Deal of the Week:Cruise with Thomas Cook in March on the MSC Magnificaand get to see Venice, Rhodes, Alexandria and Dubrovnik. The price from €945pps includes flights from Dublin, transfers and a pre- and post-stay in a four-star hotel in Venice, leaving you time to explore this extraordinary city. Tel: 0818-2001010.
Away
ONLY 20minutes from Malaga airport, the Sunset Beach Club at Benelmadena has free activities every day and entertainment every night. Over the winter B&B rates are from €28pps and half-board from €38pps. Book online on sunsetbeachclub.com.
BOOK BYthe end of December for holidays in Orlando at executive villas with pools from €719pps with trailfinders.ie or tel 01-8814948. Book attraction tickets (10 per cent deposit) at attractionticketsdirect.ie or tel 1800-927467.
COMBINE Aholiday to New York and Las Vegas with three nights on Broadway and four nights in the Flamingo Bay Hotel, Las Vegas. Based on four sharing, the week including flights will cost from €779pp. See touramerica.ie or tel 01-8173500.
EARLY BIRDoffers for Croatia with Concorde Travel include the four-star Hotel Lapad in Dubrovnik from €654pps, the Hotel Croatia in Cavtat from €660pps and the Hotel Dalamcija on the Makarska riviera from €624. See concordetravel.ie or tel 01-7759300.
THE SNOWover Europe is good news for skiers with soft powder stretching across all the ski resorts. There are some seats available with Topflight to Val Thorens in the French Alps from €559pps based on four sharing from December 26th – topflight.ie or tel 01-2401700. Its office is open to about 2pm today. From January 9th, ebookers has a week in Zell am See, Austria from €469pps, half-board, ebookers.ie.
PLAN YOURlong haul holidays until the end of May with Swiss in its January sale. Return flights to Hong Kong from €530, Bangkok from €770, Johannesburg from €575 and Tel Aviv from €384 via Zurich. Book by January 15th on swiss.com.
Home
BRING THEchildren for a New Year's Eve to remember at the Castlemartyr resort in Cork. Arrive in time for afternoon tea and high tea for the children. There will be champagne and canapes before the black tie gala dinner, for the adults. Babysitting available. The package is €295pps and €170 for an interconnecting room for the children. Tel: 021-4219000 or castlemartyrresort.ie.
WATCH THElast sunset of 2010 disappear over the Minaun Heights in one of the furthest westerly points in Europe – Achill. Overnight in Ostan Acla (tel 098-45138) from €135 per room, or the Achill Cliff House Hotel from €199 for three nights, including dinner on two nights (see achillcliff.com or tel 098-43400), or stay in the Valley House Hostel from €21 per night (valley-house.com or tel 098-47204).
IN THERitz Carlton in Powerscourt the New Year package is two nights with dinner on New Year's Eve in the Gordon Ramsey restaurant, entertainment and buffet lunch on New Year's Day from €780 per couple. See ritzcarlton.com or tel 01-2748888.
BEST VALUEin Meath/Louth area on December 27th is an overnight at the City North Hotel near Drogheda, with accommodation, supper and the American Drifters show for €59pps. The show and supper only is €29. Tel: 01-6906666 (when it opens again for bookings on St Stephen's Day) or citynorthhotel.com.
THE FIRSTChristmas panto at Grand Canal Theatre is Scroogeand you can make an event of it with a two-night stay in Clontarf Castle. The price from €420 midweek includes accommodation, tickets for the panto, dinner one evening for the adults and entertainment for the children. Available until February 10th. Tel: 01-8332321 or see clontarfcastle.ie.
FROM DECEMBER27th to January 9th, except New Year's Eve, the Sheraton Hotel in Athlone will have family packages with kids' camp, complimentary indoor and outdoor activities, and shopping discounts at Athlone Town Centre. Family two-night stays from €335, including dinner one evening. See sheratonathlonehotel.com or tel 0906-451000.
HEAD TOthe midlands for a stay in the Heritage Hotel and Spa Resort in Co Laois and enjoy the leisure facilities. Dinner with B&B from €99pps and two nights with one dinner from €149pps. Tel: 057-8645500 or see theheritage.com.
Please note that all deals are subject to availability