From a week in Barbados to a break in Co Leitrim, Joan Scaleshas the best of the week's offers
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Soak away a weekend in Budapest: from €113 returnMalév Hungarian Airlines is celebrating nine years flying between Dublin and Budapest with a sale. Fares to the Hungarian capital - home of the Szécheny thermal baths, above - start at €113 return, including taxes, for travel between October 13th and March 28th (excluding Christmas and New Year). The sale also covers Malév's extensive network into eastern and southern Europe, including Kiev, Sofia, Odessa, Thessaloníki, Moscow and Istanbul. Business travellers get two seats for the price of one from €668 to Budapest, with onward flights for €760 for two to Athens, Moscow, Bucharest and Warsaw. 0818-555577, www.malev.com.
HOME BREAKS
A touch of Bali: from €215Bali comes to the Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin from October 5th to 19th. A team of spa therapists from the Four Seasons in Bali will be offering guests a sense of the tropical. They will be offering traditional treatments and training Irish therapists in new massages. Rooms from €215 per night, with breakfast. 01-6654000, www.fourseasons.com/dublin.
Derry poetry night: €57You could take a poetry break in Seamus Heaney country next Saturday. The travel writer and poet Christopher Somerville will read from his latest collection with singer, storyteller and fellow poet Declan Forde, at Laurel Villa Townhouse in Magherafelt, at 7.45pm. The cost for a night's bed and breakfast, plus the poetry reading and supper, is £45 (about €57) per person sharing. 048-79301459, www.laurel-villa.com.
A show and a stay: from €99Autumn events at the INEC, in Killarney, Co Kerry, include Annie, from October 14th to 18th, Footloose, from October 21st to 25th, and Glen Campbell on October 27th. A ticket and a night at the Gleneagle or Brehon hotel costs €99-119pps. 1890-300101, reservations@gleneaglehotel.com.
Shelbourne for Halloween: €199Time to start thinking of the midterm and things to do with the children? You could explore Dublin from one of its best addresses: the Shelbourne Hotel, on St Stephen's Green. It has a Halloween Treat offer of €199 per room per night. 01-6634500, www.theshelbourne.ie.
Spa day at Slieve Donard: €125Give your face and body a treat with an autumn reviver at Slieve Donard Resort Spa, in Newcastle, Co Down. A day at the spa will include a rehydrating facial, body envelopment, full use of the facilities and lunch for £99 (about €125). 048-43721066, www.hastingshotels.com.
Lough Allen break: from €99Base yourself at the Ramada Hotel Suites at Lough Allen, Drumshanbo, and you can explore Co Leitrim, perhaps taking a cruise on the Shannon or a treetop walk in Lough Key forest park. Two nights from €99pps. 071-9640100, www.loughallenhotel.com.
OVERSEAS BREAKS
Manhattan nights: from €27What must be the cheapest accommodation in Manhattan will be on offer from Monday, when Broadway Hotel Hostel starts its autumn sale, with rates of $38 (€27) per person per night in a four-bed room. Private rooms cost $219-$229 (€153-€160) per night. The hotel, on the Upper West Side, says a recent renovation sets it apart from other hostels. Book by October 1st to stay until December 30th. 00-1-212-8657710, www.broadwayhotelnyc.com.
Oktoberfest rooms: from €73Oktoberfest is coming to Munich soon, and if you are looking for a hotel in the city there are some new places to explore. Angelo Designhotel (www.sterlinghotels.com), from €87 per night, is in trendy Haidhausen, close to Kultfabrik, Europe's self-styled largest party zone. Creatif Hotel Elephant (www.creatif-hotel-elephant.com), from €91 per night, has dramatic design. King's Hotel Centre (www.kingshotels.com/center.htm), from €73 per room, is in a traditional Bavarian style. Also book on www.hotels.com.
Iberian villas: from €540James Villas has some tempting specials for next week in the Algarve, in Portugal, and Nerja and Costa Blanca, in Spain. Villas that sleep from six to 10 people cost €540-€596 per week. 1890-943909, www.jamesvillas.ie.
Barbados for a week: from €840Two offers to Barbados with Tropical Sky for October 10th, travelling via London Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic. Seven nights room only at Butterfly Beach Hotel, on the south coast in Oistins Bay, from €840 per person sharing. Or a fully inclusive holiday at Discovery Bay, on the west coast, with Rex Resorts from €1,140pps for a week. 01-5262566, 068-56800, www.tropicalsky.ie.
Alsatian wine tour: €995Take a wine tour to Alsace from October 8th to 12th, visiting six vineyards. The trip will include accommodation, three lunches and four dinners and be led by master of wine Maria Madigan. It costs €995pps. 01-4939444, www.justsplit.com.
Car to France: from €99A new ferry service to France is beginning in November, from Rosslare to Le Havre, when LD Lines starts a year-round weekend service. Fares will start at €99 for two people and a car each way. You can book through your local travel agent and on www.ldlines.ie
• Golf in Brazil: King Travel, which we mentioned last week, is at 01-8453600