Cork and Blarney Castle Rail Tour from Dublin

1 day

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About this activity

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Blarney Castle & Gardens, Monacnapa, Blarney, Cork T23 Y598 Ireland

On arrival in Cork at 09:35, we transfer to our Railtours Ireland tour coach through Cork City to Blarney Village and historic Blarney Castle – which is over 600 years old.

Explore the beautiful gardens and take the time to kiss the famous stone, which is said to bestow the gift of eternal eloquence on those lucky enough to do so. There is also time for shopping and lunch at Blarney Village.

TIP! We recommend that you have lunch there, as this will be the only opportunity during the day to have a substantial meal.

You depart Blarney at 13:30 hrs. Approximately – or as directed by your Host – for Cóbh, via the city centre and a short city tour.

Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Cobh Cathedral, Cathedral Terrace, Cobh None Ireland

On arrival at Cóbh (pronounced: Cove), we will visit St Colman’s Cathedral. We will then proceed down along the sea front passing the former White Star Line offices en route to the beautifully restored Victorian railway station/transatlantic terminal. This is now the Cóbh Heritage Centre, home to the Queenstown Story to which your entrance is included.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Cobh Heritage Centre -The Queenstown Story, Cobh P24 CY67 Ireland

When Queen Victoria visited Ireland in 1849 she came to Cóbh and the town was renamed Queenstown in her honour – it was renamed Cóbh after Irish independence in 1922.

Cóbh was, of course, the final port of call of the RMS Titanic and this theme is well expounded. The centre also houses much information about the Great Famine and subsequent Irish Emigration – 3 million Irish people emigrated from Cóbh (principally to the United States).

The Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Cork – marking the United States’ entry to the First World War – and the small number of survivors were brought to Cóbh for refuge.

Cóbh is also the headquarters of the Irish Navy and you will most likely see some navy ships.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

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Included

Host on trains
Information pack
Reserved seats on trains
Qualified driver-guide on coaches
All travel by rail and coach from Dublin
Entry/Admission - Blarney Castle & Gardens
Entry/Admission - Cobh Heritage Centre -The Queenstown Story

Not included

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks, unless specified

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
For infants 4 years and under, a fee of EUR15,00 per day is payable direct
Wheelchair accessibility: As long as the passenger has some mobility then this tour would be suitable. Trains in Ireland are wheelchair friendly. However, buses/coaches are not. The guest would have to be able to climb the steps onto the bus. Mobility Scooters cannot be accommodated on this tour.
This tour offers stops en route for photographs, shopping, etc
Due to operational reasons it may, on occasion, be necessary to alter certain itineraries
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Children U16 cannot book independently. They must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 53 travelers

Features

Tourism

95%

Cultural

70%

Original

45%

Reviews

4.6

352

KELLY R

5 | 2019-08-16

I booked this trip because my 14 and 15 year were looking to see the Blarney Castle. We were SO pleasantly surprised with 5 star treatment from check in. The tour included a first class rail trip out to Cork/Cobh, and our tour guide Brian immediately took us to the train ,ensured we all had appropriate seats, and kept everyone entertained the entire trip. We learned so much more about Ireland from Brian, and he was engaging for everyone including my teens. We also appreciated not being rushed through any part of the tours - we had more than enough time at each stop - the Blarney Castle, the Cobh Heritage center and more. It was a pleasant trip, well organized and everything we saw and did was first class. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone!

byjoanna

4 | 2019-08-14

The rail and Blarney Castle part of the tour were very good. I have trouble walking so it took me longer to make the trek and kiss the stone. Didn't have time for anything else - even a rest stop! Needed more time at Blarney and the rest of the trip was superfluous seemed like killing time. Disappointed on time but realize I took extra time. "Host" was not very accommodating, didn't seem used to any one with special needs.

Diane L

4 | 2019-08-14

My daughter and I took the rail tour and found it a great way to see Ireland without having to rent a car and drive. We arrived at the Blarney Castle early in the day and before the crowds. We wished we had more time visiting Cork as it appeared to be a quaint city but due to tight schedules, we were unable to explore. Yes this was a downfall of the tour. We did one other rail tour and out of the two, this tour guide wasn't as helpful, but sometimes you have a bad day. We were so fortunate with the weather and everything about the countryside was beautiful.

Jennifer O

4 | 2019-08-01

Very nice day trip to Blarney and Cork. It’s a long day so be prepared. (Our kids did fine.) Would have preferred more time in Blarney and less time driving through Cork and Cobh. Would book again.

Carol R

5 | 2019-07-03

The excursion was very informative and interesting. Had a lot of time to explore Blarney Castle. The grounds were beautiful and climbing up to the Blarney Stone was exciting. I was very impressed with the organization and our guide.

Steven M

5 | 2019-07-03

We were extremely pleased with the trip to Cork, Blarney Castle, and Cobh. Our tour guide, Norman, was outstanding and provided excellent information on the trip. I would highly recommend this tour, especially if you have a limited amount of time in Ireland and would like to see as much as possible. We fell like it was a very good value for our time and money. Thanks!

William B

5 | 2019-07-03

The great part about this tour was that you rode on a train for the long portions of the trip. You could stand up and get stuff from the cafe car, which is much better than being stuck on a coach for hours. We got a considerable amount of time at Blarney. Enough to kiss the stone, walk around the property and have lunch. Then we got to see Cork and Cobh. In Cobh we saw mass graves for Lusitania victims, a cathedral and then the immigration/titanic center. Afterwards, another train ride back to Dublin. In the future, this is how I prefer tours. I can’t overstate how nice it is to be able to stand and move around vs, being seat belted into the bus. The train ride, in addition, passed by several ruins of castles. It was a great ride.

nathanaelfry71

5 | 2018-08-08

Had an amazing time. The tour guides were great, very knowledgeable of the area.

Robert M

5 | 2018-07-15

Sites were amazing. Blarney castle and Cove Emigration center was a must see! We spent minimal time in Cork. Train ride was fun and relaxing. One suggestion - The tour company ran 4 tours simultaneously on the outbound train (1/2 day tour, full day tour, 3 day tour and 7 day tour), so this made some of the logistics a little confusing, and made the initial tour size pretty large and not very personal.

Nancy W

5 | 2018-06-12

We had an excellent time on this trip! Our guides were very organized and expert at shepherding a large group of people from train to bus, and made sure to count heads before leaving each location. We enjoyed the train ride, especially on the way back after a long day of visiting Blarney Castle and the town of Blarney for lunch and shopping, and seeing the other sights in Cobh. I highly recommend this tour.

jmbpollard

5 | 2018-03-28

Our trip was wonderful. Our guide Jonathan was extremely knowledgeable about the area and the history which made the tour that much more enjoyable. Highly recommend this trip!

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