October is the time to find extraordinary worth in cruising, particularly on this one from Cruiseholidays.ie, sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Elegance of the Seas from Venice to Malaga. The ship shall visit Dubrovnik, Malta, Cartagena and Gibraltar on the way. The price tag, from 599pps, includes an overnight in Venice and flights too. Tel : 01-8173555 or 021-2429555.
Away
DISCOVER Bordeaux in the autumn with a special package from the local traveller office. The two-night deal includes hotel, guided town tour, wine tour, complimentary bottle of wine in your room, and free entry to major sites of interest. Prices in two-star hostels are from 105pps and in three-star hotels from 144pps. See bordeaux-tourisme.com.
A Way to enjoy Croatia is on a two-centre holiday. Stay for 4 nights in the Hotel Croatia, Cavtat (near Dubrovnik) and 3 nights on the islands of Mijet in the Hotel Odisej. Departs September 24th with a week from 739. See croatia.ie, tel 01-8780800.
SEE BUDAPEST this autumn with three-night packages from Topflight. Enjoy a night at the State Opera, a steered town tour, airport transfers and hotel accommodation from 249pps. Flights with Aer Lingus cost from 150. Tel : 01-2401700 or topflight.ie.
AUTUMN is a good time to go to Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen with flights from Dublin with SAS. Take a weekend visit and two nights BB in a central hotel from 299pps. Tel : 0818-332500 or cassidytravel.ie.
ON Sep 16th Irish Ferries will host a wine fair on its Oscar Wilde sailing from Rosslare to Roscoff. French wine producers will offer tastings, give information and preview some wines that may be bought at a discount of 12.5 percent. Passengers can make a short journey of it with two-night hotel accommodation and return ferry travel from 199pps, primarily based on 4 passengers, returning from Cherbourg on the 19th. Tel : 0818-300400, irishferries.com.
Home
THE SHANNON estuary has a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins and if you stay in Doonbeg Lodge, Corp Clare it can organise a boat trip to see the dolphins and do some fishing. Two-night packages in the luxurious lodge with dinner one night and ship charter are from 580pps. Tel : 065-9055600 or doonbeglodge.com.
KILLARNEY is comedy central for Sep 16th and 17th when 18 top Irish and global comics descend for a weekend of jokes at the INEC. Day tickets are from 27.65 and two-day tickets are from forty five. Book accommodation on destinationkillarney.com : the Gleneagle is from eighty per night ; and the Brehon from 99 per night.
AFTERNOON tea is in style with two hotels in Dublin offering this beautiful treat. Tea at the Conrad includes cupcakes and macaroons with specialism teas for 21. Tel : 01-6028900 or conraddublin.com. In the Shelbourne Hotel, berries are the theme and you can make a night of it with bubbly afternoon tea and an overnight stay for 232 per room. Tel : 01-6634500, theshelbourne.ie.
A SKELLIGS Rock special from the Servant Arms Hotel in Waterville includes a ship trip to the rock with a packed lunch (subject to climate conditions). A two-night stay with dinner one evening is from 220pps, valid till September 15th but book by Sep 8th. Tel : 01-2958900 or manorhousehotels.com.
The Next full moon walk with Hilltop Treks is on Sep 10th in Enniskerry, Company Wicklow. Make a night of it with a stay in the Summerhill House Hotel for 95 including a bar meal. No single supplement. Tel : 01-2867928 or see summerhillhousehotel.com or hilltoptreks.ie.
FROM RUSSIA with Love is the theme at the Westbury Hotel in Dublin during the Dublin Theatre Festival from Sep 29th to October 16th. Stay a night in the hotel and you can have a Russian impressed meal and tickets for Donka : A letter to Chekhov with breakfast for 299 for two. Tel : 01-6791122 or see doylecollection.com. as reported tagza.com.
