Ireland bound US vacationers can, for the first time, avail of a range of hosted tours and day excursions when they arrive at Shannon Airport in heart of the west coast of Ireland, County Clare.

The tours will cater for the strong increase in the numbers of US passengers through Shannon and are designed to provide a car free, care free experience. Shannon Airport is the North American gateway for exploring the Wild Atlantic Way, the longest coastal touring route in the world. The Wild Atlantic Way has been so popular that it has resulted in significant growth in tourist traffic, particularly from the US.

To meet this demand, top Irish tour operator, Railtours Ireland First Class are launching new tours, using a combination of train and luxury coaches. Tours will depart daily from Shannon Airport at 8.00am connecting into the extensive Railtours Ireland touring network.

Rail tour options available from Shannon Airport, range from one to eight days in duration. In addition to the Wild Atlantic Way the tours include iconic visitor sites and attractions such as, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, the Cliffs of Moher both in County Clare; King John’s Castle in Limerick city, Connemara, Galway Bay and the Aran Islands, the Ring of Kerry, Cork Blarney Castle, Belfast and the Causeway Coast

Commenting on the new service Andrew Murphy, Chief Commercial Officer, Shannon Group said: “Transatlantic traffic at Shannon Airport grew by 10% last year and an extra 46,000 seat will be available this year on USA services to Shannon. We are delighted to offer an additional service which provides a hassle free way for our passengers to explore Ireland’s world class visitor sites and we look forward to welcoming US visitors to our airport where Shannon Duty Free, the world’s first duty free store, was established in 1947.”

Announcing the initiative, Mr Jim Deegan, Managing Director of Railtours Ireland First Class said: “Railtours Ireland’s key market is North America with major airlines such as; Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines, arriving into Shannon. Having identified a demand we are delighted to offer tours from Shannon Airport. These tours have been created specifically with the US vacationers in mind and are a great addition to our current portfolio of tour products.”

Tours start from a little as $69.00 for a one day excursion. To explore all tour options visit www.railtoursireland.com. The tours will run all year round and can be booked on their website, advance booking is required.

Railtours Ireland First Class are an incoming tour operator and destination management company, based in Dublin, which offers an extensive menu of over 41 fully escorted tours, from Dublin to Ireland’s must see visitor attractions. One-day tours to nine-day tours with a combination of train and luxury coaches. Railtours Ireland carries 25,000 visitors annually and is now entering 18 years of successful operations and experience.