Stress-Free Scotland

My bonnie Scotland... a term of endearment towards the country that you will be sharing for years to come after your vacation there. Especially after taking your journey with us on this incredible Scotland escorted vacation. With rates starting at $1,379 this dream trip is really a steal. You'll start off by flying into Glasgow and spending a night there. Then, you're off to mysterious Loch Lomond where you'll take a ferry to the romantic Isle of Skye. You'll spend the night there at the Dunollie at Broadford. You'll then travel through the historical Scottish Highlands and make your way to Inverness where you will enjoy a sheepdog display, visit a whisky distillery, and the mountain resort of Pitlochry. You'll also see St. Andrews and Scone Palace where you'll hear the fantastic histories of the crowning of Scottish kings. Then lastly, off to vibrant Edinburgh to visit sites enveloped in history.

The thing that's wonderful about Sceptre Tours' escorted vacations is that we take care of all your transfers, all your transportation, almost all of your meals - many of which are quite luxurious, and all the sightseeing adventures you need. You really don't have to worry about anything. So, if you're someone who likes a stress free vacation, this is really the way to go for you.

Check out all our escorted vacation packages, and more specifically this Scotland escorted vacation today!

Luxurious Travel Through Britain

For those of you out there who maybe want a more guided vacation, with less stress of getting around on your own, have you ever thought about taking an escorted vacation? Escorted vacations can be wonderful. With the motorcoach, there is no need to drive yourself around, an especially great thing when traveling in the U.K., seeing as not many of us Americans are comfortable with the left side of the road thing. If this sounds like your kind of thing, you will probably love this package.

We’ve got a great British Sampler vacation package. With prices starting at $1,099 it’s hard to beat this nine day escorted tour package with travel provided for you all across the U.K. You start in London, complete with sightseeing tours of all the famous landmarks. Next, you’re off to Stonehenge and then Bath, a quaint village in the English countryside. You will visit Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon and then onto picturesque Llangollen in North Wales. After that, you will head to Edinburgh, Scotland’s castle and home of a famous castle and the Queen’s Holyrood Palace. But we’re not done yet. Next, you’ll enjoy a walking tour of the medieval city of York and a visit to the market town of Stamford. Lastly, you will venture to the famous city of Cambridge.

Most meals are included, as well as hotel stays, and complete transportation to and from the airport and all over the U.K. If this doesn’t sound like the coolest, yet easiest vacation ever, we don’t know what does. We would love to make this dream British escorted vacation happen for you. Help us help make you happy and book today!

Vacationing with Smartphones

It seems like as of late, the whole world has jumped on the smartphone bandwagon. Smartphones and the invention of “apps” have dramatically changed the way people travel too. For most destinations now, there is no need for the traditional paper guidebooks anymore, as many iPhone apps now have all the necessary details for you at the touch of a fingertip. At Sceptre Tours this exciting change intrigues us. While we still offer great tour packages such as Ireland guided tours and escorted Italy and Scotland tours, we still love how our travelers can now always feel at ease wherever they are in the world with these awesome apps.

For example, let’s say you are traveling through Ireland on one of our golf vacation packages. While we may be there to make arrangements for you, what if you decided to take the car for a drive into busy Dublin? You need not fear getting lost – there’s an app for that. AroundMe is a great app that locates you via GPS and finds local amenities around you, like ATMS, stores, restaurants, hotels. It will even guide you with step by step instructions.

 Lonely Planet and other guidebook companies now have app versions of country or city guides, eliminating the need for extra baggage. And let’s not forget to connect with other local friends and organizations while on your European vacation. Facebook and Twitter have apps that make it easy for you to stay connected. There are numbers of other apps that can make your vacations abroad ten times easier. We dig it. Do you?

Travel Tips for You

Here are the best six tips for setting up a holiday vacation of a lifetime:

Stop searching and be found – The advent of RSS (Real Simple Syndication) news feeds means that news, information and web resources will be sent to you by subscription. When you find a great source for tickets, lodging or vacation packages, look for the small, orange, square button in your browser toolbar, or search the site for “RSS,” then click and set up your “feed.” In Internet Explorer, your feeds can be found in your IE favorites area.

Let your email help – These same sites may also send regular newsletter or sales announcements by email, and sites without RSS will normally offer this service. Subscribe to some good, reputable sites and the information will be delivered to you daily, weekly or (sometimes) on a schedule of your choosing.

Comparison shopping – There are various sites, like traveljungle.com or travelsupermarket.com, where you can compare offerings from travel agencies and brokers from around the world. That holiday vacation of a lifetime just might be part of a package deal that you will find this way.

Forget the hotel bill – The less you spend on accommodations, the more you can spend skiing or sailing or trekking around the island of Malta. If “home exchange” sounds like a strange concept to you, do some Googling and you will discover that it is a low-cost way for travelers to trade their house in New Jersey for a small villa in Spain. Homes can even come with a car, or household help, as part of a package deal, so check on this option carefully at such websites as Digsville. This site, like similar ones, has listings around the world. A beachfront bungalow in the South Pacific, a ranch home in the wilds of Australia or an apartment in central Tokyo can be yours with the right trade, the right timing and the right arrangements.

Skip the driving – If you're going to vacation in a big city, you can probably have a great time without a car. Driving a car overseas can be stressful and public transportation, bikes and taxis are all possible replacements. This is also a good way to “go native” and see how the locals really live day to day.

Discount dining – If your vacation trip will be a few weeks or more, consider preparing some of your own meals. You can save a good deal of money since eating out three times a day can add up quickly. Shopping at local markets and food stores is also a fabulous way to learn the language, interact with the local culture and meet the “real people” of the country, instead of the country’s tourism professionals.

Touring the Beauties of Ireland

When touring Ireland, you have several options to choose from: tour via walking, cycling, paying a taxi or a driver, taking a bus, boarding the train, or renting a car and driving. Here are some ways to tour Ireland:

Touring Ireland by Driving

Should renting a car and doing your own driving strike your fancy. Here are a few things to know. The drivers in Ireland are typically polite and the traffic is more on the lighter side than being heavy. Like the rest of Britain, you drive on the left side of the road. The Irish roads tend to be very narrow but well maintained. They're stonewalled lined or lined by hedges and with slower speed limits, you'll feel like you're zooming by everything. Many times, you'll have to stop to let the traffic that's oncoming pass you. Be sure to check for convex mirrors that have been placed in the bushes and hedges so that you can check for cross traffic. Do keep in mind that sometimes taking a car is slower than you would think as many highways run directly through the middle of towns.

Touring Ireland by Train

Traveling by train is a good way to see the major villages including Waterford, Galway, and Cork. Those who backpack and bike may find taking the train useful. If you're trying to go from the west side of Ireland to Dublin, then traveling by train by be your quickest bet as even divided highways run smack dab in center of towns. However, taking the train around Ireland will limit you as their are many places such as Newgrange, Ring of Dingle, The Giants Causeway, and many rural areas in Ireland that the train cannot get you to. Many people combine train travel with bus and/or ferry. Touring Ireland by Bus

Touring by bus is very affordable. There is a huge variety of escorted bus tours with different themes and locations. Here are just a few: a "taste of Ireland" type tour where you get a tidbit of this area and that area including the foods of that location, an Irish heritage type of tour where you get to experience the deep traditions of Ireland the way it was, and a bus tour that focuses on the Irish legends and traditions.

Scotland Tartan Package

The Scotland Tartan Bed and Breakfast Packages are perfect for independent travelers who wish the flexibility of creating their own itinerary around Scotland. Enjoy your first night pre-booked at the Jury's Inn in Glasgow or Edinburgh and then choose the next 5 nights from over 400 Discover Bed & Breakfasts sprinkled throughout Scotland, or upgrade to Premier B&Bs (private bath) with automatic car for only $79 for the week.

Enjoy home cooked Scottish breakfasts, personalized Scottish hospitality and experiences which last a lifetime. If you are interested in staying in Edinburgh for your first night travelers will fly into Glasgow airport, pick up their car rental and drive approximately 45 minutes to Edinburgh. Both cities offer travelers an incredible first night at two of Scotland's liveliest cities. Recommended visits along your journey are Loch Ness (Inverness), town of St. Andrews, Edinburgh Castle and many more areas waiting to be discovered.

Founded in 1413, St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland. By the middle of the sixteenth century the University had three colleges - St Salvator's (1450), St Leonard's (1511), and St Mary's (1538): the buildings of St Mary's College and St Salvator's Chapel both date from this period.

The 16th to 18th centuries saw a period of mixed fortunes for the University. During this time St Salvator's and St Leonard's Colleges joined to form the United College which still survives in a greatly enlarged form.

In the 19th century the University made considerable progress in developing teaching and research in the Arts, Divinity and the Biological and Physical Sciences. In 1897 the University was joined by a new academic centre in Dundee and with it gained notable achievements in Medical and Applied Science. This association ended in 1967 with the foundation of a separate University of Dundee.

The University history, its personalities and its teaching practices can be traced through the collections of documents, art works, furniture, laboratory equipment and specimens that it has accumulated in its Museum collections.
Documents

Sceptre Tours is your #1 choice for escorted tours through Scotland! Enjoy the St. Andrews University and everything else Scotland has to offer! Choose Sceptre Tours for your next Scotland vacation!

Florence Fling

Florence, the city that gave birth to the Renaissance. Known for its art, culture and intriguing history, it has captured the imagination of travelers for centuries. Your vacation will include round trip air and 4 nights (or extend up to 6 nights!) at the 3* Hotel Meridiana. Experience the wonders of Florence including Michelangelo’s famous statue of David, Giotto's Bell Tower, Piazza Duomo and the many wonderful museums and galleries throughout the city including the Uffizi and Accademia. Florence is the perfect place for a romantic city-break, a fantastic shopping and dining getaway, or an escape into the heart of Italy's aritistic and cultural heritage!

The bell tower of Santa Maria del Fiore was begun by Giotto in 1334, carried on after his death by Andrea Pisano, and finished in 1359 by Francesco Talenti, who created the large windows at the upper levels. The sculptural decoration of the tower is extremely rich: 56 relief carvings in two registers, and 16 life-size statues in the niches, all by Florentine masters of the l4th and l5th century (among whom Andrea Pisano, Donatello, Luca Della Robbia).

Piazza Duomo is the major square in Milan and one of the most renowned tourist sites in Italy’s capital of fashion and business. It features the Duomo Cathedral, Royal Palace and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It is located in the city centre and is easily reached by the metropolitan railway. At the square you can visit luxurious shops and charming restaurants with inviting settings and excellent cuisine.

Sceptre Tours offers you escorted tours throughout Florence at the lowest prices you will find anywhere else! You witness magnificent marvels such as Piazza Duomo and Giotto's Bell Tower, just two rich cultural landmarks you will see during this trip! Choose Sceptre Tours for your next vacation to Italy!

Dublin City Vacation

The history and culture of Dublin makes this city a favorite destination in Ireland. Museums, pubs, restaurants and shops make Dublin an eclectic city with something for everyone. Enjoy 4 nights in Ireland's capital city (or extend up to 6 nights!) at the Regency Hotel or travelers have the option to upgrade their accommodations to The Croke Park Hotel (4*) for only $50. Experience Ireland’s capital city’s main attractions such as Guinness Storehouse; St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Zoo, Jameson Distillery and more.

The Dublin Zoo is reknowned for it's rich history. Dublin Zoo was opened in 1831 by the then Royal Zoological Society of Ireland, which had been founded the previous year. The animals were supplied by its counterpart in the UK, London Zoo.

Like other Zoo's of this time, Dublin Zoo was nothing like it is today. Its purpose was to show as many different kinds of animals as possible to people who had never seen anything like it.

With the Dublin City Vacation package you will witness all the wonders of Dublin and get extensive viewing pleasure at the Dublin Zoo! Sceptre Tours is the leader in escorted tours and vacation packages at the lowest prices throughout Europe, and specializes in vacations to Ireland! Choose Sceptre Tours for your next trip to Europe!