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Q. Do
you offer tours/service routes for individuals?
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A. No.
We do not
operate scheduled bus tours or service
runs where you can join as an individual. We operate on a
private hire basis only where we supply your own private coach
and driver to fulfil your own personal itinerary.
Sites of interest would be:
Bus Eireann -
Scheduled national services
CIE - Nationwide tours
Barratt Tours -
Day Tours
Aircoach - Scheduled
Services
J.J Kavanagh -
Scheduled Services
Irish Rail - National
Rail Service
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Q.
Do
you organise/book Hotels, Tee-times, etc.? |
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A.
We do not organise/book
hotels or Tee times on behalf of our customers. However we
can advise you on all aspects of your tour, from
your accommodation to Tee-times and
Restaurants to Tourist Attractions.
It has become increasingly common through the use of the
internet for groups to make their own bookings online and
just hire a coach and driver from us.
It helps us to focus on what we do best - handle
your ground transport!
It helps
you to get the best possible price without any commissions,
fees or favours.
However we have some good contacts in the industry who would
be delighted to assist you with Hotels and Tee Time bookings
- Please contact us
for more details |
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Q.
Do you offer self
drive vehicles? |
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A.
Unfortunately we do not offer this
type of service. All our vehicles are supplied with an
experienced and qualified driver.
Avis do offer this
service but only for vehicles up to 9 seats including the
driver. |
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Q.
Is
our itinerary flexible? |
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A.
We Pride ourselves on our
flexibility. When you hire/charter one of our
buses/coaches for a tour or excursion, it is yours to go where you please and when
you please. You decide where you
want to go and when you want to go - we look after the rest.
Please see European Driver's Hours regulations. |
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Q.
Do
you take bookings from/to Cork only? |
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A.
No. We are based in Cork and take
all bookings originating and finishing in Cork.
For tours we operate nationwide. Our prices are the same
regardless of whether your tour begins/ends in Cork,
Shannon, Rosslare, Dublin or Belfast. |
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Q.
What
about Northern Ireland, UK & Europe? |
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A.
We are
registered in the Republic of Ireland and are also licensed
to operate in Northern Ireland the UK and EU Member states.
(Operators Licence No.1786) |
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Q.
Is
there a minimum booking time?
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A.
Usually there is no minimum
booking time, except for day tours/excursions where we may quote
an hourly rate and a
minimum of 4 hours booking would apply. |
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| Q.
Is there any restriction on our
drivers hours? |
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A.
As with all companies we are legally obliged to comply with
the European driver's hours regulations.
Click here for a full details
These are quite
complex but a simpler version is as follows:
Drivers can drive for a maximum of 4.5 hours without taking
a break. A minimum break of 45 Minutes must be then taken.
Generally the Maximum driving hours per day is 9
Most importantly a driver must take a daily overnight rest of 11
consecutive hours away from the vehicle. This means that
whatever time your driver finishes for the day, the very
earliest he can drive the next day will be 11 hours later.
(Please allow the driver commuting time, re-fuelling
and time to prepare/clean the coach for the next day)
This generally does not present any problems at all. It
would be rare that a touring group would want to spend so
many hours of actual driving time in one day.
With some simple forward planning you can utilize your
bus/driver to best suit your plans.
More often than not, most pubs, restaurants and evening
entertainment would be on your doorstep so you will not
require the services of your coach/driver. However if you do
need transport later in the evening, please bear in mind the
drivers 11 hour overnight rest rule.
The regulations are very much common sense and are enforced
to ensure your safety which is paramount.
Your safety is our top priority
From
the moment the driver starts his day all his/her movements
are recorded by a tachograph fitted on the vehicle. This
records the start/finish date, time & mileage, driving time,
distance travelled, speed and waiting/rest time. A
driver who does not comply with the regulations could face a
stiff fine and imprisonment. Your tour could also come to
an abrupt end at a routine Police checkpoint. |
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Q.
Do
you offer discounts on any services? |
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A.
Yes. Local schools/Clubs/Voluntary
groups can avail of discounted rates, in particular where we
are hired for contract/regular bookings.
We also offer discounted rates for off-peak
times/dates |
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Q.
How
and when are deposits/payments made? |
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A.
A Deposit of
25% is required to secure your booking.
Without a deposit paid, received and acknowledged, no booking
is in place.
Your balance due
can be paid when your booking commences by cash or
credit card.
The maximum required deposit is EUR 500.00
The minimum required deposit is EUR 50.00
Deposits can be rounded down to the nearest EUR 10.00
Example 1: Total for entire booking is EUR 2,310.00
25% is EUR 577.50
Deposit is rounded to EUR 500.00
Example 2: Total for entire booking is EUR 285.00
25% is EUR 71.25
Deposit is rounded down to EUR 70.00
For
details on how to pay your deposit by credit
card
Click here
and follow the online instructions.
For deposit payments by personal cheque, the amount should be
a near equivalent of 25% in your local currency and made
payable to Ian Butler - Butlers Buses
Click Here
for our postal details.
For Deposit Payments by bank transfer,
we will email our bank details to you.
A Quotation does not
does not imply acceptance or availability.
A provisional
booking does not guarantee your booking is secure. Your
deposit must be paid, received and acknowledged to guarantee
your booking. |
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Q.
What
is your cancellation policy? |
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A.
Within 7 calendar days of confirming your booking with your
deposit, we will give you a 100% refund regardless of your
reason for cancelling. For example if you receive
acknowledgement of your payment on Monday 5th March 2007,
you can demand a full refund without exception up to and
including Sunday 11th March 2006.
However after 7 days your deposit is non-refundable
Discretionary exceptions can be made to this
rule where circumstances are genuinely beyond your control.
An example would be where you would have booked a shore
excursion but your cruise liner did not make it to your pick
up point because of bad weather.
After the 7 day cooling period all exceptions to our no refund policy
regardless of reason would be totally at
the discretion of Butlers Buses. |
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Q.
How soon should we make a reservation? |
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Reservations
can be made right up to the day of travel subject to
availability.
However this is not advisable. We recommend that a confirmed
booking should be made as far in advance as possible. |
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Q.
What about
Tips/Gratuities? |
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A.
Tips are discretionary and very much based on your
level of satisfaction.
As a guide 5% to 10% is customary for
local transfers. 10% to 15% for day trips/excursions
For extended tours EUR 5.00 to 10.00 per
adult per day depending on your group size. |
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Q.
What
is your smoking policy? |
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A.
Since 1993 we have operated a strict no smoking
policy on board all our vehicles without exception. However
comfort stops can be made on request. |
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