Welcome to Vintage Tea Trips! We are fully committed to ensuring that everyone can experience the magic of stepping back in time on our vintage buses. Whether you are enjoying afternoon tea through the historic streets of Dublin or taking in the sights of Cork, we want to help you plan a trip that is comfortable, safe, and enjoyable.
This page outlines the physical accessibility of our vehicles, our booking options, on-board environmental factors, and our digital commitments to help you prepare for your journey.
1. Before You Book: Contact Us For Assistance
Because our tours take place on uniquely preserved vintage double-decker vehicles, we highly recommend contacting our team prior to booking if you or a member of your party has specific mobility or accessibility needs. We can discuss your requirements and ensure we assign the most suitable seating.
Phone: 01 255 1777
Email: [email protected]
Accessible Booking Options: Bookings can be made online via our website, over the phone with our team, or via email inquiries.
2. Physical Accessibility & Vehicle Layout
Our vehicles are beautifully restored, vintage routine buses. Because they preserve their original 1960s structural designs, there are structural limitations to keep in mind:
Wheelchair Accommodation: Due to the historic design of the entrance platforms and narrow aisles, our vintage buses are unfortunately not fully wheelchair accessible and cannot accommodate motorized wheelchairs or mobility scooters on board.
Boarding and Steps: Passengers must be able to step up onto the bus platform (usually 1–2 steps from the kerb/pavement). To reach the Upper Deck, passengers must navigate a narrow, winding vintage staircase. If you have limited mobility, please request Lower Deck seating at the time of booking.
Crew Assistance: Our onboard hosts and drivers are fully trained to provide steadying assistance and guidance while you board and disembark, though they cannot physically lift passengers.
Storage: We have limited storage space on board. Foldable walkers or manual wheelchairs can typically be collapsed and stored safely downstairs on the platform during the tour by arrangement.
3. Sensory & Environmental Factors
We want all guests to feel relaxed during their afternoon tea experience. Please take note of the following environmental factors:
Motion and Terrain: Our buses travel at a gentle, leisurely pace through inner-city routes. However, minor vibrations and movements are normal as the vehicle navigates urban roads, turns, and occasional uneven surfaces.
Audio Guides & Commentary: Our tours feature retro music and light verbal commentary/hosting from our crew. If you have a hearing impairment, please let our team know so we can seat you closer to our hosts or audio sources.
Service Animals: We warmly welcome fully trained assistance and guide dogs on board. Please notify us during your booking process so we can allocate a table with sufficient floor space for your service animal to rest comfortably.
4. Dietary & Medical Needs
Allergies & Dietary Requirements: We cater to various dietary preferences, including Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Dairy-Free afternoon tea menus. These must be specified at least 24 hours in advance of your trip via our booking platform.
Medication: Please ensure you bring any necessary personal medications with you on the tour.
5. Website & Digital Accessibility
We believe digital inclusion is just as important as physical inclusion.
Our Standard: The vintageteatrips.ie website has been audited and optimized to align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA standards.
Optimizations: We have remediated our site elements to ensure full keyboard navigation compatibility, correct semantic list structures for screen readers, legible text-to-background contrast ratios, and descriptive labels on image links.
Digital Limitations: Certain elements provided by third-party integrations (such as embedded video players or specific map frames) operate on external code bases that we cannot directly control. For more granular details, please see our full Accessibility Policy.
6. Feedback & Continuous Improvement
Accessibility is an ongoing journey. If you have any suggestions, noticed a barrier on our website, or feel we could improve our physical tour experience to better accommodate guests with disabilities, we would love to hear from you.
Please get in touch with our team via [email protected] or call us at 01 255 1777. We aim to respond to all accessibility feedback within 3 – 5 business days.
This guide was last updated on July 1, 2026.