Tour with Joel Travel Director
Guided journeys across the UK, Ireland & Europe

Well-paced tours, clearly led.

Clear timing, steady communication and practical guidance from day one. You will see a lot in a short space of time, with the logistics handled clearly so you can enjoy each stop.

Upcoming Tours

Departure pages ready before you travel.

If you are travelling on one of the departures below, you can open the tour guide for my practical notes before you leave, or use the official Trafalgar page for the full itinerary and trip overview.

Best of Ireland & Scotland

A journey through Celtic Ireland and Scotland, starting in Dublin and giving a real taste of Irish cities and countryside before continuing through Northern Ireland and finishing in Scotland, with its Highlands, islands and great cities.

Joel’s tour tips → Official Trafalgar site →

Britain & Ireland Highlights

A real taste of the British Isles at their most iconic, taking in cities such as London, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Waterford and Cardiff, along with standout sights like Edinburgh Castle and Stonehenge.

Joel’s tour tips → Official Trafalgar site →

More tour pages

As future departures are confirmed, this stays the main place to find the practical pages linked to each tour.

Joel Plunkett, Travel Director
Your Tour Director

Experienced support, so your journey feels smoother from day one.

My background spans more than a decade across tourism and hospitality, with most of that time focused on leading guided journeys across Europe.

My approach is straightforward: clear communication, calm organisation and helping people feel in safe hands from the first day onward.

I work primarily across the UK, Ireland and continental Europe, supporting tours that balance practical coordination with local insight and a well-paced travel experience.

This site gives you a clearer starting point before departure: the useful details in one place, with a little more personality than a standard travel email.

Coach travelling through Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands
On The Road

The best tours usually feel well paced, clearly led and easy to settle into.

A good tour should feel well paced, well explained and easy to settle into. That usually comes down to the small things being handled properly: clear timing, steady communication and knowing when to simplify rather than overcomplicate.

Whether it is a scenic drive through Glencoe, a busy city arrival or a practical departure morning, the aim is always the same: help people feel relaxed, informed and able to enjoy where they are.

Clear day-to-day guidance So everyone knows what matters and can relax about the rest.
Steady communication Especially when plans shift or timing needs to tighten.
A calm travel rhythm Organised enough to feel smooth, never rigid for the sake of it.
Touring Regions

Where I regularly work.

I work across a range of European touring regions, with extensive experience leading journeys in the British Isles as well as multi-country itineraries throughout continental Europe.

UK & Ireland

A strong touring tradition, varied landscapes and detailed historical context shape many of the journeys I lead here.

Europe

Multi-country itineraries across Western and Central Europe, combining major cultural centres with smaller regional destinations.

Eastern Europe

Distinct cultural identity, layered history and a growing range of touring experiences across both established and emerging destinations.

Kylemore Abbey and lake in Connemara, Ireland
Lake Lucerne with alpine backdrop and clear water
Scottish Highlands landscape under dramatic sky
Before Your Tour

What you can expect before departure.

If you are travelling on an upcoming departure that I am leading, you will usually receive a detailed welcome email from me around five days before the tour starts.

Main point of reference

Your booking documents and operator communications remain the main source for itinerary details and operational updates.

Welcome email

This will include practical information relevant to your specific journey, along with any useful preparation notes before departure.

Additional guidance

This site may also include general travel notes and tour-specific preparation pages where useful.

Simple purpose

The aim is not to overload you with information, just to make the week before departure feel clearer and more straightforward.

Stay in touch after the road

If you'd like occasional updates, future tour notes and a few useful messages from the road, you can join the mailing list here.

Open the signup page →
Social

Stay connected.

The website is still the main place for practical tour information. These are simply easy ways to stay connected outside the tour itself.