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ONE THING WE like almost as much as going on holiday is planning one.
We’ve rounded up some incredible escapes which are just a direct plane trip from Ireland.
Feel your heart stop at the top of this elevator journey…
Duomo di Milano via Shutterstock
The Duomo of Milan is the third largest Christian church in the world but the real attraction is getting into the very ordinary-looking lift to the roof… and stepping out onto one of the most breathtaking city views in Italy. On a good day, you can see all the way to the Alps.
Float on your back in the bluest sea…
Sveti Jakov via antonikon/Flickr
Locals in Dubrovnik will whisper that the best beach in that part of Croatia is Sveti Jakov. It has a hidden cave and the old town above gazes out over the azure Adriatic. Excuse us while we close our eyes…
Let a snowball melt on your mouth in this foodie paradise…
Chocolate snowballs via Shutterstock
Denmark’s capital of Copenhagen is in love with gastronomy but the real trick is to wander down Vaernedamsvej Street – or ‘Little Paris’ – for unusual taste sensations such as kartoffelkage (potato cake filled with cream and covered in marzipan), artisan sausages or the famous flodeboller (snowballs) at the Summerbird Chokolaterie. The snowballs are covered in chocolate but the fillings are a closely-guarded surprise…
Immerse yourself in some extraordinary lives at this Victorian cemetery…
Highgate via Anders B/Flickr
A graveyard might not seem an obvious tourist spot but some of the most interesting people in London are residents at Highgate cemetery. Take a tip from us and book onto one of the guided tours which reveal all the secrets of the hallowed ground where the likes of Karl Marx, George Eliot, Douglas Adams and the wife of Charles Dickens have been laid to rest.
Feel the heat prickle your skin on this sauna boat…
Stockholm archipelago via Shutterstock
It might not occur visitors to Stockholm in Sweden to view it from the water. But it is built on an archipelago and you can take a waterscooter safari around the edge – or better still take a sauna on one of sauna boats and dive into the water to cool off, the city looming behind you.
Smell the rosemary in the scramble down to this stunning beach…
Corfu via Shutterstock
Mirtiotissa Beach in Corfu is a nudist’s paradise (if you want it to be) which author Lawrence Durrell thought was so wonderful, he wrote it into his book Prospero’s Cell. You’ll get your first sight of the azure sea after walking through a wood to reach the clifftop. The tranquility waiting below is worth the careful journey down the steep stone staircase to the beach.
Gasp with the exhilaration of getting splashed at this waterfall…
Rhine Falls via Shutterstock
Just a quick train ride from Zurich in Switzerland is Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe. The train ride is scenic in its own right but you can’t beat getting splashed in a waterboat tour while getting front and centre of the falls.
Wake up to ducks quacking on this canal…
Barge, Toulouse via Shutterstock
You can’t go to Toulouse in France and not live the life aquatic on the Canal du Midi. Go the whole hog and stay on a barge – either moored (like this one for rent), or one which you can untie and meander to your heart’s content along the shaded waterways.
Slake your thirst along this scenic cycling route…
Beer garden, Germany via Shutterstock
Rewards feel best when they come after a little hard work, right? You can rent a bicycle for free in Germany’s Frankfurt (you just need a credit card to leave a deposit) and pedal the newly refurbished route along the Main river. You can travel for miles and miles, passing through small picturesque villages and, best of all, nicely spaced out beer gardens facing the river. (And you and the bike can get the train home from Hanau.)
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I was looking up flights to Milan before this ‘sale’ started and the flights were the same price!
That my friend is the beauty of the marketing phrase “up to”. No beginning but most certainly an end.
Lake bled in Slovenia should be on that list. Nicest place ever and everything is super cheap!
Lake Bled is a must see! I would go back any day!
I swam out to the island in the middle and it is the freshest I’ve ever felt!
Lake bled is a definite must see!
I can’t wait to go back. Did you go to the bohinj lake too?
Article is sponsored by Aer Lingus, if they don’t fly there it ain’t gonna be mentioned, which is why Main Street in Longford and surround isn’t mentioned, cracking spot.
lawd jesus ! get this moma on a plane and hand me my crisco ! i needs to bake n brown
Airport security?! Ain’ nobiddy g’t time f’dat!
There is no such thing as a bargain flight by time you have paid fare, taxes/charges, checked in bag if u going for more than wkend, credit card charge, pay to choose which seat u sit in, travel insurance the list is endless
The list is flawed.
I’m in beautiful Barbados.
Saint Cer sur Mer on the Cote D’Azur a wonderful town with stunning views great beaches and excellent market, cheap eating reasonable rent when booked in advance (campsites)
Aha is that the place with the nudist beach that features in teen movie euro trip ?
Congrats to The Score and -Aer Lingus for such slick and informative marketing.
Hi Stephen,
Just to point out that this post is very clearly marked as a sponsored post – it carries that wording on the title as well as the Aer Lingus logo. We’ve also made sure to make it stand out from other articles on the site (by highlighting it in bright yellow on mobile/apps, and putting it into a bordered box on desktop) to again point out that it is a sponsored post.
Not sure if that’s what you meant in your comment, but just to clarify that we try to be as transparent as possible in showing when something is related to commercial activity.
Hope you enjoyed the read anyway!
Thanks, Susan, Editor, TheJournal.ie
Where Aer Lingus have a monopoly on a route you will be charged extortionate prices…….like on the Bourgas route!!!
Ditto Lisbon, f**king joke…€295 return while Ryanair does Faro for €90…How begs the question…People give Ryanair bad reviews but I would much rather fly with them than rip off Aer MeShite
Id rather head to Amsterdam and meet a few oul slappers and get stoned,wheres your passport Ming????
@julie. Milan is a kip.
How did ye travel to Lake Bled?
Flight to Budapest. Then train (it’s 40 return but there’s only certain days you can get this deal). To Ljubljana, Slovenia. Train is like 8 hrs if you get the direct one. From Ljubljana you can get the bus or train to bled. Bus is cheaper and the station is right outside the door. Bus is like 20 minutes and you’re in the beautiful bled :-). There is direct flights to Ljubljana, but the flight and train works out cheaper ( it did last summer). Hostel I’d recommend is jakelj backpackers, it’s not in the town but the host Milan will drive you down. Plus he cooks you BBQ and breakfast! We stayed in a hostel in the town on our last two nights -bled backpackers, wasn’t mad about it. It was fine but jakelj was wayy better for less!
Why is it every time Aerlingus have a sale ,there prices never come down
Anyone any comments on Milan?
Yes could ignore all the above for Barbados dreaming of it now heavenly
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