Each week, we round up a selection of offers from some of the best hotels, airlines, cruises and travel agents
Holidays abroad:
Take your pick with Tour America
With Tour America, you know your holiday to NYC, Mexico, Hollywood, Chicago, or Miami will be organised from beginning to end. You can rest easy knowing that you will get the best price, and best service and that you are booking with an Irish travel company, which is licensed and bonded.
Travel on the eight-night Los Angeles & Pacific Coast fly-cruise and see Los Angeles, Ensenada, Mexico, and San Francisco. Stay from €1,299pp, departs 28th June 2023. Price includes return flights to LA, three nights pre-cruise at the Ramada Plaza Hollywood Hills, and five nights onboard the Emerald Princess.
Based on 2 +2 sharing inside cabin (two sharing is €1,699pp)
Ref: 694194
Click here for more
Or why not enjoy a fairytale in NYC for Christmas? With its world-famous fairytale lights display, you’ll feel like you’re in a real-life storybook. Stay three nights at the Manhattan Hotel Times Square, which is centrally located, and just a short walk from all the best that New York City has to offer. Price is from €1,050pp and departs 11th December 2022. Price is based on two sharing.
Ref: 694195
Click here for more
Visit touramerica.ie or call (01) 817 3535 to book your holiday
Discover a winter wonderland at Poland’s dazzling Christmas Markets
One of the most magical things about winter in Europe is the Christmas markets and Poland is no exception. Browsing Christmas markets is a great way to experience the atmosphere and traditions of each of these cities and get set for the most wonderful time of the year. Here are the best ones to visit:
Wroclaw
Are you looking for a wonderful Christmas experience somewhere new? Head to the city of Wroclaw, and you’ll find one of Europe’s most atmospheric settings. The Christmas Market in Wroclaw will be taking place in four main areas: The Market Square, Salt Square (Plac Solny), Świdnicka Street and Oławska Street. Visitors can experience the fairytale forest, gnomes, and much more. Additionally, there are Christmas-themed rides and parades for everyone to enjoy. It goes without saying there will be a wide range of stalls offering a tempting array of festive goodies and local delicacies. A tasty treat that visitors must sample is the famous Oscypek- a traditional smoked cheese you won’t find anywhere else.
Dates: The Christmas market runs from November 18th- December 31st 2022.
For more information on Wroclaw, click here
Krakow
Christmas in Poland’s ancient city of Krakow has to be seen to be believed. Browse the brightly-lit stalls at your leisure while enjoying a cup of mulled wine or nibble some mouth-watering gingerbread. The tempting aroma of hot kielbasa (sausage) fills the air but there’s plenty of other local food to try. The majestic Renaissance Sukiennice Cloth Hall dominates the square and is also worth a visit. To start your Christmas adventure, get your skates on at the ice rink or spend some quiet time in tranquil galleries or candlelight churches. Krakow also has an annual tradition of hosting a nativity scene competition. Participants create colourful interpretations featuring churches, or szopki, and other architecture you’ll find in Krakow. A trip to this magical Polish gem will certainly leave you with long-lasting memories.
Dates: The Christmas market runs from November 25th 2022 – January 1st 2023
For more information on Krakow, click here
Winter sun half-board offers
Escape the cold autumn days with a sun holiday with Click & Go. They have some amazing half-board deals. Get dinner, bed and breakfast as well as the sun for a week for under €600!
Stay at the 4-Star AluaSun Costa Park (formerly Roc Costa Park) Hotel in Costa del Sol from €399pp. Price is based on two adults sharing for travel in October 2022.
Price includes: return flights from Dublin to Costa del Sol, seven nights in the 4-Star AluaSun Costa Park (formerly Roc Costa Park) Hotel, Torremolinos on a half-board basis, and airport taxes and charges are also included.
Visit Click & Go
Or choose the 4-Star Beatriz Playa & Spa in Lanzarote from €599pp. Price is based on two adults sharing for travel in November 2022.
Price includes: return flights from Dublin to Lanzarote, seven nights in the 4-Star Beatriz Playa & Spa, Puerto del Carmen on a half-board basis, plus airport taxes and charges are included.
Visit Click & Go
Staycations:
Relive the magic of Garth Brooks
Following five hugely successful gigs at Croke Park, Hastings Hotels are giving Garth Brooks fans a chance to relive the American country legend’s magic and sing along to his famous hits.
The Northern Ireland hotel group has announced two Garth Brooks Tribute shows at the Europa Hotel in Belfast and Ballygally Castle Hotel in Antrim in December and January.
One of Ireland’s best-known tribute acts, Jason Hughes from Derry, will treat fans to Brooks’ favourite toe-tapping songs, accompanied by his live, six-piece band.
Hughes has toured and performed shows all across Ireland, Europe and America over the past 20 years and appeared on several TV shows, earning him the title “Ireland’s Garth Brooks”.
“You’ve got to Do What You Gotta Do and make sure Wild Horses don’t keep you from a night of foot stomping Country Music,” said Hastings Hotels events director, Allyson McKimm.
“Hastings Hotels is famous for its tribute shows and this is one that is set to really entertain even the most die-hard Garth Brook’s fans in Ireland.”
From December this year through to February next, they will stage a series of tribute shows featuring famous acts including Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, ABBA, Westlife, Shania Twain, Motown and more.
Tickets for the Garth Brooks tribute show are £18 (approximately €20) and can be purchased from Ticketmaster.
Hastings Hotels Garth Brooks Tribute Show dates:
Europa Hotel, Belfast – Tuesday, December 27th
Ballygally Castle, Antrim – Friday, January 13th
Overnight show packages are also available at hastingshotels.com, which include tickets to the show, free car parking, accommodation and a full Irish breakfast the next morning
Doors open 7.30pm and shows commence at 9pm, with admission restricted to over 18s
A wicked walk at Jurassic Newpark
Halloween will be a dino-mite experience at the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny – no bones about it! Over the midterm break, your family can watch dinosaurs, ghouls and goblins come back to life on a ‘wicked walk’ through the hotel’s new prehistoric playground, Jurassic Newpark.
The Wicked Walk includes ghoulish face painting, Halloween-themed fun and games, an eerie Dino Talk by the park’s Dino Ranger, Luke O’Connell from Luke’s Deadly Dinosaurs, and spooky ghost stories by the Wicked Witch. Visitors can also visit the enchanted fairy trail, wildlife farm and adventure playground with zip wire and go-kart track.
Jurassic Newpark will be seasonally decorated with pumpkins, bats, cobwebs, and skeletons, and make sure to get your kids into the ‘spirit’ of things by dressing them up in their most frightening Halloween costume or their favourite scary dinosaur outfit for the walk.
Newpark Hotel is a 4-star family-run establishment, part of the Flynn Hotel Collection. Renowned as one of Ireland’s leading family destinations, the hotel also provides the ideal base from which to explore the vibrant medieval city of Kilkenny. Jurassic Newpark, which launched in August of this year, is proving to be a hugely popular attraction. It features life-size dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Velociraptor, and dinosaur eggs.
The stylish hotel also offers spacious deluxe family rooms perfect for two adults and two children, while the luxury superior rooms cater for families with three children. There are also interconnecting rooms for larger families or those with older kids looking for more independence.
The Wicked Walk at Jurassic Newpark takes place from Saturday 29th October to Sunday 6th November 2022 and must be pre-booked online at jurassicnewpark.com. Hotel guests go free! The event is suitable for children under the age of 11, and remember, this is an outdoor event so bring waterproof and warm clothes.
There’s so much to do for hotel guests in addition to the Jurassic Newpark attraction, including an attended swimming pool, an indoor games room, a soft play sensory playroom for under 3s, and the Krazy Kats Kids Club with entertains younger guests with activities like yoga sessions, trips to the park, build a bear, bracelet making, movie nights with milk and cookies, and much more! There’s also a gorgeous spa and infinity pool for parents.
Newpark Hotel Kilkenny’s mid-term family breaks for two adults and two children staying in a classic room start from €648 for two nights B&B with one evening meal. Three or four-night stays are also available.
For more visit NewparkHotelKilkenny.com or JurassicNewpark.com or stay tuned to social media
Nine Cosy Breaks for Autumn / Winter
With a long cold winter ahead, a getaway is just what’s needed to get you through. Cosy up and make the most of the season with this lineup of stunning breaks across some of Ireland’s top hotels:
Trip or Treat at The Dean Cork or The Dean Galway
There are no ghastly tricks with this offer, just a sweet deal to get away for a city break to Cork or Galway with 10% off room rates from 1st October to the 30th November. Discover all that Cork or Galway has to offer from your base at The Dean. There’s also plenty to enjoy without having to leave the building, with Sophie’s Rooftop Restaurant, the Dean Lobby Bar, and POWER Gym, complete with a hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room. Galway goers can also enjoy Elephant & Castle and the cosy Peg’s Bar for a pint of plain.
Prices start from €162 per room (Cork) and €152 per room (Galway).
Book at thedean.ie
The Wildest Way at The Butler Arms
Put the wild back into the Wild Atlantic Way and enjoy 20% off Bed & Breakfast Rates at The Butler Arms Hotel. Located in the seaside town of Waterville, County Kerry, there are a host of outdoor activities from horse riding and cycling to fishing to enjoy. Known for it’s warm and welcoming hospitality, The Butler Arms Hotel has been welcoming guests to the Ring of Kerry for over 100 years. Guests can relax in the super spacious rooms and enjoy a complimentary Winter Warmer Cocktail in the cosy lounge bar. For those guests who want to stay a little longer,
The Butler Arms Hotel is offering an exclusive book direct offer – Stay three nights, pay for two nights – available from November 1st through to February 28th.
Book at butlerarms.com
Lakeside Escape at Glasson Lakehouse
Enjoy three nights of lakeside luxury at Glasson Lakehouse this Christmas, perfect for the whole family, including the pooch with our dedicated doggy rooms. This all-in package includes festive welcome treats of mulled wine and mince pies on Christmas Eve, before a delicious three-course dinner in Bonnie’s Restaurant. Cosy up by the outdoor fire pit and relax for the evening before the big day. Start your Christmas Day with a sumptuous full breakfast followed by a full day of celebration and relaxation – a cosy family movie or a gentle stroll or bike ride around our enchanting woodlands. Christmas Day lunch is served in Bonnie’s Restaurant and in the evening you will enjoy a light Christmas supper. On St Stephens Day treat yourself to a leisurely breakfast and dinner in Tom’s Fish & Tackle Bar. You will leave rested, rejuvenated, and ready to start your New Year celebrations, from just €869 per person.Book at glassonlakehouse.ie
Shauna McCrudden
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