While so much can be booked online these days, a truly immersive and memorable journey requires more than just clicks – that’s where Across the Pond Vacations comes in. Planning a vacation can take anywhere from 30 to 60 hours, and we take all of that work off your hands. From the moment we begin discussing your trip until you return home and share your feedback, we handle every detail, walking with you each step of the way to ensure all travel arrangements, itinerary details, and helpful tips are covered. We start by learning about your travel style – the type of tour you want, where you want to go, and what you’d like to see – and then design a personalized, tailor-made itinerary, selecting local guides, accommodations, and experiences that perfectly match your preferences. Our goal is simple: to go above and beyond for every guest. This level of personalization and service isn’t something you’ll find online; we handle all the details so you can focus on enjoying the journey, resulting in a trip full of discovery, relaxation, and adventure – a vacation crafted just for you.

It is always a good time to visit the UK and Ireland. But, there are certain benefits of traveling at different times. Summer months will likely have the best weather, but they will also likely have the most crowds (and higher prices). Shoulder months are particularly good to reduce the number of children traveling (as they’re in school) and still have quite nice weather. Winter months may be colder, but you will likely find better prices and less crowding during these months. Balancing better weather, fewer crowds, and fair prices can be tricky, so please speak to one of our Destination Specialists for more information. 

When you are ready to move forward with confirming your trip, we will require a signed Contract, Terms & Conditions, and a 30% deposit (if your trip departure date is more than 90 days away). If your trip departure falls within 90 days of signing your paperwork, full payment will be due.

Final balance payments are due no less than 90 days from your date of departure.

If you prefer to pay via credit card, we accept VISA, MasterCard, or Discover. (We can take American Express, but an additional merchant fee will be added to the cost.) We also accept personal checks and (EFT) electronic fund transfers. For more information, please reference our Terms & Conditions or ask one of our Destination Specialists.

Unfortunately, we cannot work with mileage or points. However, in some cases, points or mileage may be earned. Please ask one of our Destination Specialists for more details. 

Absolutely! In fact, we are happy to specifically custom design your tour to provide both amusement and education (for all ages). There are some attractions which may not be suitable for younger children. Just let us know if you plan on traveling with children, their ages, their interests, and we’ll tailor a tour that will ensure everybody is happy.

Definitely. In fact, sometimes the best journeys we take are taken alone. These experiences can be very rewarding. (We ask that you please keep in mind that the prices quoted on our website are per person and are based on double occupancy.) Your customized itinerary will be tailored for a solo traveler.

Yes! In fact, if you’re interested in flying Premium, Business, or First Class, we can often provide you with a better rate than you might find online. Simply ask your Destination Specialist.

We can for our American clients and are happy to provide you with a quotation. We typically work with TravelGuard, Travelex, or Allianz. For our international clients (e.g., Canada, etc.) wherever you call home, we recommend the purchase of travel insurance for your trip. (Be sure to purchase a policy within 14 days of your first trip payment – be it your land tour or airfare.)

Yes and no. While the U.K. and Ireland are our primary destinations, we can also include travel to and around Paris, France. Paris is a popular location to visit from London via the “chunnel.” If you wish to add-on a different location (Iceland, Germany, etc.), just let us know and we’d be happy to recommend a great Destination Specialist for any of those countries. 

Quite likely, yes. Some of the finer hotels are now offering American/Canadian outlets, but you are well-advised to bring a small electricity outlet converter. 

We cannot, but we do have recommendations of how to go about doing so. Please visit our Helpful Information page for more information.

If you’ve never done it before, driving on the left side of the road can feel a bit awkward at first. But we’ll do everything we can to ease you in. We will ensure that you have a car with an automatic shift. We also provide a Driving Infographic and Rules of the Road (which we recommend you study before departure). Most of our clients who drive for the first time in Ireland or Great Britain say they acclimate within about an hour. (We also ensure you have Collision/Damage Waiver insurance included with your car rental for when those side mirrors “go missing.”)

Ireland and the United Kingdom are both known for having beautiful, lush, green scenery. The reason for this… rain! These are island nations, and therefore are subject to varying temperatures, often within a short time span. Please reference our Helpful Information page for weather information. But keep in mind that some areas within the U.K. and Ireland can experience four seasons in a day. For clothing, we recommend dressing in layers as the safest bet. And, without question, bring an umbrella. Also, you may also wish to invest in a quality pair of rainboots (a.k.a. Wellington’s or Wellies) to weather muddy terrain, especially if you’re in the countryside. For those dining in finer restaurants, ask us about dress codes.