Departure Lounge: Direct flights from Cork to Turkey, and Christmas getaways
Dalaman, Turkey
New route alert! For the first time, direct flights from Cork Airport to Turkey will be on offer next summer thanks to a new route to Dalaman, a resort on the country’s popular Turquoise Coast.
Tour operators TUI will begin the service from next June with weekly flights commencing over four weeks.
There’s decent value on offer now too with TUI’s range of holidays from family-friendly waterpark stays to wellness breaks: one week self-catering apartment stays available from €716pps while all-inclusive holidays from €937.
Flight time from Cork to Dalaman is 4hrs and 35mins.
If you’re looking to give the gift of a getaway this Christmas, The Go Anywhere Giftcard by irelandhotels.com is offering a Black Friday special this month with a free €20 gift card on every purchase of €200 or more.
The gift cards can be redeemed at any one of 400 hotels and B&Bs across Ireland including Ballymaloe House in East Cork, The Twelve in Galway or The Westbury in Dublin.
The offer is available from Black Friday to Cyber Monday (November 29 - Dec 2).
If you, like I, avail of multi-trip travel insurance for your annual getaways, it may be wise to reacquaint yourself with your latest policy cost.
After signing up with a well known provider post lockdown, I clocked this month that my auto-renewal policy had increased from €92 in 2021 to €221 this year.
That’s a 140% increase in just three years. Following a no-quibble refund, I opted for a similar policy with another provider for almost half the price.
Always shop around with travel policies and be aware of auto-renewals which may reboot to cover you while you’re not even abroad.
Christmas markets have become part and parcel of the annual festive build-up in Ireland in recent years and top of my list is Belfast’s annual offering.
The atmosphere-packed market which takes place at City Hall runs until December 22 and offers sleigh loads of character with local and Continental stalls offering everything from glühwein to speciality cheese, along with a vintage helter skelter and carousel.
This year also features a Dickensian theme for a Victorian-era throwback.
You’ll find city break value too: weekends B&B rates at spots like the new voco Belfast hotel are available from €155.
Ski season is upon us which means there’s a host of deals to woo the snow bunny market.
Winter getaway specialist Crystal Ski have a number of options but you’ll never go far off-piste with a trip to Ireland’s favourite ski destination, Austria.
For a pre-Christmas getaway to the postcard village Mayrhofen, a seven night B&B stay at the three-star Landhaus Mayrhofen is available from €705pps, departing December 14.
You’ll find even more affordable deals to the likes of Bulgaria and Andorra too.