Travel Department Reviews 

Fantastic location and thoughtfully planned trip. One criticism would be the inclusion of half board in the hotel. This was unnecessary as there were endless fabulous restaurants on the doorstep of the hotel.
Secondly, the cost of the trip could probably have been reduced!

We have just returned from a fantastic River Cruise with The Travel Department, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience.
​Having a dedicated tour coordinator with us made an absolute world of difference. They looked after us every single day, guiding us around the sights and handling all the daily logistics seamlessly. Knowing we had a direct point of contact for any questions or issues made the entire trip completely stress-free and relaxing.
The ship was lovely food staff were excellent
I was absolutely delighted with the flexible seating arrangements during meals. It was wonderful not being locked into the same table with the same people from the beginning of the trip to the end, which allowed us to mix, mingle, and make so many new friends."

We had a fantastic holiday. We travelled as a party of 3 with one having special needs but everything was perfectly planned for us so we didn’t need to worry about anything. The bus always turned up at the exact time to take us out and home again. The guide Vincento recommended good and reasonable places to eat when we were out and about. The hotel staff were all so helpful and kind. The hotel was spotless. I am recommending my son and daughter to the same trip for their 20th wedding anniversary next year. They will love the tours as they were excellent too. Thank you for organising a wonderful holiday 👍

Great Hotel accommodation surrounded by lush green gardens, great Sicilian food and very friendly staff all beneath the stunning backdrop of Mt Etna.

This was our second trip with TD and can I say how much we enjoyed our experience.
From start to finish it was a very enjoyable holiday.
Our accommodation in Una-Hotel was excellent, the garden room was perfect, and well serviced each day.
The hotel complex while quite large was so well laid out with lush green gardens that it never felt like you were in a big resort.
Every member of staff was so friendly and helpful and we availed of many of the activities that were available each day,Including the 50 metre swimming pool.

The dinner each evening was a wonderful selection of Sicilian tastes and everything was cooked to a very high standard and didnt repeat once in the week we spent there. It was such a large and varied selection of meats, cheeses, pasta, salads and cooked dishes that were on offer each evening,followed by delicious homemade deserts and cakes, served with a nice local wine, we were spoilt for choice.
Well done Una Hotel Naxos Beach

Our guide Mario was truly excellent, from beginning to end he ensured that our trips and tours were enjoyable and he went above and beyond to assist and guide and brought this part of Sicily to life for us.
He educated, entertained and informed us each day about many aspects of Sicilian life, food, history and culture.
He taught us the language and the hand signs and gave us printed handouts with additional information about each of the places we visited. He was well prepared and had everything lined up perfectly at each step of our trip so we never waited or queued at all.
On our last day, Mario brought us on a lovely tour of Catania and we sampled excellent street food and finished with a delightful lunch at a local Trattoria and this was so enjoyable, a wonderful way to end the holiday. Grazie Mille Mario

in a world where holiday experiences so often can disappoint, this was a very pleasant surprise and exceeded all our expectations.

Benissimo and well done Travel Department

I was on the Fjords of Norway 7 night holiday in May. Wonderful holiday. Great opportunity to explore Norway - incredibly beautiful . Hotels were excellent particularly in Lofthus and Flam - wish we could have stayed longer in Lofthus. Our guide helpfully supported us through every day. We travelled by coach, trains and boats- Memorable trips on the fyords, an electric powered catamaran and the Flam railroad and many many waterfalls! Excellent guides on the walking tour of Bergen and Oslo. I was travelling alone but enjoyed the company of my friendly fellow travellers. Think the size of group - 25 (approx) was perfect for good interaction. My second holiday with the Travel Department and definitely the best.

I travelled to Sorrento on 28 April last where we stayed at Hotel Jaccarino. The hotel was built in the 1800's and was situated on a hillside remote from Sorrento. The bedroom had a small balcony with one chair, however there was no access to it as a large bed was pushed up against the doors - a few nights later I realised why - the doors did not close properly and the wind was pouring in through the gap. Only one side of the wardrobe was useable as the fridge/writing table were pushed up against the right hand door of the wardrobe, thus making it inaccessible. There were 79 steps up to the room on the second floor from the dining room - there was only one old and extremely slow lift to the rooms and it was very small. The service in the dining room was unbelievably slow and the food was rarely warm enough. On the day of our return home, I handed in my key at reception and was immediately told that I had to pay my bill from the dining room, I informed them that I had paid that the previous day and had no outstanding items since. The male receptionist said I had not paid the bill and the discussion went from bad to worse when he demanded to see my receipt which I didn't have as I don't normally keep them. At this point in time there were four receptionists staring at me and demanding payment. Also getting more annoyed was an entire bus load of fellow travellers waiting outside and I was now very, very late in boarding.
Following a phone call from the bus to the reception, I was "allowed" to leave. I was extremely upset about this incident and will never be returning to either that hotel or to Sorrento. I checked my bank account on arrival home and found my payment of the bill. I have travelled with the Travel Department many, many times but this was an experience never to be forgotten for all the wrong reasons.

The best holiday in my life!
Travelling solo to Egypt with the Travel Department (Ireland) in May 2026 turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. The trip through Egypt was a breath-taking mix of ancient history, desert thrills, and seaside relaxation. From the moment we stepped off the plane into the warm Cairo air, we were treated to a level of luxury and hospitality that made us feel like royalty.
Our journey began at the Grand Egyptian Museum, where sunlight filled the modern halls and Ramses II towered above visitors like a guardian of Egypt’s past. From the quiet awe of Tutankhamun’s treasures, we plunged into the colourful chaos of Khan El Khalili, a maze alive with voices, spices, and shimmering stalls.
Nothing compared to seeing the Great Pyramids rise from the desert or squeezing through the narrow passages of Khufu’s Pyramid. The Great Sphinx felt both familiar and astonishing, as if meeting an old legend face to face.
In Luxor, the Valley of the Kings revealed its hidden world of colour beneath barren hills, with Tutankhamun’s Tomb shining brightest. The elegant terraces of Hatshepsut’s Temple and the monumental columns of Karnak led naturally to the graceful beauty of Luxor Temple. A sunrise hot air balloon ride cast the whole valley in golden light.
Life slowed on the HS Radamis II, where warm hospitality and peaceful Nile views made each day feel effortless. Along the river, Edfu and Kom Ombo offered two very different windows into ancient myth.
In Aswan, the Sound and Light Show at Philae brought the story of Isis and Osiris to life under the stars. A motorboat ride and a dreamy felucca sail around Elephantine Island revealed the gentle rhythm of Nubian life.
Our journey ended with turquoise waters in Hurghada and the thrill of the desert — racing across dunes on a quad bike, swaying on a camel, and meeting Nubian and Bedouin communities whose warmth added a human heartbeat to the adventure.
What made this trip truly special was our incredible tour guide Emad ‘Dodi’ Fathy. He didn’t just guide us - he welcomed us, supported us, inspired us, and made us feel at home in a country we were only just discovering. Traveling with an award winning Egyptologist felt like walking through history with a friend who knows every secret the temples hold. His depth of knowledge was staggering, turning every stone and hieroglyph into a captivating story. Dodi managed every detail with professionalism and warmth, ensuring our experience was seamless, educational, and deeply personal. He didn’t just show us Egypt—he made us feel it, understand it, and fall in love with it. Thank you, Dodi, for filling our journey with knowledge, kindness, and memories I’ll treasure forever!
If you are looking for a destination that combines world-class luxury with awe-inspiring history, Egypt is the ultimate choice. Form me, the trip to Egypt has been the best holiday in my life!

I'm just back from one of many holidays with the Travel Dept. This holiday was to Nerja, Granada and Costa del Sol. Fabulous trip, hotel in Almunecar was amazing. Great location and facilities. Tour guide Claire was brilliant, knowledgable, interesting and couldn't do enough for guests. Trips were very enjoyable. Loved every minute of this holiday, highly recommend.

We have just returned from our trip The Little Trains of the Pyrnees. We just returned on the 27th of May 2026. What a fantistic trip 100% reccomend it. Our tourguide Margaret was excellent went above and beyond to ensure we all had a truly amazing holiday. Thanks to the Travel Department.

Just returned from a fabulous Travel Department Holiday to Tuscany. Honestly, after the experience, I just want to holiday with them in future. We were based in the beautiful spa town of Montecatini and we travelled to Pisa, Luca, Sienna, San Gimignano and Montecarlo Village. Our Tour Guide was a local woman from Montecetini called Claudia. She was so efficient and personable and also very amusing and great at rounding up the troops. She introduced us to the guides in the various locations and we went on an optional tour on our second last day to the beautiful mountain village of Montecarlo. Honestly, it was the best tour of the trip. We had time to look around the village and then we were brought back via bus the short trip up to a beautiful farmouse, wherein we had a guided tour and then lunch and wine with our group. All the guided tours to each of the locations were fabulous and we also had time in each town or village to explore on our own. The Grand Hotel was so beautiful, a fabulous old world 4 star hotel that was so regal. We sat in a beautiful dining room each night, exclusively for the use of our tour group and all had a four course dinner together and most of us retired to the bar afterwards. The funicular in the town took us up to the beautiful village of Montecatini Alto and we went back there on one of our free days. The medieval village of San Gimignano was stunning, as was Sienna and Luca. All of it was amazing. I really can't wait to go back to Italy with Travel Department again and top marks to Claudia for being such a wonderful tour guide. Myself and my husband are vegan and she checked out everywhere we went in advance for us. We also had a fabulous group lunch in Pisa, which Claudia organised and it was very reasonable and enjoyable. I'm team Travel Department all the way from hereonin!

just recently returned from the Travel Deptartment Discover Provence Arles/Nimes/Avignon trip with a group of 15 from the Skerries and Tallaght Historical group. The hotel was lovely and in an excellent location in Arles. Our tour guide Anke was excellent. The itinerary was really good and the tours were interesting and informative. My initial call with Christine in the Group Tours was very helpful with information and decision. All in all an excellent trip. Many Thanks to the Travel Dept.
Vivienne Kettle

Lovely hotel and staff . Nice to have music there at night . Tours and guide were Brillant . Also down time on two days so not overtaxed !

We have never found fault with this company until today
Most of the groups are over 60 years of age ., and we found the tours too long and exhausting.
The worst part was having to spend the day of our departure in a hot city .. waiting to get to the airport
Why not let us stay at our hotel until departure time so we can arrive at the airport fresh .. not hot sweaty and tired ?
Apart from all of that I cannot fault the wonderful hotel and food and the guides
All in all we had a lovely time.. generally
Linda

Very well organised holiday, our first time using the Travel Department and our first time in India. Very well organised tour and everything went as it should.
Great guide, an absolute mine of information. Hotels were all very good for food and accommodation. We found the extras, such as drinks, very pricey with limited choice. Understandably to see so much in 10 days the schedule was quite busy, early starts and long drives between cities. A little more downtime would have been welcome. Overall a great taste of India and good value for money.

We were very satisfied with our holiday and everything was excellent..

The guide sylvie & bus driver Paulo were the best we have experienced on any of our holidays with travel department. They were both efficient, friendly, professional, obliging & especially our guide knew & understood her clients.

Travelling solo to Egypt with the Travel Department (Ireland) in May 2026 turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. The trip through Egypt was a breath-taking mix of ancient history, desert thrills, and seaside relaxation. From the moment we stepped off the plane into the warm Cairo air, we were treated to a level of luxury and hospitality that made us feel like royalty.
Our journey began at the Grand Egyptian Museum, where sunlight filled the modern halls and Ramses II towered above visitors like a guardian of Egypt’s past. From the quiet awe of Tutankhamun’s treasures, we plunged into the colourful chaos of Khan El Khalili, a maze alive with voices, spices, and shimmering stalls.
Nothing compared to seeing the Great Pyramids rise from the desert or squeezing through the narrow passages of Khufu’s Pyramid. The Great Sphinx felt both familiar and astonishing, as if meeting an old legend face to face.
In Luxor, the Valley of the Kings revealed its hidden world of colour beneath barren hills, with Tutankhamun’s Tomb shining brightest. The elegant terraces of Hatshepsut’s Temple and the monumental columns of Karnak led naturally to the graceful beauty of Luxor Temple. A sunrise hot air balloon ride cast the whole valley in golden light.
Life slowed on the HS Radamis II, where warm hospitality and peaceful Nile views made each day feel effortless. Along the river, Edfu and Kom Ombo offered two very different windows into ancient myth.
In Aswan, the Sound and Light Show at Philae brought the story of Isis and Osiris to life under the stars. A motorboat ride and a dreamy felucca sail around Elephantine Island revealed the gentle rhythm of Nubian life.
Our journey ended with turquoise waters in Hurghada and the thrill of the desert — racing across dunes on a quad bike, swaying on a camel, and meeting Nubian and Bedouin communities whose warmth added a human heartbeat to the adventure.
What made this trip truly special was our incredible tour guide Emad ‘Dodi’ Fathy. He didn’t just guide us - he welcomed us, supported us, inspired us, and made us feel at home in a country we were only just discovering. Traveling with an award winning Egyptologist felt like walking through history with a friend who knows every secret the temples hold. His depth of knowledge was staggering, turning every stone and hieroglyph into a captivating story. Dodi managed every detail with professionalism and warmth, ensuring our experience was seamless, educational, and deeply personal. He didn’t just show us Egypt—he made us feel it, understand it, and fall in love with it. Thank you, Dodi, for filling our journey with knowledge, kindness, and memories I’ll treasure forever!
If you are looking for a destination that combines world-class luxury with awe-inspiring history, Egypt is the ultimate choice. Form me, the trip to Egypt has been the best holiday in my life!

Everything about the cruise was perfect. The staff were excellent.The group facilitator Sean was fantastic. We will definitely be booking another cruise with the Travel Department.

TD had a recent 30th year Competition and the winner and entry was not posted on Website. I emailed Cust. Service/Marketing dept and still none the wiser. I'm a loyal customer and have previously emailed TD complementing service/Guides and recommended TD to family and friends. And I'm very dissapointed that this info is not posted on website. I feel its disingenuous to the customers who entered and also not in the spirit of Fair Play of the competition