American Holiday Search
News & Events
Jan 5th, 2013
Take a look at our recommended FREE travel Apps for you to use while on holiday or before:
There's a link provided which will bring you to the Apple App store where you can download them FREE!
** TOP APP - Check My Trip: CHECK YOUR FLIGHT ITINERARY OF YOUR TRIP - Dowload me
1. Things to see and do - My City Way - USA: Download me
2. Weather - Weather+: Download me
3. Transport - CityHook: Transport between airport and city: Download me
4. Emergency Numbers - ICE Emergency: Download me
5. Holiday Planner - Trip It Complete Travel Organiser: Download me
6. Currency Converter - XE Currency: Download me
7. Language - Vocre, speak and translate: Download me
8. Shopping - The Club Shopping Mall, Over 150 of your favourite American Malls: Download me
9. New York - NYC Pass - Travel Guide. Download me
10. For Lauderdale - Official Visit Fort Lauderdale Travel Guide: Download me
11. Las Vegas - Pocket Guide: Dowlnload me
12. San Fransisco - Tour San Fransisco: Download me
13. Mexico, Cancun - Official Cancun App: Download me
14. Boston - Top 25 Boston: Download me
15. Washington - Monuments & Memorials: Download me
16. Toronto - See Toronto Official Visitors Guide: Download me
17. Disney Mobile Magic - Download me
18. Universal Studios Orlando Resort Guide - Download me
19. Universal's Island of Adventure Inpark Assistant - Download me
20. iBroadway - Complete guide to New York's Broadway shows - Download me
21. SeaWorld - Official park app - Download me
22. Busch Gardens - Official App - Download me
23. Photo's - Instagram - Download me
24. Wheelmate - Wheelchair accessible toilets global locator: Download me
25. DAA - Dublin Airport app - Download me
26. Word Lens - Point at any sign, get it translated: Download me
27. SaySo - Find any business listing, restaurant, pub, anything in any country: Download me
28. Free Wi-Fi Finder - Download me
Jan 1st, 2013
What&rsquos new in New York City for 2013?
9/11 Memorial
The 9/11 Memorial has become as iconic an attraction as the Twin Towers which stood in it's place before the horrific terror attacks took place back in 1993. Tourists from abroad and national visitors alike flock to this marvel of design and architecture to both pay homage to the fallen victims and also see the wondrous spectacle this landmark has become. In true New York style, this one of America's newest attractions offers some of the most innovative tour guide experiences. You'll find it hard to visit this stunning place without feeling a weight of sorrow from the hurt surrounding this place, but still a must see place.
Grand Central Terminal Centennial
New York City's iconic transportation hub marks a milestone in 2013 with a celebration that will go on right through 2013 with random scheduled events which will include a terminal rededication, a multimedia exhibit in February and March, a parade of historic trains in May, panel discussions, guided tours and more. Well worth a visit.
Macy's Renovation Makeover
The Renovations continue as America's largest department store undergoes a four-year, $400 million project to make shopping at Macy's an even more memorable experience. Luxury brands Burberry, Gucci and Longchamp will set up shop at the flagship, where most of the "World's Largest Shoe Floor"&mdashwhen completed it will take up the space of an entire city block&mdashis already open to foot traffic. Additions include the opening of the Herald Square Cafe and other aesthetic and technological upgrades.
The Shops at Columbus Circle
The Shops at Columbus Circle are a well known attraction especially with Irish tourists who love their shopping. They recently added even more options to the complex's specialty retailers, restaurants, entertainment offerings and hotel accommodations. Now, visitors can stock up at L.K. Bennett, J.Crew Men's Shop, Papyrus and Lucky Brand Jeans. Other new highlights include the addition of a beauty studio inside makeup destination Sephora and the first H&M men's suit shop. If you weren't in shopping heaven before, you certainly are now!
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
A project 40 years in the making opened on Roosevelt Island in 2012. Located on the southern tip of the East River isle, the park, featuring picturesque views of New York City's skyline, pays tribute to FDR's legacy. The park is accessible by subway and the Roosevelt Island Tram.
As of October 31, 8:00 p.m. NYC & Company reports:
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, New York City has begun the process of assessment, recovery and restoration. Our greatest concern has been, and will be, for the safety of our residents and visitors.
While restoring the city to a sense of normalcy and its infrastructure to full capacity will take several days, the situation is improving by the hour.
As of Wednesday afternoon, we have the following updates to share for the visiting public. Further updates are available at Facebook.com/nycgo and on nyc.gov.
Airports:
JFK International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport have reopened with limited service. Check with individual carriers regarding specific flight confirmations.
LaGuardia Airport will reopen at 7am tomorrow with limited service.
Taxi service, shared shuttles, private transfer companies and express shuttle bus service from Newark and JFK are available into the city. AirTrain and rail service are suspended at this time.
Transportation:
Taxis and livery car services are operating throughout the city.
The public transportation system is slowly being restored within the city. Beginning Thursday morning, there will be limited subway service on several routes, supplemented by a bus shuttle between Downtown Brooklyn and Midtown. A modified map reflecting service changes can be found here. There will be no subway service between 34th St in Midtown and Downtown Brooklyn. Visit mta.info for information regarding specific subway lines.
Public bus service has resumed throughout the city and is running on a normal weekday schedule with delays.
Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad are providing limited service to and from the city. Amtrak is not currently providing service into or out of NYC.
Most major highways, bridges and tunnels into the city are open to traffic. Only the Hugh L. Carey (Brooklyn-Battery) Tunnel and the Queens Midtown Tunnel remain closed.
Until further notice, all cars crossing the bridges and tunnels into Manhattan are limited to High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV - must have at least three passengers) between the hours of 6:00am and 12:00 midnight.
Hotels:
Before traveling, visitors are advised to re-confirm their hotel reservations directly with the property regardless of location.
In Midtown Manhattan, most hotels are open and operating with the exception of a few hotels near a construction incident on 57th Street, including Le Parker Meridien, West 57th Street Club by Hilton and Salisbury Hotel.
Power outages are widespread in Lower Manhattan below 39th Street on the East Side and below 23rd Street on the West Side, affecting many neighborhoods and hotels in this area. Con Edison has advised that power will be restored as soon as possible, but could take several days. The situation is improving continually, however. Travelers holding a reservation for a hotel in this area are strongly advised to check with the hotel in advance of traveling.
Also be advised that the ING New York City Marathon has confirmed for Sunday, November 4. As a result, occupancy is expected to be high in the city this weekend.
Museums, Attractions and Broadway:
Many tourist attractions have resumed operations, including most Broadway shows, The Met Museum, MoMA. the Empire State Building Observatory, and others. Top of the Rock and Gray Line New York Sightseeing are expected to resume operations on Thursday.
Some sites, particularly in Lower Manhattan, remain closed until further notice including The 9/11 Memorial, South Street Seaport and The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
All NYC parks, playgrounds, beaches, and recreation centers remain closed.
For more information and continuing updates, visit Facebook.com/nycgo, or check individual websites.
On behalf of New York City and our hospitality industry, we thank you for your continued support and look forward to welcoming you and your clients. New York City and its residents are resilient and we will recover quickly, but we appreciate patience and understanding during this difficult time.
October 19th 2012
Lego® Star Wars TM Miniland Model Display - Opens 9th November 2012 at LEGOLAND® Florida
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. & LEGOLAND® Florida announced that the new LEGO®Star WarsTM Miniland Model Display will officially open to guests on Friday 9th November.
The new LEGO® Star WarsTM Miniland will include a scene from each of the six live-action Star WarsTM movies, as well as a scene from the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars&trade all created from more than 1.5 million LEGO bricks and built in 1:20 scale. Some of the 2,000 LEGO® models will be more than 6-feet-tall. Interactive buttons will allow children to activate animations throughout the scenes.
August 3rd
Sky News feature Tour America Direct!
Yes Sky News featured Tour America Direct in a news piece on Facebook advertising, showcasing Tour America Direct as a successful business using Facebook advertising as part of our marketing activities. This very interesting piece looks at the pro's and con's of using Facebook advertising for a business.
You can watch it online here - Sky News Facebook story.
Happy 4th of July!
Check out www.touramericadirect.co.uk for some amazing deals for under £500 to your favourite U.S. destinations like New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Fransisco, Boston, Washington and so much more.
04/07/2012
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23/03/2012
After nearly a year of renovation, the South Street Seaport Museum has reopened with 16 expanded galleries that are focused on the historical relationship between the City and the sea. The neighborhood around the museum also offers great shops and restaurants with views of the water.
Space Shuttle Enterprise at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, celebrating its 30th anniversary, will soon welcome the Enterprise, the prototype orbiter of NASA's space shuttle that was used for test flights in the late ྂs and early ྌs. The shuttle should arrive this summer, when the museum will incorporate space-themed programs into its hands-on programming&mdashincluding a historical focus on the Intrepid's role as a prime recovery vessel for NASA, plus a look at the growth and future of space exploration.
New Route for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
An NYC holiday tradition for the last 85 years, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will march along a new route for this year's celebration, on November 22. Beginning down Central Park West at 77th Street, the parade will now travel east along Central Park South to Sixth Avenue, then march south from 59th Street to 34th Street, ending in front of Macy's flagship store in Herald Square. Though Thanksgiving is months away, those who want prime viewing are wise to book their rooms in the spring. Hotels along the new route include the following (ask for rooms with a street view of the parade when booking):
The Hilton New York
Jumeirah Essex House
Mandarin Oriental, New York
Residence Inn Times Square
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
Trump International Hotel and Tower
23/03/2012
Say Farewell to Discovery!
On April 17, 2012, space shuttle Discovery will depart out of the Kennedy Space Center for the last time.
This time on top of a Boeing 747! The orbiter will be placed on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and
flown to its new destination at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.
In celebration of the fly-out, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will be hosting four days worth of
activities for guests including:
. Special encore presentation of the IMAX movie "The Dream is Alive" (April 14 - 17).
. Special "Discovery" tour including a drive-by of the Mate/Demate Device at the Shuttle Landing facility to view Discovery as it is mated to the SCA (April 14 and 15). Additional fees will apply.
. Appearances by crews from inaugural and final missions, STS 41-D (April 16 & 17) and STS-133 (April 16).
On Tuesday, April 17, guests will have the opportunity to witness the departure of Discovery from the
Visitor Complex&rsquos Rocket Garden (approx. 7am). Also, a limited number of tickets will be available to
witness the fly-out from the actual Shuttle Landing Facility.
Say Farewell to Discovery
Calendar of Events and Launches:
. April 2 &ndash 13 Spring Break Hours - Main Visitor Complex: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Astronaut Hall of Fame 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
. April 14-17 Discovery fly-out Fanfare
. April 17 Discovery farewell flyover (Complex hours: 4:30am to 6pm)
. April 27 Atlas 5 launch: Advance Extremely High Frequency Satellite -Launch Window: 3:08 &ndash 5:08pm
. April 30 SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon 9 rocket launch - TBD
. May 5 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction - Franklin R. Chang-Dìaz, Kevin P. Chilton and Charles J. Precourt will join an elite group of American space heroes as they are inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®
. May 21-26 3rd Annual Lunabotics Mining Competition - (University-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics)
08/03/2012
Life's too short - Run Your Favourite Marathon!
Tour America Direct have put together a fantastic package for you to run the world famous Washington Marine Corps Marathon, the 4th largest Marathon in the U.S. on October 28th this year.
This historic annual event is jam packed with lots of exciting event activities for all ages like a 'Healthy Kids Run', a 'Health and Fitness Expo' and a 'Finish Festival' to name but a few.
For more information on the Washington Marine Corps Marathon Click Here
YOU MUST CALL US TO BOOK THIS GREAT OFFER!
Includes return flights to Washington DC
4 nights at the Courtyard Washington DC/US Capitol
Registration fee for Marathon
Based on 4 sharing
Departure: 26 October 2012
Our Ref: 409849
Call us on
0845 319 4266 to speak with one of our expert Sales Team.
06/03/2012
FREE USE OF SAT NAV AND CHILD TRUNKIE SEAT/BACKPACK WHEN YOU BOOK WITH TOUR AMERICA
When you book your car hire and attraction tickets with Tour America, not only do you get a FREE sat nav to use while away but now we also give you the FREE use of the fabulous new Trunkie car seat/backpack. Click the Trunkie image above to watch a video and see what the Trunkie is all about.
Trunkie:
With the law requiring all children under 12 years old or 135cm in height to use a booster seat it&rsquos important to have one to hand at all times. BoostApak is the ideal solution, a spacious, hand-luggage approved rucksack which doubles as a booster seat, perfect for car-pooling and family holidays. Whether travelling by car, taxi or bus you&rsquoll never be a booster seat short again!
*** Not available on online bookings for logistical reasons.
21/02/2012
EXCITING NEWS!
Universal Orlando Resort are to offer more new entertainment experiences across the entire destination than during any other year in its history!
This year, Universal Orlando Resort will debut more adventure, excitement, laughter and awe-inspiring moments than ever before &ndash making 2012 an extraordinary year to be here. There will be something for everyone and every family.
The new 2012 experiences at Universal Orlando Resort include:
Blue Man Group ~ Opening February 2012 at Universal CityWalk
Hollywood Drive-In Golf ~ Opening February 2012 at Universal CityWalk
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ~ Experience March 2012 at Islands of Adventure
Universal&rsquos Superstar Parade ~ Opening Spring 2012 at Universal Studios Florida
Universal&rsquos Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories ~ Opening Spring 2012 at Universal Studios
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ~ Opening Summer 2012 at Universal Studios Florida.
Other New Experiences Opening this Year
- SpongeBob SquarePants retail store will open inside Universal Studios this year.
- Wet &lsquon Wild interactive family water play area will open this summer.
Please see our dedicated Attractions page for Univresal Resort Orlando for a full list of theme park tickets for 2012
Best Regards,
Liz Wright, Tour America Attractions specialist
30/01/2011
Tour America are delighted to announce yet another award won! Yes another one!
It's the biggest event in the travel industry calander, the Irish Travel Industry Awards features Ireland's best tour operators, agencies, suppliers and technology providers.
The big award on the night is for 'Travel Agency of The Year 2011' and this year thanks to an overwhelming public vote, Tour America won top prize. Mary our MD, Brian our GM and the whole Tour America team are delighted with the award and would like to say a BIG thank you to all our customers for voting for us.
20/01/2012
Tour America are delighted to announce yet another award won!
The Evening Herald Travel Awards 2012 took place last night and for yet another year running, Tour America have won again, this time for our Cruise Holiday brand, ''Best Long-Haul Tour Operator''. This award was given based on our renowned service, staggering range of cruise holiday options - everything from luxury to budget cruises and expert advice.
16/01/2012
Experience the open road your way with a Motorhome holiday with Tour America!
From wild adventures in Arizona to tranquil fishing trips around Michigan lake or maybe taking to the vast adventerous roads of Nevada, a Motorhome holiday has it all. Let us help you choose your ideal Motorhome, plan your trip while you sit back and simply look forward to a holiday like no other. Tour America can help with every step of building your holiday.
Call to book: 01 8173535 / 021 2429222.
19/12/2011
Everyone at Tour America would like to wish all our customers a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2012.
Check out our fun Video by clicking HERE!
15/12/2011
Directors message on winning the Travel Media Award 2011
On Thursday the 30th November the Inaugural Travel Media Awards took place in the Westbury Hotel in Dublin. The awards, which were organised by TravelMedia.ie, were attended by over 120 guests including members of the travel trade and members of the media.
Our MD, Mary McKenna was present to collect our award for 'Best use of social media in the travel industry'.
"Thank you to all the media who voted and contributed to the success of www.touramerica.ie and our for choosing us to win this award for our social media at the Travel Media Awards event", said Mary McKenna. We were delighted to be awarded this prestigious award.''
07/12/2011
Hogwarts is coming to Hollywood!
Exciting announcement - Hogwarts is coming to Hollywood! Warner Bros. and Universal are proud to announce that the spectacularly themed environment that is ''The Wizarding World of Harry Potter'' will be created at Universal Studios Hollywood in all it's eye popping glory. And, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort will be significantly expanded so even more Howarts fun :-)
Stay tuned for more!
01/12/2011
Tour America win
We are delighted to announce that we have been given with this prestigious award, outshinning all other travel industry competitors. Tour America where recognised for providing an engaging and informative place for our customers to interact with us through our various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
22/11/2011
Dinosaurs takeover Washington!
Well maybe we're getting a bit carried away but if you visit The Smithsonian&rsquos National Museum of Natural History you will not only get up close and personal with some ferocious dinosaur skeletons but you'll also get a fascinating insight into the earliest human origins and learn about the interesting development of the various cultures around the world. But the fun doesn't stop here, you can also see exciting exhibitions for ancient and modern mammals, evolution of birds, reptiles and amphibians, insects and of course the captivating world of sea creatures. So plan ahead for an amazing journey through time and book your cheap flights or cheap hotels to Washington D.C in advance for a one-of-a-man-kind experience :-)
03 November 2010 - Tour America continues to expand by opening a new Cork office!
Tour America are very proud to announce the opening of our brand new store in Cork, 62 Patrick's St. This fantastic new store will have all the same amazing Tour America holidays and Cruise offers you're use to in our Dublin store and of course is staffed by the most knowledgeable expert travel operators in Ireland.
This is another example of how Tour America's dedicated customer service approach and unrivaled ability to offer the best tailored holidays to our customers has resulted in continued expansion of the business.
Why not pop in and say hello and see what wonderful holiday package we can tailor for you.
31 May 2010 - Tour America launch Ireland's first dedicated travel mobile site!
In the first 5 months of 2010 usage of smart-phones in Ireland has doubled and more than 800,000 people have used their mobile phone to access the web. This is why innovative and award-winning Tour America have put an enormous amount of effort into getting it's mobile website live and available to it's growing database of customers.
Tour America's mobile website http://m.touramerica.ie takes all of the great functionality the company has become well-known for, and puts it into a version optimised and configured to suit the mobile browser, regardless of whether you are using an i-phone, google, sony-erricsson, samsung, nokia or other brand of phone. The mobile site gives the browser the latest flight, hotel and package specials to all of the best destinations in the USA and is updated and re-priced at least every 20 minutes!
10 March 2010 - Strategy Prize Awarded to Tour America
As part of the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Award Programme Tour America, the holiday specialists on North America and worldwide, was singled out from among the winners to receive a special accolade for exceptional performance in business strategy.
IMI Chief Executive, Dr Tom McCarthy presented a place on the Masters of Business programme to Mary McKenna, Managing Director of Tour America in Dublin on March 5th.
This special award is in recognition of the high standard of management practice that the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards has highlighted within Tour America and their exceptional performance in business strategy.
All 20 Deloitte Best Managed Companies for 2010 along with the 22 re-qualified companies from the 2009 programme also received IMI Membership for 2010.
08 March 2010 - Best Managed Company 2010!!
Tour America won the Best Managed Company award for 2010 on Friday night. The Deloitte&rsquos Best Managed Companies award programme, in association with Bank Of Ireland Scotland, has been developed to recognize Irish companies on the Island of Ireland, operating at the highest level of business performance. The programme seeks to identify best-managed companies through an evaluation process that extends far beyond financial results. The Deloitte&rsquos Best Managed designation is a symbol of Irish Corporate success, companies focused on their core vision, creating stake holder value, excelling in all area&rsquos of the business and celebrating the contribution of the entire organization.
l-r Pat Cullen - Managing Partner, Deloitte, the Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Mary McKenna - Managing Director of Tour America and David Latto - Head of Corporate Banking, Bank of Scotland (Ireland)
IRISH TRAVEL OPERATOR WINS BEST MANAGED COMPANY 2010
Tour America were also awarded the over-all award for their outstanding proposal by the Irish Management Institute, which includes an MBA Masters programme (worth &euro10,000) for one of their management team.
Tour America has always planned for the future. They understand that the future of the market is selling directly to the consumer, so they focus on this at all times. Their strategy has always been to innovate and think outside the box, and differentiate themselves from how the traditional travel businesses in Ireland operate. They employ from outside the industry and take expert experience from other sectors into the company. Tour America describes themselves as a marketing company that takes information and uses this knowledge fast.
In 15 years of operation this Irish owned company has been profitable, and has continued to re-invest this back into the company, primarily in people and technology. They have a lean mentality, watching overheads at all times and ensuring productivity from all the team. The team knows how they are doing and what they need to achieve.
The last 18 months has been particularly challenging in the travel industry with Tour Operators showing drops in revenue of 30%-70% and travel agents closing in large numbers. Tour America stand alone in what they achieved this year with a small growth in revenue and a huge increase of 56% in passenger numbers. Thousand more people know Tour America this year than did last year and many have booked with them for the first time. Tour America is the first company to produce their own You Tube Video, which offers all their specials on a weekly basis. You can also keep up to date with daily comments and offers on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
05 February 2010 - Yet another award!!
Pictured above is Mary McKenna (Tour America's Managing Director) receiving an exclusive award to the Irish market, for outstanding contribution in selling the destination of California!
04 February 2010 - Daily txts from Claudia!!
Claudia, our Product Manager, is on the maiden voyage of Costa's brand new Cruise Liner, and is sending us a txt each day:
4th Feb: "Sitting on my balcony this morning, relaxing after being entertained by Kid Kreole (blast from the past!) until the wee hours of the morning, watching the Italian coastline slip by as we float along towards our Port of Call for today - Naples!! Looking forward to a lovely City Tour of Naples this afternoon"
3rd Feb: "On the fantastic new Costa ship 'The Deliziosa'! So much to do from fulfilling my dream of being an F1 driver on the F1 simulator, watching a movie in 4D, taking in a show in the relaxing theater and chilling on a sun-lounger sipping cocktails!! Wonder...ful staff, great entertainment, they will have a tough time getting me out of here when the cruise is over!!"
04 February 2010 - Tour America wins again!!
Tour America were voted the "Best Tour Operator" at the 2010 Herald.ie Travel Awards! We were among Mark Evans' top 20 in the Irish Travel scene
03 February 2010 - Back to school!!
15 members of the Tour America team are doing a night-course in Digital Marketing! Here, we will learn how to communicate better with our customers through our website as well as our Facebook, Twitter & YouTube channels! The course runs from January until the end of March.
2009 and beyond - Tour America wins at the Irish Consumer Travel Awards!!
- Tour America scooped the award for Best Worldwide Tour Operator 2009 at the recent Irish Consumer Awards held in the RDS , Dublin in 2009!
- Tour America were also nominated as:
- Best High Street Travel Agent
- Best Online Travel Agent
- Best Family Travel Product
- Cruise Holidays were also nominated for Best Cruise Company
Tour America Extends It's Opening Hours
Tour America is bucking the trend in the travel sector and is dealing with a significant increase in bookings. To cope with this, the Tour America Team are working earlier in the morning and later in the evening to cope with the requests.
