Traditionally, January has always been the busiest month for travel agents with over 40% of all travel packages booked during that month.
However, consumers are moving away from vacation packages to book their own flights and accommodation independently and the advent of the Black Friday sales, which increasingly stretches into December, has meant that December is fast becoming the one of the busiest months for holiday deals and discounts.
All airlines, including Aer Lingus and Ryanair, are offering pre-Christmas sales.
Skiing is back after a few hectic years of very quiet slopes due to lockdowns.
There is much more capacity in resorts across Europe with the reopening of B&Bs and Airbnb since the end of the pandemic. All the major tour operators have great deals to keep people coming back to the slopes.
Check out Crystal Ski offering €100 off ski pass bookings when you spend €1,000.
It is valid on public holidays from December 2022 to April 2024 inclusive.
A big trend for 2023 and beyond will be to reduce our carbon footprint when we travel. This will mean that families will look to use more boats and trains instead of planes for our holidays.
For the eco-friendly family, I would recommend the new Brittany Ferries service from Rosslare to Bilbao in Spain on the brand new 214.5m long Salamanca cruise ferry.
The Salamanca is the first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered passenger ferry to serve Ireland, says Brittany Ferries – promising “lower emissions and a smoother, quieter journey”.
The new ship will carry over 1,000 passengers and will also take customers on foot and by bike for the first time on the road.
Salamanca will sail twice a week departing on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Crossings to Spain last 29 to 30 hours with one to two nights spent on board. The total of 343 cabins includes 22 which are “specifically designed for passengers traveling with their pet dog”, says Brittany Ferries.
If we really want to reduce our carbon footprint, then staying in Ireland for a holiday is the best option while supporting our own tourism sector.
If I ever recommend places to stay to foreign tourists, I often tell them to book their hotel through the Blue Book website to get the best idea of Irish hospitality.
I love the Blue Book because they are mostly family hotels, mansions, castles and Irish restaurants.
You can really see Irish hospitality at its best and the properties are usually old country houses giving you a real sense of the history of the area you are staying in.
A Blue Book voucher would always be my top travel recommendation for Christmas gifts and their website now offers great winter booking discounts at irelands-blue-book.ie.
The new Blue Book for 2023 has just been released and five new properties join the Blue Book collection. The properties are Fernhill House and Gardens in Cork, The Lansdowne Kenmare, which is run by the famous Brennan brothers,
The Old Inn in Down, Perryville House in Kinsale and Tubbrid Castle in Kilkenny. The new additions bring the total number of properties in Ireland’s Blue Book collection to 63.
My Travel Tales with Fergal Podcast episode this week is a West Cork Destination Special where I interview two Blue Book hoteliers from the Clonakilty area to give us insight into the area and local tips and recommendations.
I love doing special destinations in Ireland as the true passion of Irish people for their home region really shines through. My first interviewee is Michael O’Neill from Fernhill House Hotel who is a 4th generation hotelier near Clonakilty.
Fernhill House & Gardens is a luxurious Georgian mansion set in picturesque gardens overlooking the stunning Clonakilty countryside in West Cork.
Fernhill Gardens are among the finest in Ireland and were designed by Chelsea Gold Medalist Mary Reynolds. A special recommendation from Michael is the West Cork Garden Trail (westcorkgardentrail.com) which features stunning gardens at many of West Cork’s grand old houses.
You will be able to see incredible gardens but also learn the history of the great old houses of the region.
West Cork is famous for the influx and influence of foreign people over the past few decades, so my second guest on the podcast is a classic example of that.
Kela Hodgins and her partner Stephen are originally from Dublin but moved outside of Clonakilty when they bought and resorted to Dunowen House, an 18th century luxury home previously owned by Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding.
The house showcases its unique rock and roll heritage in a beautiful coastal landscape of coves and beaches.
Noel Redding is famous for putting Clonakilty on the world tourist map with his famous weekly concerts in Debarras.
Noel has lived in the house for 30 years and has entertained many music legends over the decades.
The house is now available for private rental.
The west coast of Cork is dotted with hundreds of beaches where you can stroll, surf or just relax, including Inchydoney, Sands Cove, Long Strand and Red Strand.
There are a host of picturesque towns and villages around West Cork to explore, ranging from Timoleague with its Abbey, Baltimore by the sea or Bantry and its bay.
West Cork is on the way to becoming the food capital of Ireland thanks to its many artisan producers who are committed to fresh and local products.
There are plenty of local farmers’ markets to spend a morning sampling West Cork’s best produce, with Skibbereen Market being a real highlight.
West Cork has a number of fantastic Michelin star restaurants including Chestnut in Ballydehob.
Kela is a real foodie herself and has become famous for her dessert recipes on her Instagram during the shutdowns and she highly recommends Dede in Baltimore, run by Turkish-born chef Ahmet Dede.
Finally, the number one recommendation for an activity in West Cork from Kela and Michael was to go on a whale watching tour, which they both describe as “world class”.
Check out my travel stories with Fergal Podcast for lots more West Cork tips available on all podcast platforms now.
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