Do we as newleyweds go on a guided tour, with a bunch of people, who could be a range of early 20's to seniors?? OR go on a drive as you please tour and risk the "driving on the wrong" side of the road and getting into a "battle" on which way to go?? help

Both have there pro's and con's. A guided tour will give you the same experience that the average tourist gets. You'll see the main sites, but will probably never see the 'real' Ireland. It will however be easy and less planning on your part.

If your the type that can laugh at the "i think we should've turned left back there", then getting off the beaten path can help make it a honeymoon to remember.

Check out About.com's Irleand page. Pay special attention to the links on the left hand side of the page. You'll see essentials, Offers, and Topics. You can get a ton of travel information. It will also help you decide on which side of Ireland you really want to see. Historic, or 'Happening'? Dublin is considered one of Europe's top party towns. So if you're into the nightlife, that would be a great place to start. If you're looking for the calm that a great old castle and the rolling bluffs of the green hillside, there are tons of choices too. Make note of the weather during the time of year you plan on going. It may affect the activites you plan on doing.

Bottom line: Do a ton of research. Start online and search 'ireland' on the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN,....maybe Ask.com) and work from there. There are also great informational sites like about.com and wikipedia.com. They have good general information.

Hope this helps. Have fun...Ireland looks like a fun place to visit. Hope I have the pleasure someday.

__________________

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
~Author Unknown

It's funny, my fiance and I were debating the same topic, except instead of Ireland we will be going to Paris and Venice. A guided tour you have to be careful with because they are targeted more towards the elderly market and you may find yourselves the youngest there. Also, a guided tour constantly keeps you on the move whether you are ready to move on or not. Basically, you may not see everything and end up disappointed. You may want to consider an "independent" tour, which is different from a guided tour. An independent tour allows you to set your own itinerary, but someone will always be there on site (In the city you will be staying at) if you have questions or concerns with ANYTHING AT ALL!! It is kind of up to you, but we were debating the same issue and we decided to do an independent tour instead because that sounded more our speed and we felt more comfortable knowing that someone can help us if we need it. I'd recommend you two do the same or go all by yourselves because it is Ireland and there is so much to do and see. I'm rambling on, but I hope that this helps you and let me know what you two decide to do. TTYL

I recently sent a couple to Dublin and London for their honeymoon and they did not do the guided tour which is exactly what I would recommend for a honeymoon couple. The cost aside, there are too many things that will be out of your control and this is the one time that you really want to make sure that you can go with the flow of your newlywed hearts!

There are other ways that you can keep the cost down and with a travel agent you can let them do all of the research for you (that's what we are here for)! I don't charge any fees for research and encourage all contacts to keep us in mind for that purpose - even if they are not booking with us!

The couple that I sent to Dublin booked at a good time and received a city tour for free with the package that we put together and then I sent them e-mails about the area and "must-see" and "must-do" things in the area. They were really interested in rock'n'roll history so I sent them some information about tours that they could do related to the history of rock!

Travel agents can match most of the online pricing that you can find out there (and I usually do a good search for you to make sure that you are getting the best price) and can be super helpful with the research! I strongly recommend for any Europe travel. I would love to help more and I can usually get quotes and information with 24-48 hours so feel free to e-mail me at aprilandmatt@allabouthoneymoons.com!