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Ideas, suggestions and recommendations that can help you choose from a more limited palette of options that we know — both from professional and personal experience.

Do you actually know what a travel agent does?

Ever tried to follow the instructions on how to programme your old video recorder from the manual that came with it? Or any other electronic device for that matter? The instructions are usually as clear as mud because they are written by the guys who designed the device in the first place and who mistakenly assume that we (the users) know more about what they're talking about simply because they do! As travel agents, we are often guilty

Choose your holiday based on value for money rather than price alone!

It's perfectly understandable that intending holidaymakers should compare prices between competing products, destinations or suppliers when researching whom they should book their next travel arrangements with. It's all too easy though to lose sight of the most important criteria of all — which one represents the best value for money? Everyone is familiar with the old saying 'You get what you pay for' and rarely is that more true than when making travel arrangements. Because the true cost of a holiday

Breaking out of your comfort zone — Part 2

Let's not mince words here — it's been a crap summer this year! It's rained so much over the course of the past few months that I'm now worried that I might  develop webbing between my fingers and toes. If you are one of the countless disappointed souls who waited and weaited and waited this summer to see if prices would drop or that you might benefit from some last minute deal that never happened then you

A bitter pill to swallow?

I think we all agree that the summer of 2012 is best forgotten as, by all accounts, it has been the worst in living memory as far as sunshine and good weather were concerned. Of course the consequence of all this is that many people who perhaps had previously decided that they would not be holidaying abroad this year subsequently changed their minds — further adding to the pressure on a limited capacity of both

€249 for a round-trip airfare to the Far East — where’s the catch?

You've all heard the old adage  '... If it sounds too good to be true ...' and generally speaking, it's usually a reliable rule of thumb to adhere to. Every now and then though, a deal comes along that proves the exception to the rule and the latest example is from none other than Azamara — the boutique cruise division of Royal Caribbean. Azamara  occupies the upper end of the cruise market and boasts small

How charter holiday pricing works — Part 2

Last week, we explained in more or less simple terms how charter pricing works. This week, we focus on scheduled airline fares and the fundamental manner in which they differ from charters. Scheduled airline fares apply only to scheduled air services. These are operated by airlines. A scheduled service must operate on the date, time and frequency specified — whether  the flight is full or empty. As a general rule of thumb, the further out

How charter holiday pricing works — Part 1

If you're an Irish consumer currently thinking of getting away for a week or two in the sun at the moment, chances are that you're experiencing one or both of the following problems: 1. There is very little availability left to many destinations 2. All the prices are very expensive And to add further insult to your injury, you've probably already found that the prices that airlines such as Aer Lingus and Ryanair are charging

Familiarity Breeds Contempt — Part 2

In last weeks' blog I was going on about the fact that we probably attribute too much importance at times to far away destinations and not enough to the ones that are located closer to home. perhaps the best example of this phenomenon is London. London is one of the world's great capitals with more than enough history, culture, architecture and attractions to last a lifetime and yet how well do we really know it?

Familiarity breeds contempt — why clichés become clichés!

Certain figures of speech such as the above mentioned 'Familiarity breeds contempt' only become clichés over time because, in essence, what they are saying is true and is being said in a very catchy, easy-to-remember way. Now, lest I get carried away with myself here on the finer points of language and semantics, the reason why I've headlined this particular article with the above cliché/saying/truism/whatever-you-want-to-call-it is because I was struck recently by the tendency we have in

Paradise — and where you can find it!

Much of our vocabulary in daily use has become increasingly diminished because of the overuse of certain words or adjectives. Common sense would suggest that everything simply can't be 'great' or 'brilliant' or 'unique. A prefect example of this phenomenon is the overuse of the word 'paradise' — in the material, rather than the metaphysical sense! Many destinations claim to be paradise or evocative of it and whilst many of these destinations are undoubtedly beautiful in their own

Don’t forget the humble ferry!

Have you noticed that most travel articles nowadays refer almost exclusively to air travel — at least it feels that way sometimes?  This is understandable given the revolution that has taken place in aviation over the course of the past 20 years due to the emergence of low cost carriers such as Ryanair and Easyjet. Prices have tumbled and air travel has most certainly been democratized in the process with more people now enjoying international

Disneyland —for the eternal youngster in all of us

My first exposure to the Disneyland 'experience' was almost 30 years ago when I visited the original of the species — Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. Having also been born in 1955 — the year that Disneyland first opened to the public — I felt an immediate affinity to the place. Since then, I have been back a couple of times, not only to the Anaheim park but also Florida and Disneyland Paris. In fact

The art of getting a quote that is both competitive in price and relevant to your needs starts with gathering all the right information about what you want to do (or think you want to do!).

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