International travel is finally on the rise again after spending much of the past 2+ years assisting clients with putting their international travel plans and trips on hold due to the pandemic. I must say, it’s nice to see many of my clients resume traveling abroad. However, if I am being completely honest, it hasn’t always been easy or problem-free for many of them. (Teaser — more about that in out next blog article.)

Fortunately, for Steve and Shanna H., and some of their dear friends, whom I recently sent on a trip to Ireland, everything went pretty much according to plan. Here is what Steve had to say about their Ireland adventure:

It had been my wife’s dream to visit Ireland and, after years of talking about it, we finally decided to gather up a couple friends and take the plunge! On the tail end of COVID and in a foreign country that we hadn’t visited before, we weren’t sure where to start. Luckily, we were introduced to Sharon at Avant Travel and the trip she planned for us went very smoothly, exceeding our expectations. What an amazing experience!

Sharon put together a 10-day journey around Ireland that couldn’t have gone any better. The locations, the sights, the hotels, the dinners, and yes, even the transportation, were all perfect. We toured 4 different cities around Ireland and were able to see everything they had to offer. We were able to do a full tour of the country and touched all of the major sites. I came away feeling like we didn’t just vacation in Ireland, but that we really got to experience the country, culture, and history (oh, and we got an excellent taste of all the pubs they had to offer 😊).

Every day had a detailed schedule with amazing events. Since we’ve returned, I’ve been asked what my favorite part was and it’s impossible to offer just one thing. Every day seemed to offer a “favorite part.”  We stayed in a castle, visited the Cliffs of Moher, toured Dublin, the Guinness storehouse, flew falcons and hawks. And did I mention the pubs? But it’s possible that the people of Ireland were my favorite part too. We didn’t meet a single person who wasn’t friendly and helpful and eager to chat. They are proud of their country and so welcoming of others.

I can’t wait to take my next trip overseas. Our group has already begun talking about where to next and when. And there’s no doubt that we’ll be ringing Sharon at Avant to help with that trip too. I can’t imagine a more perfect vacation.

As they say in Ireland … “Sláinte!”

Steve H.

Avant Client

Thank you, Steve, for taking the time to write this informative blog article (and for sharing your great pictures too!). It was a pleasure working with you and your group and I am so glad all of you had a such a wonderful time! I can’t wait to  assist you in planning your next travel adventure!

Sharon Betts

Co-Owner, Travel Advisor