The flight-free coach holidays that are actually fun
Offering a comfortable and convenient way to explore iconic European destinations, coach tours are making a comeback.
With spacious seating, ample luggage space, and numerous pick-up points across the UK, they provide a stress-free alternative to flying.
Here are some top coach tour options for your next getaway:
Dordogne, France
Indulgence is at the heart of a new tour covering the most popular region of the Dordogne. Travel on the Truffadou Train, once used to transport Martel market's famous truffles, and enjoy a wine tasting and picnic lunch on the family-run Domaine du Siorac vineyard in Bergerac. Based at the Auberge de la Petite Reine in the heart of the Périgord Noir region, there are multiple opportunities to sample local food and drink during nightly four-course dinners – with a free bar from 6pm-10pm included in the price of the holiday.
In between meals, sightseeing excursions include trips to picturesque towns and villages such as Rocamadour, Martel and Bergerac. Stop at the medieval Chateau de Beynac, an impressively well-preserved castle on a limestone cliff. Famed for its 600 cave paintings estimated to be up to 20,000 years old, the Lascaux cave complex is another highlight of the tour. End with stops in Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion to stock up on fine wines to take home.
How:
Just Go Holidays (justgoholidays.com) offers a nine-day Journey through the Dordogne tour from £1,399pp (two sharing), including half-board accommodation, ferry crossing and coach transfers from various pick up points in the UK. Various departures from between May and September.
Enjoy a ' Thelma and Louise' road trip on a larger scale in the company of a coach filled with women – even down to the tour leader and driver. Part of a new female-only portfolio of trips offered by Insight Vacations, a tour of Europe's Bel Paese covers many of the country's highlights with a feminine touch throughout.
Visit an Umbrian winery run by the matriarchs of a family who pioneered modern Italian oenology and are champions of sustainability. Learn about the art of loom-weaving from a women-owned-and-run weaving association, and join local artist and environmentalist Allison Zurfluh on a Prosecco-fuelled boat ride around Venice.
Insight Vacations (insightvacations.com) offers a 16-day Country Roads of Italy, a Women-Only Tour tour from £5,378pp (two sharing), including coach transfers, B&B accommodation and some meals. Flights extra. Departs on various dates from May to October.
Yorkshire Dales
Nothing evokes the nostalgia of travel quite like a train journey. Connecting peaceful valleys, rolling hills and enticingly vast moors, two key rail track experiences form the crux of a new break through the Yorkshire Dales.
Chug through tunnels and viaducts in a vintage carriage while admiring the beauty of the English countryside. Pulled by a steam locomotive, the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway runs for four miles, while the Settle-Carlisle Railway travels through the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct. The trip also explores the city of York, including a visit to the National Railway Museum.
Just Go Holidays (justgoholidays.com) offers a five-day trip York, Yorkshire Steam Train and Settle to Carlisle Railway trip from £389pp (two sharing), including half-board accommodation, train journeys and coach travel from various pick up points. Various departures.
Ireland
Discover Ireland's equivalent of the Lake District on a trip to County Cavan and County Fermanagh. Start in Enniskillen, a town set between the upper and lower Lough Erne, and explore shops selling traditional goods in the Buttermarket.
Fans of English literature will appreciate destinations which inspired one of Ireland's greatest sons, the poet and writer WB Yeats. The fishing village of Mullaghmore is memorable for its views of the North Atlantic and Ben Bulben Mountain. In Sligo, the red brick Victorian Yeats memorial building has a library and a photographic collection of Yeats and his family. End in Dublin where the famous artist – awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923 – was born.
Leger Holidays (leger.co.uk) offers a six-day Ireland's Ancient East & Lakelands tour from £1,199pp (two sharing), including half-board accommodation and coach transfers. Various departures.
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Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
Efteling Grand Hotel review: Sheer opulence amid a brilliantly bonkers theme park
Expect the unexpected at Efteling where there are surprises around every corner and sheer opulence greets you at the Grand Hotel. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Stepping into Efteling was like walking straight into the pages of a childhood fairytale book with surprises around every corner leaving us amused, bemused and laughing our heads off at every turn. Taking inspiration from European fables and folklore this theme park is seriously bonkers. My family and I were invited for a sneak preview of the brand new Efteling Grand Hotel ahead of its official opening this month and we simply could not wait to find out what all the fuss was about. It became immediately obvious we should expect the unexpected at this place and that maxim was no less true when it came to the hotel, set directly in the grounds of the park. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While outside you needed to watch out for giant puppets and coins flying from a donkey's backside, it was sheer splendor at the hotel with grandeur greeting you wherever you went. After a relatively chilled journey - flying into Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, hopping on a (double decker) train to 's-Hertogenbosch and taking a cab the short distance to the park - we were nonetheless grateful to arrive at Efteling to check out the place we would call home for the next couple of days. At the front gates we were welcomed by a friendly bellhop who immediately took our luggage and escorted us inside, our jaws dropping as we took in the impressive interior, reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel. There was no need for checking-in, I'd already done that on the handy app which activated our in-app key - buzzing us in with the same ease as Google Pay allows us to spend money. From the decor to the impeccably dressed staff, for whom nothing was too much trouble, this place felt rather like returning to a time when customers were treated as esteemed guests. As we entered our room, or more accurately, our suite, it was another in a long series of 'wow' moments. We stayed at the brand new Efteling Grand Hotel and it was pure luxury | Jamie Jones / National World Definitely more like an apartment than a hotel room, a short hallway led us through to a lounge complete with mini bar and views across the iconic entrance. With two separate bedrooms, one a double and the other housing two bunkbeds, there was plenty of space to stretch out. And don't get me started on the bathroom filled with divinely scented products and a bath so vast I was tempted to go for a swim. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After a short rest break the kids were champing at the bit to explore - and, if I'm honest, so was I. Passing through a private gate just for Grand Hotel guests, we had a short time to explore some of the 72 hectare site before our dinner reservation. As we meandered through the Fairytale Forest, surrounded by trees and greenery, we were all stopped in our tracks when a friendly-looking but ginormous head with great, staring eyes rose above the tree tops before taking a quick look around and disappearing back into the canopy. I did tell you to expect the unexpected. Dinner on our first night was at the Brasserie 7 which we were informed was the more informal option of the hotel's two restaurants - nevertheless it was still pretty fancy. More of that good old fashioned service was lavished upon us as we experienced a three course meal with a twist - incorporating seven magical ingredients including dragon's breath and fairy dust. And that wasn't the only magical moment during the meal - to keep young ones entertained between courses, the most adorable lift pixie joined our table, playing a quick game of noughts and crosses with my two children and making us all chuckle so much my six-year-old declared, 'my face hurts from smiling!' Absolutely pooped from a long day, we turned in for the night in the most comfortable bed known to man, but returned to Brasserie 7 the following morning for breakfast. There can surely be no better place to fill up ready for a day of adventure than this place, serving not only every breakfast food you can imagine but those you hadn't thought of as well. Continental and cooked breakfast options, you would need to stay at least a week if you wanted to sample all of the variety they have on offer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jamie Jones / National World With a full day ahead of us we tried to cram in as much as possible, and cram we did with my 10-year-old telling me by the end it felt like we had passed days in the park since stepping out that morning. This is only made possible due to the short queues everywhere - forget lining up for hours for your favourite rides, we mostly waited no longer than 10 minutes, and a couple of times went straight back round to rejoin the end of the queue to experience a ride all over again. Ordering lunch from a kiosk using a QR code meant the children continued enjoying rides while we waited for our food which my husband collected when an alert went off on his phone. Not a minute wasted! With a young family, it was the more tame Max & Moritz rollercoaster which was a highlight and we all enjoyed a moment of tranquillity on the Gondoletta boats peacefully transporting us around a lake. The Stoomtrein (mini steam train) also gave our feet a break taking us to another area of the park in the most delightful way. However, there are some seriously big and scary rides we saw thundering past us, for anyone with older kids or who are braver than I am. We set aside some time that afternoon so we could head to the spa. Beneath the Efteling Grand Hotel lies more magic, an underground world with pool and spa that was the perfect spot to ease tired muscles after all that walking - families of all ages have been catered for there with a baby pool, just a few centimetres deep complete with floating toys, a toddler pool, deeper swimming pool and whirlpool. The spa offers a steam bath, sauna and ice cold shower, and has an extra room for massages too. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What made the experience even more enjoyable is the fluffy bathrobes and slippers in every room mean you can get ready for your swim there, taking the lift straight down to the spa, and when you're finished, there's no wrestling children out of soggy lycra in a small changing room, instead we simply donning the bathrobe and slippers once again and got dry and dressed in the comfort of our own suite. I find little things like this make all the difference when travelling with kids. After smartening ourselves for dinner, we headed for the refined Restaurant & Bar Mystique, and because no corner of Efteling is free from the strange and unusual, there we experienced an evening-long culinary journey quite unlike any other. First up, there isn't really a menu - you instead choose a selection of flavours by placing small stones on a slate found in the centre of the table and the chef just works with that. And if that's not strange and unusual enough for you, well, let's just say we buttered our bread using the [butter] candle which had just moments before been illuminating our table. While described as a three course meal, plate after plate of appetisers and palette cleansers were served, so many I eventually lost count. These small amuse bouche were as adorable as they were delicious, from tiny crispy tacos to sauces served from a teapot by a chef - the meal was totally weird and absolutely wonderful. The dining experience offered here is recommended for children aged 9+ - maybe due to the time it takes to move through all those plates of food - but the attention of even my youngest was held for the most part due to the anticipation of what was to come next. Both children gave most things a try, despite some of the combinations and flavours being, perhaps, for a more discerning palate. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While they didn't clean every plate - which I absolutely did by the way - I was pleased they both got to try a range of food they probably wouldn't have chosen for themselves otherwise, opening their minds to different culinary possibilities in the future I hope. And they absolutely wolfed down their mains and desserts, everyone leaving the table stuffed and thoroughly entertained. This was a meal that got all of us talking and laughing together and was genuinely one of the most fun meals we've ever sat down to and - along with the delicious food - that is not something that should be overlooked. Our day finished in the most spectacular way, heading out to the Aquanura Water show. This show of water and light was akin to a fireworks display without the horrible bangs and was, in the truest sense of the word, awesome. A 14-minute musical journey through Efteling, it was the perfect way to wrap up our day at the park. Efteling theme park is brilliantly bonkers with a surprise around every corner offering memories that will last a lifetime | Jamie Jones / National World Staggered by quite how much we'd managed to cram into the previous 12 hours, we sunk into our beds and slept solidly until morning. We awoke to our final morning at Efteling, travelling home later that day, so we filled up again with a hearty breakfast and headed out. Making full use of our half-an-hour early access to the park, we headed for the Piraña - a rapid river ride which the day before had a 30-minute queue, and were able to go on twice before any crowds arrived. We laughed until our sides hurt - mostly at how wet my husband had managed to get on Piraña - and then went to get one last sweet treat before the journey home. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I couldn't leave before making one or two purchases in the luxury boutique store within the hotel where you can pick up many of the items you see around the hotel, one of those fluffy bath robes for example, along with jewellery and quality dressing up options for the children. I was unable to resist taking a little of my holiday home with me, picking up some of the shampoo and conditioner I had used in the spa following my swim, as well as an 'ambiance trigger' which is the exclusive fragrance made for and used at the hotel that you can spray around when you get home and imagine you are still there. Efteling really is bonkers, but it is brilliantly bonkers. Somewhere you can't help but enjoy, a place to make memories with the family full of laughter and nonsense. And with the new addition of the Efteling Grand Hotel, mums and dads, and grandparents too, can soak up a little luxury amid the madness. There was so much more we didn't have time to see and do there, the vastness of the place means you can fill your days and still not get around to everything, so, I guess that just means we'll have to go back. Sigh. In the meantime, fetch me that ambiance trigger… A premium deluxe room (standard room) is available from €585 (£508) and is based on a family of four (two adults and two children aged between 4 and 12). For more information and to book, visit the Efteling website.
Scotsman
10 hours ago
- Scotsman
Efteling Grand Hotel review: Sheer opulence amid a brilliantly bonkers theme park
Expect the unexpected at Efteling where there are surprises around every corner and sheer opulence greets you at the Grand Hotel. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Stepping into Efteling was like walking straight into the pages of a childhood fairytale book with surprises around every corner leaving us amused, bemused and laughing our heads off at every turn. Taking inspiration from European fables and folklore this theme park is seriously bonkers. My family and I were invited for a sneak preview of the brand new Efteling Grand Hotel ahead of its official opening this month and we simply could not wait to find out what all the fuss was about. It became immediately obvious we should expect the unexpected at this place and that maxim was no less true when it came to the hotel, set directly in the grounds of the park. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While outside you needed to watch out for giant puppets and coins flying from a donkey's backside, it was sheer splendor at the hotel with grandeur greeting you wherever you went. After a relatively chilled journey - flying into Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, hopping on a (double decker) train to 's-Hertogenbosch and taking a cab the short distance to the park - we were nonetheless grateful to arrive at Efteling to check out the place we would call home for the next couple of days. At the front gates we were welcomed by a friendly bellhop who immediately took our luggage and escorted us inside, our jaws dropping as we took in the impressive interior, reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel. There was no need for checking-in, I'd already done that on the handy app which activated our in-app key - buzzing us in with the same ease as Google Pay allows us to spend money. From the decor to the impeccably dressed staff, for whom nothing was too much trouble, this place felt rather like returning to a time when customers were treated as esteemed guests. As we entered our room, or more accurately, our suite, it was another in a long series of 'wow' moments. We stayed at the brand new Efteling Grand Hotel and it was pure luxury | Jamie Jones / National World Definitely more like an apartment than a hotel room, a short hallway led us through to a lounge complete with mini bar and views across the iconic entrance. With two separate bedrooms, one a double and the other housing two bunkbeds, there was plenty of space to stretch out. And don't get me started on the bathroom filled with divinely scented products and a bath so vast I was tempted to go for a swim. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After a short rest break the kids were champing at the bit to explore - and, if I'm honest, so was I. Passing through a private gate just for Grand Hotel guests, we had a short time to explore some of the 72 hectare site before our dinner reservation. As we meandered through the Fairytale Forest, surrounded by trees and greenery, we were all stopped in our tracks when a friendly-looking but ginormous head with great, staring eyes rose above the tree tops before taking a quick look around and disappearing back into the canopy. I did tell you to expect the unexpected. Dinner on our first night was at the Brasserie 7 which we were informed was the more informal option of the hotel's two restaurants - nevertheless it was still pretty fancy. More of that good old fashioned service was lavished upon us as we experienced a three course meal with a twist - incorporating seven magical ingredients including dragon's breath and fairy dust. And that wasn't the only magical moment during the meal - to keep young ones entertained between courses, the most adorable lift pixie joined our table, playing a quick game of noughts and crosses with my two children and making us all chuckle so much my six-year-old declared, 'my face hurts from smiling!' Absolutely pooped from a long day, we turned in for the night in the most comfortable bed known to man, but returned to Brasserie 7 the following morning for breakfast. There can surely be no better place to fill up ready for a day of adventure than this place, serving not only every breakfast food you can imagine but those you hadn't thought of as well. Continental and cooked breakfast options, you would need to stay at least a week if you wanted to sample all of the variety they have on offer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jamie Jones / National World With a full day ahead of us we tried to cram in as much as possible, and cram we did with my 10-year-old telling me by the end it felt like we had passed days in the park since stepping out that morning. This is only made possible due to the short queues everywhere - forget lining up for hours for your favourite rides, we mostly waited no longer than 10 minutes, and a couple of times went straight back round to rejoin the end of the queue to experience a ride all over again. Ordering lunch from a kiosk using a QR code meant the children continued enjoying rides while we waited for our food which my husband collected when an alert went off on his phone. Not a minute wasted! With a young family, it was the more tame Max & Moritz rollercoaster which was a highlight and we all enjoyed a moment of tranquillity on the Gondoletta boats peacefully transporting us around a lake. The Stoomtrein (mini steam train) also gave our feet a break taking us to another area of the park in the most delightful way. However, there are some seriously big and scary rides we saw thundering past us, for anyone with older kids or who are braver than I am. We set aside some time that afternoon so we could head to the spa. Beneath the Efteling Grand Hotel lies more magic, an underground world with pool and spa that was the perfect spot to ease tired muscles after all that walking - families of all ages have been catered for there with a baby pool, just a few centimetres deep complete with floating toys, a toddler pool, deeper swimming pool and whirlpool. The spa offers a steam bath, sauna and ice cold shower, and has an extra room for massages too. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What made the experience even more enjoyable is the fluffy bathrobes and slippers in every room mean you can get ready for your swim there, taking the lift straight down to the spa, and when you're finished, there's no wrestling children out of soggy lycra in a small changing room, instead we simply donning the bathrobe and slippers once again and got dry and dressed in the comfort of our own suite. I find little things like this make all the difference when travelling with kids. After smartening ourselves for dinner, we headed for the refined Restaurant & Bar Mystique, and because no corner of Efteling is free from the strange and unusual, there we experienced an evening-long culinary journey quite unlike any other. First up, there isn't really a menu - you instead choose a selection of flavours by placing small stones on a slate found in the centre of the table and the chef just works with that. And if that's not strange and unusual enough for you, well, let's just say we buttered our bread using the [butter] candle which had just moments before been illuminating our table. While described as a three course meal, plate after plate of appetisers and palette cleansers were served, so many I eventually lost count. These small amuse bouche were as adorable as they were delicious, from tiny crispy tacos to sauces served from a teapot by a chef - the meal was totally weird and absolutely wonderful. The dining experience offered here is recommended for children aged 9+ - maybe due to the time it takes to move through all those plates of food - but the attention of even my youngest was held for the most part due to the anticipation of what was to come next. Both children gave most things a try, despite some of the combinations and flavours being, perhaps, for a more discerning palate. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While they didn't clean every plate - which I absolutely did by the way - I was pleased they both got to try a range of food they probably wouldn't have chosen for themselves otherwise, opening their minds to different culinary possibilities in the future I hope. And they absolutely wolfed down their mains and desserts, everyone leaving the table stuffed and thoroughly entertained. This was a meal that got all of us talking and laughing together and was genuinely one of the most fun meals we've ever sat down to and - along with the delicious food - that is not something that should be overlooked. Our day finished in the most spectacular way, heading out to the Aquanura Water show. This show of water and light was akin to a fireworks display without the horrible bangs and was, in the truest sense of the word, awesome. A 14-minute musical journey through Efteling, it was the perfect way to wrap up our day at the park. Efteling theme park is brilliantly bonkers with a surprise around every corner offering memories that will last a lifetime | Jamie Jones / National World Staggered by quite how much we'd managed to cram into the previous 12 hours, we sunk into our beds and slept solidly until morning. We awoke to our final morning at Efteling, travelling home later that day, so we filled up again with a hearty breakfast and headed out. Making full use of our half-an-hour early access to the park, we headed for the Piraña - a rapid river ride which the day before had a 30-minute queue, and were able to go on twice before any crowds arrived. We laughed until our sides hurt - mostly at how wet my husband had managed to get on Piraña - and then went to get one last sweet treat before the journey home. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I couldn't leave before making one or two purchases in the luxury boutique store within the hotel where you can pick up many of the items you see around the hotel, one of those fluffy bath robes for example, along with jewellery and quality dressing up options for the children. I was unable to resist taking a little of my holiday home with me, picking up some of the shampoo and conditioner I had used in the spa following my swim, as well as an 'ambiance trigger' which is the exclusive fragrance made for and used at the hotel that you can spray around when you get home and imagine you are still there. Efteling really is bonkers, but it is brilliantly bonkers. Somewhere you can't help but enjoy, a place to make memories with the family full of laughter and nonsense. And with the new addition of the Efteling Grand Hotel, mums and dads, and grandparents too, can soak up a little luxury amid the madness. There was so much more we didn't have time to see and do there, the vastness of the place means you can fill your days and still not get around to everything, so, I guess that just means we'll have to go back. Sigh. In the meantime, fetch me that ambiance trigger…
Daily Record
13 hours ago
- Daily Record
Celtic Champions League trek doesn't have to be an issue as former Aberdeen hitman reveals rock star luxury ride
Aberdeen made the same trip to face Kairat Almaty a decade ago - and Adam Rooney remembers the first class transport that came with more than a whiff of showbiz. Adam Rooney recalls Aberdeen splashing out on the Rolling Stones' old private jet for their Almaty jaunt to Kazakhstan. The Dons ultimately got no satisfaction from that 9000-mile round trip a decade ago. But Rooney fancies Celtic to rock back onto European football's biggest stage when Brendan Rodgers' side make the same journey in the Champions League play-off next week. Aberdeen lost 2-1 away to Kairat in a Europa League qualifier back in 2015 - after spending a reported £200,000 on the chartered flight - before tumbling out after a 1-1 draw in the return leg at PIttodrie. Celtic face the Kazakhstani champions in a £40m showdown for a glitzy league phase spot with the first leg in Glasgow on Wednesday before making one of European football's longest journey's the following week. It comes after Kairat won a nerve-shredding penalty shoot out against Slovan Bratislava to book their play-off spot. Scottish sides have never won in seven attempts on Kazakh soil - including the Hoops losing 4-3 to Astana eight years ago. But Rooney says there will be no excuses for Celtic should they fail to get what they want over two legs. He told MailSport: 'You get used to flying across Europe in big games but that one was something else. It was a good old journey, alright! 'To be fair, we were okay with Aberdeen because for the European trips a lot of the sponsors used to fund the flights. We used to sell a lot on the corporate side. 'Some of the sponsors would then travel on the plane with the team. So we used to get some fairly nice planes, to be honest with you. 'I'm pretty sure we had the Rolling Stones ' old private jet for that trip. The company that used to organise the trips had some big names. They said the one we had for that journey was one of the Stones' old jets. 'I'm not really a fan, they're a bit before my time! But when I heard that it still made me think 'wow'. 'You could tell it would suit that kind of company because it was top quality. Nice and spacious with those big lounger seats that face each other like on a corporate bus. 'The planes weren't always like that! We had some good chartered flights but that was a particularly nice one. 'Of course, I'm sure Celtic would rather be going to Bratislava, just logistically it's an awful lot closer. 'More so for the fans because you can't expect many of them to travel over to Kazakhstan. 'But the players, especially some of the lads in the Celtic team, might be involved in international set-ups and stuff that so they're used to travelling further abroad anyway. 'The journey obviously takes a bit out of your legs and stuff, but I think it's more of a mental thing. 'If you can get a good sleep, which if you're on decent planes and the hotels are alright, I think you're fine. 'It's not like you're sitting crammed on a Ryanair flight for eight or nine hours!' Aberdeen fell 2-0 behind early on in the 24,000 Almaty Ortalyk Stadium before Kenny McLean pulled one back in the second half to give Derek McInnes' side hope. Rooney, now player/assistant manager of Hereford alongside former Celtic midfielder Paul Caddis, was a half time sub and remembers the mid-summer heat in Kazakhstan being uncomfortable but nothing that should make a huge difference. Celtic's second leg is due to kick off at 5.45pm UK time - 9.45pm in Kazakhstan - which could pose further logistical issues for the Hoops. But Rooney said: 'Because of the time difference, we tried to stay on British time. 'We worked our meals and stuff like that as if we were still on a UK time and just adapted kick-off time to that. 'The heat wasn't too bad. Listen, Scotland is a sweatbox for me, I'm ginger and white! 'Celtic will be prepared, I'm sure. Going abroad it's hard to actually work out the levels. 'Sometimes you can get led into a false sense of security and think, 'oh, these actually don't look that great'. And you turn up and they're very sharp and they're technically very good. 'So it is difficult to try and get a feel for when you're playing the different countries and different levels to actually get a feel for what kind of standard they are. 'I'm sure the lads at Celtic are a lot more adapted to it when playing in the Champions League qualifiers. 'They'll just want to look after themselves and make sure they play to their capabilities.' Rooney's fellow Irish striker Adam Idah has come under pressure from Hoops fans whose frustrations have been multiplied due to Parkhead chiefs failure to replace Kyogo. But Rooney said: 'I've thought Idah has looked okay, he's a real handful and he's an international striker. 'Listen Celtic are going to dominate the ball domestically and there's a different level of expectation due to the quality of strikers they've had over the years. 'That demand is there to have the X factor. Kyogo had that I suppose. 'We all have barren spells but the difference at Celtic is you are going to get three or four chances a game. 'If you're not taking them that's when the confidence might go. 'But I'm sure Adam is more than capable of scoring 20 goals again this season. He just needs to keep believing because he clearly has the talent. 'I saw a bit of Johnny Kenny playing in Ireland last season. He is quick and direct and the manager at Shamrock Rovers spoke really highly of him. But he'd need a bit of time if he was to be Celtic's number one striker.'
