Those planning holidays this year should kind the growth of cheap public transport across Europe, according to travel expert Eoghan Corry. 

Following St Patrick’s Day, lots of people will be looking towards getting a holiday booked this summer. 

Mr Corry told Late Breakfast with Stefanie Preissner transport links in the country you’re going to is an important factor to consider. 

“It varies massively because we're talking about Europe in general, but what I've seen a trend in is very cheap transport being introduced,” he said. 

“One euro ground transport in places like Nice, free transport in some places – the whole of Luxembourg. 

“There is an emphasis as there is here of moving people away from hired cars and [private] cars. 

“But if you're going into anywhere that's rural, you're going to really be hiring a car to get around.” 

New travel destinations

Mr Corry also noted this year there are several new flight destinations from Ireland this year, including flights to Denver from the start of May. 

“The other new routes, there’s a clatter of them to Greece and to Italy,” he said. 

“And there's a good portfolio of transatlantic routes coming on, a new airline from America started direct flights to Boston and New York last week – that introduces competition on the market.” 

JetBlue, the newest airline coming to Dublin Airport, will also fly to Hartford, Minneapolis and other American cities. 

Mr Corry said, however, that a lot of people simply prefer to stick with what they know for the summer holidays. 

“The reality is that the main bulk of bookings are going back to traditional places,” he said. 

“To quantify the entire Irish holiday market in 2024, 70% of it will be back to Spain and Portugal. 

“When you talk about other countries like Greece and Turkey, the island of Grand Canaria, which so many Irish people are gone to for St Patrick’s Day, would do more in the year than both of those countries put together.” 

Find out more tips from Mr Corry here.