Greece, Mexico, Malta and more: 15 of the best summer 2023 holidays you can still book

Of the 1,700-plus respondents to the survey, 93% are planning to take a foreign holiday this year with breaks to the sun being the overwhelming top choice (67%) followed by city breaks (13%) and cruises (10%). 

So what are the offers out there this summer? I trawled the packages and flight fares to find some of the best deals available for summer.

1. Greek Islands

Click&Go is the official partner for holidays with Aer Lingus which offers sun, city, and cruise escapes around the world including flights. And a new service from Dublin to Kos this summer means some fresh packages for the Greek Island. 

A week-long stay in the Aspro Spiti apartments set in the kicked-back resort town of Tigaki costs from just €433pps this summer. That’s based on a self-catering basis, so you’ll have to factor in meal costs, but being just a short walk from the main strip (plus a great supermarket) you can enjoy great Greek cuisine on your doorstep.

• holidayswithaerlingus.com

2. Fitness in the sun

As so many social media personalities are becoming familiar trusted faces nowadays, a growing trend in the last couple of years has been the rise of influencer-hosted getaways. 

One of Ireland’s top travel influencers Nadia El Ferdaoussi puts the “fun” in functional fitness with her Good Life weeks at Marbella Fitness Camp in Spain. 

They’re not bootcamps, she tells us, but rather a week of fun events you can dip in and out of, from yoga and morning workouts (think circuit training to Westlife) to paella nights and sunset hikes. 

Some participants travel with friends, family or a partner, but the majority are solo travellers seeking to get away but in friendly surroundings. June and September departures for €1,184 per week excluding flights.

• marbellafitnesscamp.com/Good-Life-Camp/

3. Soap tour

Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and even The Banshees of Inisheerin are feeding the massive screen tourism sector right now but if soap operas are more your bag, why not treat yourself to a trip to “the cobbles” this summer? 

Celtic Tours is offering a two-day English soap tour where you’ll join a Coronation Street guided studio tour in Manchester before heading to the scenic Yorkshire village of Esholt, where scenes of Emmerdale are filmed. 

The two-night ferry and coach trip has dates available from May through to October with rates from €379pp (a small price to pay for seeing Roy’s Rolls in real life).

• itaa.ie/offers/the-soaps-tours/

4. Camino solitude

The Camino has become of the most popular Irish getaways, all trying to get into nature and escape. 

It’s also hugely popular for those looking to holiday alone and tapping into that sector is Irish operator Uwalk.ie whose Travel Solo But Not Alone seven-night package highlights the pleasure of meeting tours along the way. 

Camino packages, kicking off from the French, Portuguese or Celtic Camino, start from €830 per solo traveller or €649pps if travelling as a couple. 

That excludes flights but includes charming family-run hotel accommodation, breakfast each morning, daily baggage transfers and of course your pilgrim passport.

• uwalk.ie

5. Celebrate women in Norway

If you’ve been saving up for a trip of a lifetime, sustainable luxury travel curator Up Norway has an innovative itinerary focused on gender equality with the launch of their new journey: Tracing Norway’s Super Women. 

The curated journey offers a historical and geographical adventure that introduces travellers to women marking Norway’s history from the past to the present from learning about the 17th-century witch trials in the wilds of the Varanger peninsula to experiencing a female-led whiskey distillery on the island of Fedje. 

Accommodation includes a stay at the restored boutique hotel Camilla’s House, the former private residence of author Camilla Collett, one of Norway’s most significant novelists and women’s rights activists. From €5,000pps for 10 nights.

• upnorway.com

6. Seek value in Turkey

If you’re looking for one of the most-affordable breaks this summer then put Turkey on your shortlist. 

The country’s lira has been tanking in recent years which means great value deals at the travel agents and good value on the ground too. 

Sunway is offering great deals to the resort of Kusadasi this summer; the town itself is pretty touristy, but once you tear yourself away from the pool and cocktails, you can colour your holiday with great excursions from visiting the incredible ruins of Ephesus to taking a day trip to the beautiful Greek island of Samos. 

From €799pps.

• sunway.ie

7. Cruise the Med

Cruises have made a massive comeback in the post-pandemic travel era and one of the most attractive options for Irish consumers is to set sail for a shorter, more affordable cruise across the Med. 

You don’t need to pay huge amounts either. Specialists MSC have summer departure rates from €249pps for a three-night cruise departing from Marseilles in the South of France before venturing south to Sicily via stops in Genoa and Civitavecchia along the way. 

Flights are extra but the rate does include breakfast — you can bump your package with various meals and drinks bundles too.

• msccruises.ie

8. DIY Sardinia

One of the most popular sun routes from Cork this summer is going to be the service from Cork to Alghero in Sardinia with departure times (Friday afternoon and Monday evening) making the destination a tasty option for both weekend and longer stay getaways. 

The best fares for the route right now can be booked in August with departures teetering around €300 return while weekend hotel fares for the old town of Alghero are currently around €150 per night, pretty typical rates for Italy in the summer, but with Alghero being even smaller than Galway, don’t hesitate to stay in the outskirts of the city or along the coast for a potentially better rate. 

If you’re looking for a city break, one of the most affordable summer deals this summer is from Cork to Bergamo with fares from €170 turn. Many visitors use the airport as a gateway to the region’s lakes, but Bergamo itself – with its Alpine views and charming old town – also makes for an attractive city break.

• ryanair.com

9. Explore India

If you’ve been dreaming about travelling beyond your comfort zone but would value the peace of mind of being part of an escorted group tour, then check out G Adventures for its excellent value tours across the globe. 

Its rates don’t include flights, but I still reckon there’s some excellent value summer options for the slightly more intrepid from an eight-day tour of India from €562pp to €849pp for nine days in Costa Rica. 

G Adventure tours is also a great option for solo travellers, plus travellers can often avoid a single supplement charge by being matched up with a fellow traveller of a similar age and gender.

• gadventures.com

10. Cruise the Danube

With its languid river pace and go-with-the-flow itineraries, there’s something about a river cruise which seems to be the epitome of slow travel! 

The Travel Department is offering various destination options from the river Rhine to the Nile but its Danube routes offer some of the most affordable this summer. 

Its seven-night, full-board Danube Rhapsody cruise aboard the four-star MS Amadeus ship meanders through some of the best natural and urban highlights of Europe’s longest river with stops at Munich, Vienna and Passau and excursions from a walking tour of Bratislava to a wine tasting at a vineyard in Austria’s Wachau valley. 

From €2,199pps including flights from Dublin.

• traveldepartment.com

11. Direct to Mexico

Direct charter flights from Dublin to Cancun this summer are making Mexico a hot ticket for Irish travellers seeking sun, sea and a bucket-list Caribbean escape. 

Cancun itself may have a pretty touristy rep but the Mayan Riviera, just south of the resort, offers a surprisingly rich destination to explore with activities from snorkelling along its marine-life-rich shores to discovering the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. 

Family and couples deals are available from operator TUI with a 14-night couple’s stay starting from €1,429pps based on an all-inclusive stay at the four-star Bahia Principe Grand Coba (departing June 12).

• tuiholidays.ie

12. Ferry to France

If co-ordinating ferry crossings and an accommodation has you flummoxed, Irish Ferries is offering some sail and stay packages for summer 2023. 

Staying at the Pierre & Vacances Resort in Normandy, families can enjoy an early summer break from €486pp which includes an eight-night stay at the holiday village as well as the ferry crossing. 

Irish Ferries is also offering EuroDisney breaks from €750pp based on a family of four sharing.

• Tip: Don’t feel the need to splash out on a port-view cabin when booking your tickets — this is a short ferry crossing to France, not a cruise down the Seine.

• irishferries.com

13. Lake Garda package

New sun routes from Cork this season also mean great new package holiday options and Italian lakes specialist Topflight has options to make your family holiday all the more bellissimo. 

A seven-night stay for a family of four with accommodation at the highly rated Bella Italia Bungalows in Pescharia is available from €3,113 or €1,933 for a couple on a self-catering basis. 

The family-friendly site lies just a short walk from all the action in Pescharia but its location just off Lake Garda is one of the site’s main unique selling points.

• topflight.ie

14. Malta

If you’re looking for another alternative to flying from Cork or Dublin this summer, Shannon Airport makes for a friendly and low-stress springboard to several sun destinations with a host of packages available to book online. 

I expect Malta to be one of its most exciting options. A seven-night stay at the Ramla Bay Resort Hotel near Mellieha Bay is available from €722pps B&B. 

Mellieha Bay is Malta’s largest sandy beach making the resort a handy setting for sun lovers while also being within day-tripping distance to the old city of Mdina and the capital to Valetta while the ferry to the island of Gozo lies only 2km away.

• flyshannon.ie

15. Florida

Beyond the iconic city destinations, Florida is arguably the most popular destination for Irish travellers and US specialist Tour America has endless deals to tempt you to the Sunshine State this summer. 

A good mid-budget option is the decently rated Universals Endless Summer Resort Surfside Inn and Suites which is located in Orlando proper and just minutes from Universal Studios so you’ll save on transfer costs. 

Summer rates start from €1,212pps which includes flights and room-only accommodation.

Travel Tip: Be sure to do some groundwork on any hotels featured in package deals as some options (not just budget) can have some stonker reviews.