January is one of the most popular months of the year for booking summer holidays. Pól Ó Conghaile is the Travel Editor with Independent.ie, and he's been trawling through the sales for the very best deals and offers:
GREEK ISLANDS
The Greek Islands are making something of a comeback with Aer Lingus continuing its flights to Corfu, and Falcon Holidays introducing Kos alongside Rhodes to its brochures this year. Falcon Holidays is also offering up to €300 per couple off summer holidays when booked online.
ClickAndGo.com has a fab five-star deal at the Corfu Holiday Palace from €399pp in May.
Falcon has a week all-inclusive in Kos from €990pp in June.
Thomson has seven nights self-catering in Kos from €599pp in August.
CANARY ISLANDS
This is one of the old reliables, along with Spain and the Algarve, for finding solid sunshine and rock bottom sales prices.
Lanzarote: Lowcostholidays.ie had seven nights including flights and 3-star accommodation from €365pp (no bags) from June 6th.
Fuerteventura: Budget Travel has 7 nights at Broncemar Beach, Caleta de Fuste (3*) for a family of four from €1,229.
ICELAND
Two new direct flights are set to link Ireland and Iceland over the coming year - Belfast to Reykjavik with EasyJet (from £39.99 each way) and Dublin to Reykjavik with Wow Air (from €59 each way). Before now, travellers typically took charters or went via the UK.
ORLANDO
Cassidy Travel is the lowest I can find at the moment, offering Dublin to Orlando on 19th June (for 7 Nights staying in the 3* Rosen Inn International) from €599pp.
Sunway, Tour America, American Holidays and ClickandGo.com are some of the other tour operators doing Florida, and Aer Lingus is increasing its flight from three to four weekly from May. For regular special offers see itaa.ie/offers
WALKING THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
This is getting more and more popular as a walking holiday, and CaminoWays.com has 10pc off all bookings for 2015 trips if you book before the end of 2014. In January, it is offering 5pc off. Six nights on the French Way starting from €489pp in low season. The price includes rooms, dinners and luggage transfers, but not flights. Aer Lingus flies to Santiago in the summer.
NEW ROUTES FOR 2015
2015 will see major increases in capacity and routes from Dublin Airport. Some highlights are:
Dublin to Reykjavik, Iceland (from June)
Dublin to LA and Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines, from June)
Dublin to Cornwall (Aer Lingus Regional, from May)
Dublin to Washington DC (Aer Lingus)
Dublin to Atlanta (Delta, from March)
Dublin to Brussels, Cologne and Glasgow (Ryanair)
Dublin to Nantes, Agadir (Aer Lingus)
SHARM EL SHEIKH
I've never seen prices so low for Sharm El Sheikh. Falcon Holidays is offering 7 nights all inclusive Dublin to Xperience St George, Sharm El Sheikh from €1,779 for two adults and one child and from €2,349 for two adults and two children (depart May 21). Thomson is also offering 7 nights Dublin to Sharm El Sheikh (Jasmine Club). All inclusive from €619pp (depart May 27).
Note: Security threats saw Sharm's withdrawal from brochures this year. The Department of Foreign Affairs currently advises against all non-essential travel to Egypt, with some exceptions, including Sharm El Sheikh. 'The Red Sea coastal resort of Sharm El Sheikh (only) in the Sinai peninsula where Irish citizens are advised to exercise a high degree of caution, to arrive and depart by air and to strictly avoid travelling outside the resort'. See dfa.ie/travel for more.
ITALY
Topflight's 'Big January Sale' has savings of up to 50pc on bookings made by Jan 8. Its Italian brochure offers a further €200 off select 2015 holidays before February 28th, with one lead-in including a week at the 4-star Bella Italia resort in Lake Garda from €499pp. Other destinations in the brochure include Lido di Jesolo, Sicily, Tuscany, Sorrento and the Adriatic Riviera.
SKI 2014/15
The ski season has started to level out after a disastrous start due to poor snowfalls. There are some excellent deals available in off-peak weeks, including mid-late January.
Right now, Topflight has up to 50pc off ski, - with pensions in Austria (Niederau) from €299pp. Crystal Ski also has some great offers for January, including a week in Arinsal (3-star) from €360pp based on four sharing, departing Jan 18 and 25. www.crystalski.ie
AIRLINE SALES
Aer Lingus is offering flights to the USA from €209, Europe from €40 and Britain from €20, for bookings made by January 9th. Travel is from January to April 30th.
Ryanair has a summer sun sale with sun holiday destinations (including Paris, Lisbon and Nice) from €24.99. Book by Jan 15 for travel in April and May.
SAS has Scandinavia one-way from €54pp (including 23kg bag).
Emirates has economy class fares starting from €474 to Dubai, €791 to Australasia and €617 to Africa. Business Class fares from Dublin start at €1,900 to Dubai, €3,075 to Australasia and €2,343 to Africa. Bookings should be made before January 16th for travel between January 16th and November 30th 2015. www.emirates.ie
FERRY BARGAINS
Brittany Ferries is offering 15pc off sailings from Ireland to France, and 20pc off all ferry-inclusive holidays booked before January 31st. A 12-night camping holiday from May 30th starts from €204pp, based on a family of four sharing. A 25pc deposit secures bookings. www.brittanyferries.ie.
January promotions at Irish Ferries include a 10pc early booking discount (until January 5th), a €100 booking deposit, and sailings from €129 for a car and two adults. It's also offering a free cruise ferry trop to Britain for a car plus 2 passengers for motorists making a return sailing from Ireland to France during June, July and August. www.irishferries.com
LONG HAUL DEALS
There are some fab deals on Mexico & Mauritius at the moment.
Joe Walsh Tours has seven nights in Mauritius (flights, 4-star accommodation and transfers from €1,109pp in May and June); with Trailfinders offering a 7-night five-star holiday at the St Regis including half-board and a 55pc early-booking discount from €1,949pp.
Mexico: ClickandGo.com has seven nights' all-inclusive from €939pp; including the 4*Allegro Playacar Hotel in Cancun for travel on May 7th.
Other good long-haul deals include Thailand and the Dominican Republic.
