmas Eve. Despite sending multiple emails, we received no response, and no refund was provided. Exercise caution when dealing with this company! If they eventually provide assistance, I may reconsider and update my review.

Date of experience : December 24, 2023

Didn't respect schedule. C'mon be honest

Booked a trip from Cork to Cliffs of Moher. It said "stop at Doolin village for lunch and visit" and instead without announcing it earlier we stopped at a regular place for lunch. We also missed another stop because they told us it was not accessible (again, NOT advertised before). We chose the tour because of this particular program and they didn't even bother to change it on their stupid site! When I asked they told me "oh yeah this was before, now they changed it". So why fooling people like this?!

Date of experience : November 05, 2023

Cruise ship unable to dock in Dublin

Our cruise ship could not dock due to high seas so we missed the Dublin port. Contacted Paddywagon several times to ask for a refund. Paddywagon already had my money, so they did not even bother responding to my email! Poor customer service!!!!

Date of experience : September 30, 2023

Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains

Went on a half day morning tour to Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains. Great trip, had er very nice guide/chauffeur called Alex who shared interesting stories about Ireland. Very beautiful mountains as well.

Date of experience : November 02, 2023

Never recommend

The staff is definitely rude and improfessional. I feel very uncomfortable in the coach because of the terrible driving. We also had to stay in the highway for more than one hour while the driver didn't even try to explain. Will never reommend to anyone.

Date of experience : January 01, 2024

Our first Ireland Trip.

We recently returned from Ireland, where we went on a few tours with your company (from Dublin). We would like to point out one driver especially Gerry (though all have great knowledge). His wit, driving skills and historical knowledge made our all day tours very enjoyable.

Date of experience : April 14, 2023

Irish wit and breathtaking scenery

This is so much more than just a sightseeing tour. Last week our group had the pleasure of being guided by Gerry. Not only is he an excellent busdriver, he is also a remarkable tourguide, historian and in fact a comedian. He took great care of everyone, went out of his way to make it an interesting and unique experience. Us four Dutchies had the BEST time, saw so many wonderful things and we learned so much. I usually get nauseous quite quickly during bus rides but I was completely comfortable the entire trip. I'm so glad we booked with Paddywagon. Do yourself a favor, book the Giant's Causeway tour from Dublin and -if you weren't already- prepare to fall deeply in love with the Emerald Isle!

Date of experience : April 26, 2023

This Tour Overdelivered!

This tour easily under promised and over delivered! We saw more sites than expected, a surprise dinner, a bus-on-ferry crossing of the Shannon River, and good accommodations. Our driver/guide, Cash, kept us well-informed, in good spirits, with great recommendations for food, drink, and shopping. Optional additions included a boat trip to view the Cliffs of Moher and a horse & carriage ride in Killarney. When the chef didn't turn up to cook breakfast the morning after Daylight Saving Time kicked in, our B&B host and Cash jumped in to cook all of us a full Irish, and it was delicious...and they kept us on schedule, bravo! I would do another tour!

Date of experience : March 24, 2023

AVOID! HORRIBLE! NO CUSTOMER SERVICE! NOT TO BE TRUSTED! Wife and friends booked 2 day trip (Dublin-Cork-Dublin). 2nd day they were left at The Cliffs of Moher. Driver told them trip had changed without any explanation. Had to make it back to Dublin by other means. Driver (Kevin) offered no help. Head office asked them to send an email with their issues. Ireland is wonderful, but do yourself a favour and avoid this company as they will ruin the experience! AVOID!

Date of experience : July 22, 2023

My GF and I took a day tour on…

My GF and I took a day tour on 10/24/22. Bryan was our tour bus driver. For the most part the tour was presented nicely however towards the end of the tour Bryan decided to start talking about his opinion about Irish politics. We sure didn't ask for his opinion to be broadcast on the Bus speaker system nor did anyone else on the bus. So instead of having a enjoyable trip we wound up having to listen to Bryan ramble on, VERY unprofessional.

Date of experience : October 24, 2022

Do not book this company!

Do not book this company!! Terrible customer service! On our booking email there was no details about arriving at the bus stop 5-10 minutes early for our full day Belfast day tour. So we arrived on time (8:15am) and the bus left right in-front of us! Absolutely terrible when people have paid good money to visit Dublin & for the tour. Our day was wasted and we were so disappointed to miss this experience We have called the head office hundreds of times with no response. It’s just terrible. The students who take free walking tours around the city care provide better customer service! More care should be taken.

Date of experience : June 20, 2022

Disgraceful customer services

Bus was oversold so I had to sit in the guides seat at the steps. 20 minutes into the journey a passenger vomited all over me, when I notified the office of this they offered me a freely available 10% discount code to use on my next booking.....

Date of experience : July 08, 2023

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