Last October we had the chance to help sisters Beth and Ellen plan a week long road trip to Ireland. They had a long list of sites they wanted to see; the resulting itinerary was an action-packed tour of the Emerald Isle.

We spoke with Beth and Ellen when they got back from their trip. Working with the pair last fall to plan a their bucket list trip through Ireland was a ton of fun, so we were eager to hear how their trip went, and how they each enjoyed traveling with their sister! We were also excited to get their feedback on what it was like to plan a trip with Set Forth Adventures, and how it added to their trip.

Set Forth Adventures: To start off, please just tell us a bit about your trip! Where did you go, and how was it?!

Beth: We did a big Irish road trip! From Dublin we went up north and saw Northern Ireland first. In Northern Ireland we found all kinds of great roadside attractions like farmers markets, museums, and old churches. From Northern Ireland, we made our way down to Galway a few days later, where we checked out a bunch of coastal attractions and stayed at the best B&B ever (the Adare Guest House). From Galway we headed to Killarney and spent a few days there. We were super pleased with Killarney – we were expecting it might be a little busy/touristy, but it wasn’t at all and we loved where we stayed. There is so much to explore near and in Killarney that we didn’t even do the Ring of Kerry drive we had been planning on! Then, we had a great last drive back to Dublin, stopping off at the Rock of Cashel. In Dublin, we dropped off the car at the airport before spending a few days in the city. Dublin was great!

Ellen: It was Beth’s second time [in Ireland], and my first time, and I want to go back! Beth provided a great summary of our trip. I’ll just add that we loved all the people we met and our favorite part was talking to strangers everywhere we went. For example, Beth left her Yeti cup at a Visitor Center, and the woman there had to track us down to get it back to us!

SF: Ok great, thanks for that summary. I’d love to start back with the planning process. You all came into your work with Set Forth with a specific destination in mind, and some pretty concrete plans and goals. Besides wanting to support Set Forth (thanks for that!), what were you hoping to gain from the decision to collaborate as you finalized your plans?

Ellen: All of the research that Set Forth did was hugely time saving. Beth planned a trip to Italy a while ago, and I remember her spending 4 hours booking a single hotel! Your research was a huge head start.

Beth: Set Forth provided such a great framework/rubric for us to shape our own trip. I’ve mentioned Set Forth to 3 different people now, and used the “Trader Joe’s” analogy you use. [Note: In working with clients, we often compare planning with Set Forth to the shopping experience at Trader Joe’s. There, the lower number of brands available for each product (usually just 2 or 3) reduces decision fatigue and makes shopping more enjoyable. We aim for the same thing as we help clients focus on a few great options that really meet their needs!]. Set Forth provided a framework that we could build off of – booking the rooms for this trip only took an hour. I also loved the polished final delivered product/PDF – a visual summary.

SF: Awesome, well that’s all really good to hear! And then, moving on to the trip itself: were there any specific highlights? Anything that is going to really stick with you?

Beth: It was our second day driving the vehicle we rented. I want to be clear that, overall, we both did a great job driving. However, the roads are narrow and we definitely both had a tendency to really hug the shoulder of the road. On this particular day, we were going through a neighborhood and I looked at my watch as we went along. In doing so, I bumped into the curb. Right as that happened we came over a rise and there was a cop with his lights flashing to pull me over!

The cop immediately knew something was up because I pulled over on the wrong side of the road! He was super kind as he grabbed my license. As I chatted with one cop another motorist stopped by and asked if we were all doing ok – once that motorist departed, the officer shared that most residents in northern Ireland strongly dislike the police.

When the the cop came back he did say he had to breathalyze me! I had never done it before! I blew a 0 and he gave me the breathalyzer tube as a memento. The cop also pointed out to us that we were missing two hub caps! We ended up buying hub caps at the end of our trip to replace the missing ones, in order to avoid a charge with Hertz…

SF: Wow, that is fantastic stuff. I’m curious: when you think back on the itinerary we eventually put together, where in that itinerary did you all notice Set Forth’s input showing through and really having an impact on your experience? It’s fine if you aren’t sure, but I’m just curious to hear what you think!

Beth: The Adare Guesthouse in Galway! That was totally handled by Set Forth – loved that addition. I also really liked how there were always alternatives within the plan that Set Forth created for us. We had printed off two copies of Set Forth’s PDF of potential activities, and we were checking off which ones we had done – it was so fun!

Ellen: Around Killarney, we did a horse carriage ride (a “jaunting car”), and also Dunloe Gap and a small waterfall hike right next to town, all of which were suggested by Set Forth. Set Forth definitely suggested a lot of great walking options for us – my phone kept telling me I had done more steps than usual!

SF: One thing I really loved about planning your trip is how awesome it is that you two wanted to travel together as siblings! I love adventuring with my sister, and was excited to be a part of your adventure together. I’d love to hear if you have any thoughts or reflections on the experience of sharing a trip, and a whole bunch of time, together as siblings?

Ellen: I loved it! We are good travel buddies and we know about the differences between our travel styles, so it’s really fun. For example, I like to have a real dinner each night, sometimes Beth will just snack!

Beth: It’s great to travel with a sister because you can be 100% open and honest with one another. No filter needed!

SF: Ok and as we start to wrap up here – what would you say to people who are considering collaborating with Set Forth to plan a trip, but aren’t sure if it would work for them?

Ellen: They should talk to Nate! We started by asking you how [planning with Set Forth] would look and how it would fit our needs, and then we took it from there after hearing from you directly about what it would look like for us.

Beth: I think Set Forth can be super valuable to anyone! Having someone who can do a bunch of research and provide a handful of options for you to select between is valuable to any traveler with any destination in mind.

SF: Sweet! So, my final question that I am trying to end all of these interviews with: What’s next for you? Do you have any adventures you’re currently dreaming of?

Beth: I want to go on some classic bucket list adventures – I am thinking about hiking hut to hut in the Dolomites and also would like to cycle from Italy south, along the coast of Croatia.

Ellen: I have been looking at Scotland! Similar to the trip we just went on, but also different.

SF: Well, it sounds like we may be hearing from you two again soon! Thanks so much for your time today, and for working with Set Forth — I’m so happy to hear you had a great trip.