Meet Jenny - About Ireland Taxi Tours

Hello, I'm Jenny!

I'm Jenny Zanotta, the one behind the scenes at About Ireland Taxi Tours. If you've booked with us, I'm the one who sent you your WeTravel link, matched you up with your driver-guide and set up your WhatsApp group.

Bob and I work together to give people from all over the world the trip of a lifetime around Ireland. Day tours, multi-day tours, transfers, shore excursions from every Irish cruise port, and wheelchair-accessible tours through Accessibility Tours Ireland. And none of it would work without our brilliant local driver-guides, who bring the magic on the day.

So how did I end up here?

I was born in England, but we moved to Ireland when I was six. We moved around a lot, so I grew up between County Cork and County Waterford.

I've done a bit of everything in my time. Factory work, hospitality, shop work, and then 15 years as a nanny, in Ireland and different countries.

Travelling is in my blood. I spent two years backpacking solo, before I met my husband, he's Swiss. A few years later I took off again, this time for two years living and travelling full time in our van around Europe, and ended up adopting a puppy from Greece along the way.

Then my mum got sick, so we came home to Ireland to look after her. Bob happened to be looking for someone to help with invoices and paperwork for a few hours a month, and my sister put us in touch. Two and a half years later, here I am, running the company alongside Bob!

Oh, and here's the bit that surprises everyone: I look after it all from Switzerland. Everyone assumes I'm sitting in an office in Cork.

A day in my life

My day starts the minute I open my eyes. I'm checking the WhatsApp groups before I'm out of bed, and social media gets done over my first coffee. Then it's out for a walk with my dog Nina.

There's no such thing as a typical day, because anything can happen! Mornings are all about making sure every tour gets off to a good start, sorting any last-minute changes and jumping in if someone needs a hand. Then it's emails, new bookings, itinerary tweaks and answering questions, and that goes on all day long.

Once a tour is booked, I set it up on our system, chase up any missing bits, pick the right driver-guides and answer their questions. In between, I'm on the phone with guests, chatting in the Ireland travel groups online, doing the drivers' payroll once a week, and squeezing in meetings, courses and the odd blog.

And evenings? The WhatsApp groups are still going, someone might want a tour for tomorrow morning so I have to set that up, and with guests in different time zones, late calls are part of the job. Somewhere in there I cook dinner and take Nina out again! Weekends I'm on call too, my laptop is mostly closed, but my phone is never far away.

Why accessibility means so much to me

Everyone should get the chance to travel, whatever their mobility needs. Simple as that. That's why our tours with Accessibility Tours Ireland are so close to my heart.

If I am really honest, they also scare me a bit! I'm always worried we'll get something wrong and ruin someone's trip. I put loads of extra work in to make sure that never happens. I'm extra fussy about every little detail on those tours, because they matter so much.

The bits I love

The best part of the job? Making people's dream trips come true. When the feedback comes in afterwards, it makes me smile. It makes me happy, knowing what we've pulled off as a team.

And the banter! I love the back and forth between guests, drivers and myself. One of our drivers has a running joke with me about losing guests over the Cliffs of Moher. At the end of the day he'll tell me he only lost one today, so all in all, a good day.

One day he got the whole group in on it. He filmed them doing a head count and leaving me a message. I was in stitches, and it's still one of my favourite moments and videos.

My favourite spot, and my one bit of advice

The wilder the better for me. I absolutely love West Cork and getting a bit lost down there. It's beautiful, and it feels so vast somehow.

If it's your first time in Ireland, my advice is: don't overplan it! Go with the flow and enjoy the little moments, like sitting by the fire in a pub chatting with the locals. It's the people who make a trip special, and you'll remember them long after you've forgotten some of the places.

Quick questions about Jenny

Who is Jenny at About Ireland Taxi Tours? I look after planning and operations at About Ireland Taxi Tours, a private tour company with a driver network all over Ireland and Northern Ireland. I handle bookings, payments, driver allocation and guest support.

Where is Jenny based? I grew up in Cork and Waterford and now live in Switzerland with my husband, where I work remotely. Guests are often surprised to learn this!

Is Jenny a traveller herself? Very much so. I spent two years backpacking solo full time, and later two years living and travelling full time in our van around Europe.

What does Jenny do for guests? Once a guest is ready to book, I set up the trip on WeTravel and match each day with the right local driver-guide. I handle all operations apart from the itinerary building, which is Bob's expertise.

Does About Ireland Taxi Tours offer wheelchair-accessible tours? Yes. Through Accessibility Tours Ireland, the company runs private wheelchair-accessible day tours, multi-day tours, transfers and shore excursions across Ireland and Northern Ireland. I take extra care planning each one.

What languages does Jenny speak? English, plus German at B2 level. I can understand some Swiss German too.

What is Jenny's top tip for visiting Ireland? Don't overplan. Leave time to wander, stop in a pub by the fire and talk to the locals.

Written by Jenny Zanotta, About Ireland Taxi Tours