I Sent My Husband on a Vacation I Wouldn't Take Myself
My husband and I love to travel, but we have slightly different ideas of what makes a great vacation.
He’s a see as much as possible, fill the day with adventures kind of traveler. I’m more of a slow down and enjoy the experience traveler. I appreciate a beautiful hotel, a leisurely breakfast, and enough time to actually enjoy the places I’ve traveled halfway around the world to see.
So when he started talking about visiting Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, I knew exactly what kind of trip would appeal to him. And I also knew it wasn’t one I would necessarily choose for myself.
I ended up planning a 12-day group tour for him, plus two extra days in Edinburgh to enjoy some things he wanted to experience independently. It was a great opportunity to see three countries, visit some iconic destinations, and fit in a few personal bucket-list experiences along the way.
Here’s a closer look at the trip and what made it a good fit for him.
Three countries, 12 days, and plenty to experience
The group tour was designed for travelers in the 35–45 age range and covered quite a bit of ground across Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.
The itinerary included:
Edinburgh
The Scottish Highlands
Loch Ness
Glasgow
Dublin
Galway
Giant’s Causeway
Belfast
The tour included transportation, primarily by bus and ferry, hotel accommodations throughout the trip, 12 breakfasts, and four dinners.
For someone who wants to see as much as possible in a relatively short amount of time, that can be a huge draw. You don’t have to figure out transportation between destinations, coordinate hotels, or research every activity along the way. Much of the logistics are already taken care of.
What’s included, and what can you add along the way?
One thing I always encourage travelers to look at when comparing tours is exactly what’s included in the price.
This tour included several sightseeing experiences, including:
Giant’s Causeway
The Kelpies
Loch Ness Monster cruise
Blarney Castle
Cliffs of Moher
Beyond those included experiences, there were additional activities available throughout the trip. My husband chose nine of them, spending approximately $500 extra.
Some of the experiences he added included:
Highland Games, with traditional competitions like the caber toss and tug-of-war
A three-course meal with live traditional music
Jameson Distillery tour
Sheepdog experience
Titanic Belfast experience
Guinness Storehouse visit
Some of the additional activities also included lunch.
His favorite paid experience? The Highland Games. He also really enjoyed the sheepdog experience and getting to see the famous hairy cows (which, let’s be honest, are pretty adorable).
The Guinness Storehouse was another highlight.
When comparing tours, it’s worth looking beyond the advertised price. Consider which optional experiences interest you, what they cost, and how much you might want to budget for meals, drinks, and other activities along the way.
A couple of extra days for Fringe Fest (and local beer, obviously)
We added two extra days in Edinburgh so he could experience the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
If you’re unfamiliar with Fringe Fest, it’s a massive arts festival that takes over the city, with comedy, theater, music, and performances happening in venues throughout Edinburgh.
This was one of his personal goals for the trip, along with trying several local beers. Everyone has their priorities!
He really enjoyed the atmosphere of Fringe. Street performers were everywhere, and with so many venues nearby, he could grab a beer, find a show that interested him, and get in line. There was always something happening.
Those extra days gave him the freedom to explore Edinburgh on his own schedule. It was a great way to incorporate something he specifically wanted to experience rather than simply following the scheduled itinerary of the group tour.
And that’s one of my favorite parts of planning travel: finding ways to make a trip feel personal to the person taking it.
Would I take this trip?
Probably not in this format. And that’s not a reflection of the tour. It was a great fit for what my husband wanted to do and his travel style.
I prefer a little more breathing room in my itinerary. I like spending several nights in one place, enjoying the hotel, and having time to explore without constantly watching the clock.
When my husband and I travel together, we find a happy medium.
Our trips to Italy, Paris and even Jamaica, for example, have included plenty of sightseeing and activities, but we’ve also chosen accommodations that are part of the experience. We make time for memorable meals, wandering through neighborhoods, and enjoying the destination without needing to fill every hour.
He gets his adventures. I get my slower mornings and nice hotels. It’s a pretty good arrangement.
And honestly, that’s what makes travel planning interesting. Two people can visit the same destination and have completely different ideas of what their ideal vacation looks like.
Why a planning consultation matters
This trip is a great example of why I don’t believe in recommending a vacation based solely on the destination.
Want to visit Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland? Wonderful! But what kind of experience are you actually looking for?
Would you enjoy a structured group tour that takes you through several destinations, with transportation, accommodations, and sightseeing already arranged? Would you rather rent a car, choose your own hotels, and explore at your own pace? Or would you prefer a combination of the two?
There are also details that can make a big difference in choosing the right tour: the age range of the group, how frequently you’ll change hotels, how much free time is available, what’s included in the price, and which experiences cost extra.
These are the kinds of things we talk through during a planning consultation. I want to understand what matters to you, what you’re hoping to experience, and what you want your days to look like before we start narrowing down the options.
I can help plan a fast paced group adventure, a relaxing luxury getaway, a cruise, or something that falls somewhere in between.
The details that make one vacation perfect for someone might make it completely wrong for someone else. That's why I take the time to get to know my clients before recommending a trip. Because the goal isn't just to plan a vacation. It's to plan the right vacation for you.
Comments