TV Junkie Paradise: Trips Better than Binging your Favorite Show

The following post is written by Amanda from the Boscov’s Travel Marketing Department. 

What’s better than sitting by your TV and binge watching your favorite show? ACTUALLY visiting the locations! We are so consumed by digital media that I think we forget how beautiful our world actually is. Yes, you heard me… there are multiple locations that you can visit in real life which are way better than watching the TV show!

First up

Game of Thrones

 

 

Taste of Iceland – on this tour enjoy a visit to Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park, featured throughout Game of Thrones season 4. The massive rocky bluffs will inspire you as the entrance to the Eeyrie, as well as the fight between Brienne and The Hound.


Plus you’ll see the black sand beaches in Reynisfarja or Vik beach, filming location for Eastwatch by the Sea and apparently (spoiler) shores of the Targaryen homeland in season 8.

Outlander
Next up, Scotland. If you happen to visit, you’ll probably stumble across one of the landscapes featured in the show Outlander. We recommend an independent tour with expert help by Monograms – you will be able to head to multiple locations from the show. With a stay in Edinburgh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will be right by Wentworth Prison where Jamie is imprisoned.
If you want more, you could get a driver for a day because within an hour of the city, you can visit even more locations. While staying in Edinburgh, stroll through Edinburgh’s Royal Mile where you’ll find many Outlander locations. With Monograms Tours you will be able to travel to London for 3-nights and then Edinburgh, Scotland for 3-nights giving you the perfect amount of time to visit locations from Outlander as well as the best movies/book of all time, Harry Potter #Gamechanger!

Harry Potter

Last but DEFINITELY not least – Harry Potter. I always wished Harry Potter was real so I could live the magical life (instead of this muggle one). The next best thing to being part of the magical world is visiting the locations from it….am I right? Here’s another Monograms Tour featuring 2-nights in London (of course, you can extend this trip with any number of other destinations, or just spend additional free time in the city!). While in London visit the Duke Humfrey’s Library at Oxford University to see scenes where Harry looks for clues in The Sorcerer’s Stone. A must see is the infamous Platform 9 ¾ at the Kings Cross Station (yes, it does exist!). I would say a true Harry Potter fan would HAVE to visit King’s Cross Station if they want to feel like they were a part of the movie.  Also, right in the heart of London is The Leadenhall Market and check Diagon Alley off your bucket list. Again, this is a must for a Harry Potter guru!

Now I know all of these sound ACTUALLY amazing on their own, but what if I told you could do all three together! Yes, you heard me! CIE Tours offers tours to all these movie landmarks. Are they the exact places listed above? No… but with this tour , you will be able to check off visiting the spot the Hogwarts Expressed was filmed, or the Doune Castle that Outlander fans known as the Castle of Leoch of Colum. The castle has even played a role in Game of Thrones. This trip really is a true bucket list experience.

These are just some places you can visit that is way way better than binging your favorite TV show… visit us when you’re ready to start packing your trunk (we promise we’ll make it less painful than apparating there).

 

If you’re ready to start planning your next vacation, email [email protected] or call 800-755-8020.

Visit Boscov’s Travel located within select Boscov’s including Pennsylvania (Camp Hill, Colonial Park/Harrisburg, Easton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Neshaminy/Bensalem, Wyomissing, Reading, Pottstown, Pottsville, Scranton, Selinsgrove, Wilkes-Barre), New York (Binghamton), New Jersey (Atlantic City and Moorestown), Delaware (Wilmington), and Maryland (Salisbury). View our locations here. If you live a little further away, book over the phone by calling us at 800-755-8020. Learn more at boscovstravel.com

 

Adventures in Ireland; 8-Nights in the Land of Saints and Scholars

The following post is written by Irene from the Boscov’s Travel Group Travel Department.  Irene toured Ireland with a group guided by CIE Tours in October 2016. 

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cead Mile Failte!   “One hundred thousand welcomes!”

Day 1: After a 6-hour flight from Philadelphia to Dublin, we welcomed the crisp and refreshing air of Ireland. The temperature reached a high in the mid-50’s during the day, and we were fortunate to not have any rain!

Our group boarded a luxury bus and journeyed to breakfast at the Coachman’s Inn Pub, then took in the scenic countryside through the Mullinger lakes. Our final destination was the Kilronan Castle. Built in the early 19th century, the castle boasts a rich history of owners including Lords and Colonels, and proved to be a great start to the trip.

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Day 2: After a filling breakfast, we made our way to Galway. During the journey, we stopped at the town of Westport. Complete with the typical European square, this delightful little village boasted colorful shops, cafes and delicious restaurants. It’s no wonder this town was voted the best place to live in Ireland!

After lunch on our own, we boarded the bus to our final destination in Galway. Charming and complete with idyllic cobblestone streets, this college town offers a stark juxtaposition of its energetic young residents against the medieval architecture. We enjoyed a view of Galway Bay at the Radisson Blu hotel.

Day 3: Aboard the “Connemara Lady” we took a cruise through Killary Fjord to see the beautiful scenery of the Irish countryside. Look out for the dolphins accompanying the boat during the tour!

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Day 4: Today we visited another castle on the countryside. Built over 150 years ago by Mitchell Henry for his new bride, Kylemore Abbey eventually transitioned to an Abbey run by Benedictine nuns. For the past 100 years, the sisters have run the estate and adjoining Victorian walled garden where they grow all the food served within their restaurant. The cafe, shop and tour of the gardens and Abbey proved why this is one of Ireland’s top tourist attractions.

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Next, we ventured to the Connemara Celtic crystal Factory and the Connemara Marble Factory. Still being mined from marble created over 500 million years ago, the marble is used around the world in architectural design including the state capital in Harrisburg, PA!

Day 5: Today we finally took in one of Ireland’s most iconic natural wonders, the Cliffs of Moher. Rising 702 feet above sea level and formed 320 million years ago, this is the ultimate photo op.

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Since there is not a bridge across the River Shannon, we drove onto the ferry and made our way across the river.

We enjoyed a jaunting carriage ride through the national park and past the 15th century Ross Castle on the countryside. This night, we stayed at the modern and elegant Killarney Plaza Hotel in the town of Killarney.

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Day 6: Today we visited the Dingle Peninsula, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! On the Atlantic coast, the shores feature surfers throughout the year on the sandy beaches and visitors atop the cliffs. We visited the beehive huts, stone igloos built more than a thousand years ago to give its inhabitants a place for shelter, warmth and prayer.

We visited the Blasket Centre where we learned about the inhabitants of the Blasket Islands, inhabited by 300 residents until the 1950’s. With no modern conveniences, electricity or connection to the modern world, this mini isolated civilization relied on farming and fishing for their existence.

Day 7: On day 7, we visited two more castles. Now just a standing facade, the photo below shows the previous family castle of  William Penn, the founding father of Pennsylvania.

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We enjoyed the stories told by our driver as we headed to Blarney Castle. Up the steep 132-steps, we took the obligatory photo kissing the Blarney Stone. Legend has it that there was a king who suffered from a terrible stutter. He came upon a stone in a field and was told by a woman that it would give him the gift of speech. After much protest, the king kissed the stone and became a great orator. The stone was taken from the field and placed within the castle to bring the gift of elegance to anyone who kissed it.

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We made our way to The Davenport Hotel in Dublin and enjoyed dinner and a show of song and dance at the famous Merry Ploughboy Pub.

Day 8: Today we visited Trinity College. The library is home to over 12,000 books that cannot be checked out or touched due to their age and historical significance. The space is also home to the Book of Kells, a manuscript of the Gospel written around 800 AD. We ventured to the cafeteria, better known to non-muggles as the Great Hall in the Harry Potter film franchise.

17Our afternoon included a tour of the Guinness factory and cheers with a pint at the Guinness Gravity Bar where we enjoyed a 360 degree view of Dublin.

guiness stout beer.jpg

Day 9: Our guide provided us with hop on/hop off passes for the bus. My husband and I went to the prison (similar to Alcatraz) and the National History Museum. Here we saw the peat preserved bog people dating back 2,200 to almost 4,000 years. Following a tour of the museums, we enjoyed the rest of the day sightseeing the town.

Our final stop was the Parliament building where we took a picture with one of the Guardians of the Police. These unarmed police officers offered a smile for a photo op, and perfectly exemplified the friendly and welcoming nature of the country.

We flew back to Philadelphia the next day with a wealth of knowledge and new found love of Ireland.

If you’re ready to learn more about Ireland, email [email protected], DM Boscov’s Travel on Facebook, or call 800-755-8020.

Visit Boscov’s Travel located within select Boscov’s including Pennsylvania (Camp Hill, Colonial Park/Harrisburg, Easton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Neshaminy/Bensalem, Wyomissing, Reading, Pottstown, Pottsville, Scranton, Selinsgrove, Wilkes-Barre), New York (Binghamton), New Jersey (Atlantic City and Moorestown), Delaware (Wilmington), and Maryland (Salisbury).  View our locations here. If you live a little further away, book over the phone by calling us at 800-755-8020. Learn more at boscovstravel.com.