From a Russian cruise to a Spanish stroll
, JOAN SCALESrounds up the best of this week's offers
DEAL OF THE WEEK:
Cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow: from €1,739
Citiescapes has a unique way to explore Russia, by river cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow on the Neva, Svir and Volga rivers. The 10-day trip begins in St Petersburg and includes visits to the Hermitage and Catherine’s Palace (above) before setting off aboard ship. Places to visit include Lake Onega, Kizhi Island, Krillo-Belozersky Monastery and the church of Elijah the Prophet. In Moscow there will be two days of tours before a direct flight home. The price, from €1,739, includes all meals, tours, flights, transfers and taxes. 01-2941000, www.citiescapes.ie
HOME DEALS:
Self-catering at top hotels
Newly launched this week are Natural Retreats, luxury self-catering homes at five of the country’s top resort hotels: Adare, the K Club, Parknasilla, Castlemartyr and Kilronan Castle. They can be rented for a minimum of two nights. Rates for the August bank-holiday weekend at Parknasilla are from €810, Adare from €1,030 and Castlemartyr from €610. 01-6853013, www.naturalretreats.ie.
Anam Cara retreat: €450
Find inspiration at Anam Cara Retreat, on Beara Peninsula, on a Writing from Within workshop in haiku poetry, with meditation and awareness exercises. The retreat runs from July 23rd to 26th, and the fee of €450 includes accommodation, meals and tuition. 027-74441, www.anamcararetreat.com.
Kilkenny opera: from €149
It is opera time at Kilkenny Castle from July 3rd to 5th, and local hotels are offering packages. The Hibernian has dinner, bed, breakfast and opera tickets from €185pps, the River Court has two nights, one dinner and tickets for €250pps and the Newpark has two nights and one dinner from €149pps. Details of the programme and accommodation offers on www.blackstairsopera.com.
Family breaks: from €238
Following the success of the Value Breaks offer, members of the Irish Hotels Federation have introduced Family Breaks. Two nights’ bed and breakfast and dinner one night for two adults and two children costs from €238. 01-8084419, www.irelandhotels.com.
Sunday lie-in and brunch: €95
The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, in Dublin, would like to remind you about lazy Sundays: staying in bed late, reading the papers and then starting the day with bubbly and brunch. It costs €95pps. www.radissonblu.ie/ royalhotel-dublin, 01-8982900.
Croker weekend with kids: €125
Bring the children to Dublin for a tour of the Croke Park museum and stadium as the GAA celebrates 125 years. Stay at the Croke Park Hotel for €125 per night for two adults and two children, including a family pass to the museum, a blockbuster movie and children’s meals. 01-8714444.
OVERSEAS DEALS
Malaysia: from €2,895pps
Discover the Pearl of the Orient on a 17-day trip to Malaysia with Map Travel. Visiting Borneo, Penang, the Cameron Highlands and Kuala Lumpur, there will be time to see the best of Malaysia. The price, from €2,895pps,
includes flights, accommodation, tours, nine lunches and 12 dinners. 01-8783111, wwwmaptravel.ie.
Walk and talk Spanish: €980
Learn or improve your Spanish on a walking and talking holiday in the Pyrenees. Run by language and cross-cultural trainers, the courses in the Baztán Valley, in Navarre, will immerse you in Spanish culture. Accommodation is in an 18th-century farmhouse, and the price of €980 includes all activities and meals, plus wine with dinner. No single supplements. 00-44-121- 7113428, www.spanishlanguage walkingholidays.com.
Language trips: from €475
Encourage your teenagers to improve their language skills with a week in Europe. Stein Study Abroad has offers of French in Montpellier from €475, Spanish in San Sebastián from €499, German in Berlin from €499 and Italian in Siena from €489. 01-4759646, www.steinstudyabroad.ie.
Malev fare sale: flights from €99
Malev Hungarian Airlines will be having a four-day sale from Thursday. Fares to Budapest will cost from €99, Zagreb, Prague, Istanbul and Warsaw from €149 and Amman from €299, including taxes and chargesand valid for travel until October 24th. 0818-555577, www.malev.com.
Lanzarote from Cork and Knock
Good news for the south and west. Flights to Lanzarote from Cork and Knock begin again this month. Topflight’s charter from Cork has holidays from €289pps. 1890-240170, www.topflight.ie. Sunway’s service from Knock has packages from €449, with discounts of €150 per person off August departures. 01-2886828, www.sunway.ie.
Istanbul for four days: €398pps
Explore exotic Istanbul on four-day packages with Abbey Travel. From August 27th to September 17th, it has deals with direct flights from Dublin from €398pps, including all taxes. 01-8047100, www.abbeytravel.ie.
Shopping in Canada: €394pps
Canada Collection has a three-night shopping trip to Toronto in September from €394pps, including flights and accommodation. 0818-222426, www.canadacollection.ie.
* Please bear in mind that deals are subject to availability