Don't be a Voucher Slouch ~ Give the Gift of Travel this Christmas!

Let's admit it, some people are a nightmare to buy for at Christmas as they have everything they need and try as you might they won't give you an inkling . Well I haven’t met a person yet that didn’t like a break away from the stresses and strains of everyday life to recharge the batteries. 

When that last minute panic sets in as you realise you still haven’t found the perfect gift, I’ve got you covered as I’ve scoured the internet to come up with 5 top hotel deals that are not only a bargain but also hassle free as you can print them from the comfort of your own home no trudging around shops in the rain required! My best finds in no particular order of deadliness are:

5. Flynn Hotels

There are four hotels in the Flynn Hotel Group, Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny, The Park Hotel in Dungarvan and The Imperial Hotel in Cork. We have stayed in the Imperial and loved it especially the escape spa, that and the fact that the English market is only around the corner. One of my favourite bar’s in Cork, Arthur Mayne’s is just across the road, it’s a great spot for Sunday Brunch. 

Flynn Hotels are running an amazing “our gift to you” promotion at the moment, if you buy €250 of gift vouchers they’ll also give you a complimentary break of a two night stay at any Flynn hotel to be taken in January, February or March 2016. How good is that?! You also get a great self gift. Buy vouchers online with Flynn Hotels at www.flynnhotels.com offer available until 31st December 2015.

4. Cabra Castle, Co Cavan

In case you didn’t see our post last week about the stunning Cabra Castle catch up here. If you did see it I’m sure you’d love to stay there, this is a wonderful gift but I have to say I’d be going along with whomever I bought it for. luxurybreaks.ie has a fantastic deal at the moment, one night B&B for two people including €25 dining credit for just €99, valid for stays until Friday 8th April. Unfortunately they don’t have any Saturday availability but believe me, it’s worth taking a day or two off work for. BOOK HERE

3. Arklow Bay Hotel & Leisure Centre, Wicklow

How about a two night break in Ireland’s Garden County for just €119? Dealrush have a great deal but you have to hurry as it’s only bookable for the next 3 days. The highlights of this offer are two nights for two people B&B you’ll also get a glass of prosecco each on arrival and late check out. 

If that’s not enough they’ll also throw in €9 dining credit too, so a three course meal will only cost €20 per person. You’ll also have full access to the leisure centre and spa where you can avail of €10 off any €50 treatment. Children under 12 can stay for a small supplement of €10 per child B&B. Grab this bargain here!

2. Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford

I found a great bargain with Living Social for Ferrycarrig Hotel in Wexford, a mere €69 for one night B&B for two people in a room overlooking the River Slaney. Also included in the offer is a complimentary bottle of wine if you dine in Reeds Restaurant and a box of chocolates in your room. You can also avail of complimentary parking, Wi-Fi and full use of the leisure centre. There is a two night option for €109. Book before 17th December here! 

1. Rome, Italy 

Groupon have an awesome offer of two nights B&B in Rome with flights included for just €99 per person sharing. There is also a 4 night option available for €149pp. I have previously written about one of our many trips to Rome without blowing the budget here if you’d like to see how we got on. This deal must be booked before December 6th 2015 HERE. But again, you could grab a bargain on any of the low fare airlines for an EU city. If you're in need of any inspo, you can always click the Travel link above!

So don't be one of those loved ones to proffer a One for All voucher on Christmas morning, you know, I know & your loved one knows there was little or no effort involved; isn't the entire point of giving a gift to show your love and appreciation for that person?... And if you're going on the trip with them, sure mores the better! 

Let us know, have you bought Travel for a loved one for Christmas before? Would you be tempted now?

A Weekend in Birmingham – Cadbury World, Bullring Shopping Centre & Jamie’s Italian!

Last week I left you at Thomas Land in Drayton Manor & we were staying at the holiday Inn Express in Tamworth. We really only need one day in Thomas Land so for our second day in Birmingham we hop on a train for the 40 minute journey to the wonderful Cadbury World!

Take the train from Tamworth to Bournville, change at Birmingham New Street. Return tickets are priced at adult £10.90, child £5.45 & under 5’s free. We usually buy our train tickets on the day at the station.

Thank Crunchie!

You can buy tickets online from Cadbury World and save 5% on door prices. Online: adult £15.15, child £11.12, family (2+2) £46.36 & under 4’s are free. 

From the moment you arrive at Bournville train station you can smell the chocolaty goodness. You can follow the scent or the road signs for the short 15 minute walk to the factory!

Cadbury Adventure

While technically not a factory tour, it’s infinitely better. There are over a dozen adventures & experiences to keep you entertained for most of the day. As you enter a few of them you’ll even get free samples so you can munch your way around on the freshest Cadbury's to ever cross your lips. 

There is even a creation station where you can create your ultimate chocolate treat using a vast array of sweets & treats. Just writing that makes me want to go back for another visit.

Every time we have visited there's free live entertainment provided at the back of the factory. Everything from street dancers in the summer, to a Christmas pantomime in winter. There are also playgrounds, a restaurant & the world’s largest Cadbury shop onsite. Leave room in your suitcase for huge quantities of chocolate! (Like you don't already)

Aoife with a Chuckle Bean!

Cadbury World is decorated beautifully for Christmas. As well as the Christmas pantomime a visit to Santa with a gift is included in the ticket price. You can avail of the family Christmas dinner deal in the restaurant, only £24.95 for 4 meals & 4 drinks.

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Rather than stay in Tamworth for the second night, you could book into the Travelodge Birmingham Central Bullring. You get what you pay for in this hotel, it’s very basic but the huge plus is that it really is central. 

The Bullring shopping centre, containing over 140 shops, is literally just across the road. On the other side of the Bullring is Birmingham New Street train station with easy access to the airport. 

I booked through hotels4u.com & paid £45 for a family room. I found the proximity of the hotel to the shopping centre very handy for sending the hubby back with shopping half way through the day rather than lug it around with us - down there for dancing, up here for thinking!

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If you do go at Christmas you’ll get the added bonus of the Frankfurt Christmas Market which stretches from the Rotunda to ICC, through New Street & Victoria Square. Soaking in these smells & sights will soon have you in the festive mood.

Jamie’s Italian Birmingham

Another huge plus point for staying in the Travelodge is that Jamie’s Italian is also just across the road. We had both lunch & dinner at Jamie’s, the food is divine & reasonably priced. I think I would have stayed there if I could, rather than the hotel! As with all Jamie's, keep a keen eye out for the lemon Martini - my absolute fave. 

All in all, I'd heartily recommend Birmingham as a weekend destination you might not have considered before. It's just a short hop across the water so flights are always reasonably priced. Whether you're bringing the childer to enjoy the attractions or just skirting off on a shopping trip of your own - there's something for everyone in Brumland. 

Are you a Birmingham fan? Anything we should look out for on our next trip?

When in Rome - Don't Blow the Budget!

When it comes to city breaks, the Italian capital is right up there among my faves. I love Rome & have been back four times already, so far. There is nowhere in the world that matches the stunning architecture & vibrant culture for me.

A city thoroughly steeped in history, you'll find ancient buildings at every turn, still in use today & it truly is a sight to behold.

We found this up a random side street!

I usually keep an eye on air fares & deals for city breaks as we can snap them up when they come along. Both Aer Lingus & Ryanair fly direct to Rome and you can get a return flight for roughly €150pp. 

Our last trip we chose to fly with Ryanair to Ciampino Airport, from there the cheapest & most direct route to Rome is a Terravision coach transfer for €4pp each way. The journey takes just under 40 minutes & you can buy tickets at the airport.

Roman Canals

We have stayed in a few different hotels & my favourite by far has to be Residenza Canova Tadolini, just a stones throw from the Spanish Steps. It’s a stunning 4* boutique hotel that feels more like a private residence. 

There is no restaurant so you are served a wonderful continental breakfast in bed each morning. We paid €130pp for 2 nights B&B. 

As we do in each city, we took the hop on hop off sightseeing tour bus on the first day so we could get our bearings of Rome before we set off on our adventures.

We’re all going to the Zoo, but somebody isn’t happy!

We found Rome very easy to navigate with most places easily accessed by foot, including the Zoo. Children under 1 meter are free in whilst any children over 1 meter & under 12 years are €12, adults are €15. 

We spent a lovely afternoon with the children getting up close to the elephants & giraffes. There are also a few open fields around the zoo so we bought a ball & let the children have a run around.

One of many many Basilicas in Rome

There are literally hundreds of basilicas & churches dotted around Rome so we dipped in & out of each to have a marvel at the architecture & stained glass windows. 

We ate our lunches & dinners in local little restaurants & the food was simple yet delicious. You haven't had pasta until you've had Italian pasta. The prices were also quite cheap, especially as we indulged in a bottle of local wine with our dinners. 

There's a real family feel to dining in Rome with restaurants gladly catering for little eaters with mini portions of adult meals - none of your nugget or sausage schtick. Our bill for 2 adults and 5 children was never more than €70. 

Colosseum

We found a great site for buying tickets before we went to Rome http://www.rome-tickets.com where for €16 including booking fee you can buy a Skip The Line ticket that’s valid for two days for The Colosseum, The Roman Forum & Palatine. I’d pay that amount just to skip the line at the Colosseum as it can get crazy long.

Don't let the lines put you off though as The Colosseum is one of the most magnificent sights you'll ever encounter. Just like the city itself, its steeped in history that no photograph or television show can ever really convey (sorry Russell Crowe). 

We got the lift to the top on our day there as we had buggies and Adam remarked that it must have been some squeeze for the lions & tigers, listening to musak in the glass lift before they got their fight on. He doesn't be well that child. 

The Vatican

While we were visiting the Vatican on our first evening in Rome a Nun approached us & gave us tickets for an audience with the Pope the following day. Should that idea float your religious goat you can apply for free tickets HERE but be sure to do so in plenty of time before your trip. 

There is a little souvenir & gift shop on the grounds of the Vatican where you can send postcards from Vatican City. We sent one home to Sue's dog Diesel to make sure he didn't bite Grandad. He ate it. Just across the road there are plenty of souvenir shops & stalls selling the exact same items at a cheaper price so be sure to spend your sheckles wisely.

Trevi Fountain

We ended each evening in Rome with a visit to the Trevi Fountain.....to look at it in awe....eh & gelato, plenty of gelato!! There is a fab little gelato shop right beside the Trevi Fountain and it just might be the reason we're already thinking about trip number five. 

There are also lots of bars & restaurants surrounding, where you can eat, drink & take in the wonderful view. There really is nothing else like it. Just make sure you throw in a coin to ensure your return to Rome!

Have you been to the Italian capital? Any hidden gems you'd like to share? 

Christmas Markets In Vienna - The Imperial City at Christmas Time

Christmas Markets!!

The best time to book Christmas markets is July/August as that’s usually when the airlines have a sale for travel dates from October through March.

Lots of people recommend using skyscanner.ie to find the cheapest flights but personally I love bravofly.com as you also get a little grid telling you what dates would be cheaper than your chosen dates.

When travelling to Christmas markets I highly recommend going on the first weekend they are open, usually the last weekend in November, this ensures you miss the huge crowds and you’ll also get a better deal on flights & hotels.

Rathaus - Town Hall

Vienna is one of the most magical places to visit the Christmas markets as they have many many years of experience & really know how to add the wow factor. 

We flew direct to Vienna and paid €140 each return with Aer Lingus. We took advantage of their sale to get this reduced rate.

Christmasmarkets.com has a wealth of information about markets all over Europe, so that’s where I went to find a hotel near the city centre, which is always the market centre. 

We eventually decided to treat ourselves & chose the 5* Flemings Deluxe Hotel Wein-City at €170pp for 2 nights B&B.

Fleming’s Deluxe – Beware of the showers!

At check-in we were asked if we were together to which I replied, yes of course we are....WRONG answer! When we got to the room it was clear to see he was asking if we were together together. 

There were two single beds pushed together to make a double & a glass box in the middle of the floor that housed the shower. Ahhh now you’re thinking it probably has that electrical smart glass thingy going on where when you close the shower door it frosts over....eh no.

(Sue Here: I managed to get to the Front Page of Reddit with my version of this pic, all was not lost (apart from my eyesight))

Shower anyone?!

Overall the hotel is nice but certainly not 5* by Irish standards. The breakfast was fresh & had a huge selection to choose from, including smoked salmon. The location of the hotel was superb just around the corner from the Town Hall & metro station which connects you to the whole of Vienna.

Daytime shopping!

There are about 25 different Christmas markets dotted all around Vienna. You can get maps to all of these on Chirtmasmarkets.com. The best thing to do is print them off before you go. 

Most of these are little markets of about 5-10 stalls around the city streets. We visited most of them as we were rambling around for the day. Our favourite ones were...

Some of the traditional gingerbread on offer at a market stall

Rathausplatz market: This is the largest market, it consists of about 150 stalls selling all sorts of traditional wooden decorations, schnitzels & mulled wine. The Rathaus windows are converted into an advent calendar & the windows open throughout December. The smells are amazing!

Schonbrunn Palace (also a zoo here), Belvedere Palace, Karlsplatz & Spittelberg are also other markets worth a visit.

Prater Christmas Market

Prater is an old amusement park in Vienna easily accessed via the metro. We saved this till last so we could ride the old ferris wheel in the dark & see the twinkling Christmas lights of the market below. 

We didn’t pay into the amusement park as most of it was closed for the season but we did pay onto the ferris wheel €9pp. It was worth it for the wonderful views over the rooftops.

View of the market from the Ferris Wheel

Back down in the market there is free live music every Thursday to Saturday to really get you on the festive spirit. You can choose from the multitude of stalls selling mulled wine with or without a shot of brandy. 

It was here that we found white mulled wine, a superb drink that was exactly like warm alcoholic marzipan in a glass. We had many of these, sure it’d be rude not to!

Have you been to Vienna? Any hints or tips you can share?!

We've just booked our trip for this year to Cologne, so if you've been there, we'd love to hear from you too!

A City Break Within a City Break That Still Won't Break The Bank - Milan, Italy & St. Moritz, Switzerland

I’m a firm believer that if you're going to travel you might as well make the most of it! Most places we go, I try to see if we can do a day trip to another city or country close by, just as we did at the Christmas markets. Oh how I envy those mainland Europeans with their ridiculously close neighbours and their affordable public transport. 

Duomo – Milan Cathedral

I was cooped up in hospital for 4 weeks while pregnant, the consultant eventually told me I could do with a change of scenery for a few days, he may have meant for me to go home, but I took him quite literally and jumped straight onto AerLingus.com. 

I booked return flights to Milan Linate airport for a 5 day relaxing break. The price was surprisingly good that close to travel time, only €110pp.  From Linate Airport we got the Urban Line bus 73 to Milan city centre, journey time is 10 minutes & costs €1.50pp.

Milan City Centre

The Best Western Astoria Hotel had a great deal on at the time. We paid a total of €440 for 5 nights B&B for a double room. It’s a lovely hotel with really friendly staff located 15 minutes on tram 16 from Milan City Centre & a couple of stops further out is San Siro stadium. The rooms were fairly small but the huge array of fresh foods at breakfast more than made up for that.

There are fabulous affordable restaurants surrounding the hotel & one in particular right across the road. When they saw I was pregnant they couldn’t have been nicer. Everything that was cooked in the kitchen they brought me a little side plate to taste! We paid €24 for our meal including a carafe of house wine for my Husband. We returned most nights as the food, hospitality and prices were unbeatable.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – Shopping Centre

We got a hop on hop off bus the first day we were in Milan so we could familiarise ourselves with the city. We spent €24pp for a 24 hour ticket with a further 24 hours free. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the world’s oldest shopping centres, construction started in 1865. Today it houses some of the most expensive designer shops in Milan, so great for window shopping! 

Here you’ll also find Duomo Cathedral, a stunning building that took 579 years to complete. We simply had to pay a visit as you can walk around the rooftop terraces & take in the amazing views over Milan. €12pp to gain access via lift & €7pp to use the stairs, you know we got the lift!

Just around the corner is the museum of Natural History and entry is free so we took a stroll around for a look & we weren't disappointed. They have every animal you can think of on display. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. 

While on a ramble back to the main square we stopped off for loo break & a cold drink. BIG mistake, the loo was a hole in the ground, it was impossible for me to go as I couldn’t bend that much without toppling over! Also they charged €6 yes €6 for a can of coke!

Terraces on Duomo

I regularly use Viator.com to see what’s to see & do in a city before I travel & it gives me great info on that can be done or where you can visit in the surrounding area on a day trip. Then I google the details to see if I can get it cheaper using public transport. 

As this particular day trip was to a different country I just went ahead & booked it through Viator, we paid €120pp for a 12 hour day trip to St. Moritz in Switzerland through the Swiss Alps on the Bernina Express train.

“Little Red Train” Bernina Rail Tour

Pick up is from central Milan - Sforza Castle at 7am, we just jumped on the tram outside our hotel & got to the Castle in less than 15 minutes. (You do need to bring your passport with you & if you are not a citizen of the E.U. a visa.) 

From here you are transported to the train station at the foothills of the Alps in a coach with an English speaking guide who points out places of interest along the way.

We couldn’t believe the colour of this glacial lake.

Due to traffic on the day, our coach missed the express train. We later found out that this was very lucky for us as the express has a glass roof which means the windows can’t be lowered. imagine the swelterings!? Just 10 minutes later we were boarded on an older train & on our merry way. 

The 2.5 hour journey took us through some stunning scenery the likes of which I’ve never seen before or since. We passed through the UNESCO World Heritage listed route of the Bernina Pass.

Stunning Alpine Valleys and Lakes - (Yodeling Optional)

After the 7,330ft climb onboard the Little Red Train you have an hour and a half to explore the gorgeous village of St. Moritz. It’s the highest peak of the eastern Alps & described as one of the world’s most famous, elegant & exclusive holiday resorts.

St. Moritz - Switzerland

After a leisurely ramble around the village we bought gifts (for me!) in one of the artisan chocolate shops. We took advantage of the “Champagne Climate” as the sun shines on average 322 days a year & stopped for lunch alfresco. 

I was pleasantly surprised when the bill came as it wasn’t as expensive as I would have thought for such a chic & stylish restaurant. We paid €50 for our lunch which is on par with a decent restaurant in Dublin. 

Unfortunately we didn’t get the train back down as the day trip includes a 3.5 hour, sometimes heart stopping, coach ride back to Milan on the twists & turns of the Alps.

Glacial Lake in Engadin

It was straight back to hospital for me after we landed for a further 2 week stay, with only my Alpine dreams to comfort me. Hell, it was better than spending my weeks reprieve watching daytime TV, eating a Toblerone, right? 

Have you been to Milan or St. Moritz? Please share any hints or tips you have, we'll definitely be going back. 

Or, have you ever been on holliers in one place and skirted off somewhere else while there?