IT'S A FREE WORLD:THE GREEN Harrods flags on Brompton Road in London SW1 will be replaced by the red Swiss flag from March 31st until April 30th when the store will be showcasing all things Swiss including its cheeses, chocolate, coffee and watches.
As part of the promotion Swiss Travel System is offering vouchers for a complimentary first-class upgrade on four-day Swiss passes available from the Swiss Chalet outside Harrods on Hans Crescent until April 3rd and on the ground floor of the store until April 24th.
Swiss passes entitle the bearer to unlimited travel – for periods ranging from four days to one month – on the entire Swiss Travel System’s network including railways, boats on lakes and rivers, and trams and postbuses covering a network of over 16,000km.
Swiss Travel System has a family card that allows parents to take children under the age of 16 along at no cost.
Swiss passes holders also get a 50 per cent discount on most mountain-top trains and cable cars, and free entry to around 400 museums. The passes are available at Swiss train stations and online.
Catch: Swiss passes cost from €157 for two or more people for four days if travelling second class, so a free upgrade to first class will save €79.
Take note: for more see swisstravelsystem.com.
FOR FRAZZLED parents looking for some relaxation time over the Easter break the Castlecourt Hotel and Westport Plaza in Westport, Co Mayo are offering a package that includes a kids’ club during school summer holidays that will take the kids off your hands for up to nine hours a day, although the number of hours they spend at the Buzz Club is optional.
The family package for two adults and two children under 12 offers a three-night break with breakfast each morning, two evening meals and the kids’ club for €359 at the Castlecourt Hotel and €399 at the Westport Plaza. The club takes kids from 10am to noon for activities and games, and from noon to 1pm for swimming. Kids can go again in the evening from 5pm to 9pm for their dinner and arts and crafts. At 9pm there’s an optional movie.
Catch:if your children insist on going for the full nine hours to the kids' club, you might start to miss them.
Take note: another Irish hotel, the four-star Carlton Hotel Spa in Kinsale, Co Cork is running an offer of a free night's stay if you book dinner for two for €45pp at the Oysterhaven View restaurant. It's also giving €60 worth of vouchers to use during your stay for the first 100 reservations. The Harlequin hotel in Castlebar is also offering two nights BB and one evening meal for €105pps. Children go free on a BB basis when sharing with two adults. There is a DVD club and a Wii room for the kids while you dine in the restaurant.
CHATEAU DE Vaux le Vicomte just outside Paris is holding Easter egg hunts throughout Easter Sunday and Easter Monday that also offer free workshops in chocolate making, origami, face painting and more.
Another option is Paris' Galeries Lafayette's "Big Easter Hunt" where your little Easter bunnies have one hour to scour the store for every last shiny wrapped egg and delicious chocolate bean before l a grande chasse aux oeufsis over.
In Brussels there are egg hunts in Bruparck next to the Atomium and, just outside the city and in Les Pays des Castors, an animal park dedicated to beavers.
In Paris, Brussels and Lille there are Easter church services you can attend as you take in the sights. In Paris there’s the famous Sacre-Coeur and Notre Dame, while in Brussels you’ll find the fifth largest church in the world in the city’s Basilique Nationale Du Sacre-Coeur. In Lille meanwhile, don’t miss the Notre Dame de la Treille Cathedral; with its white marble exterior and surprisingly orange-pink interior.
Catch:your little ones will be as high as a kite on holiday if they are successful in the egg hunt.
Take note:see vaux-le-vicomte.com, bruparck.com and paysde scastors.be and eurostar.com for more information.
*Found a freebie on holiday? Tell me about it. E-mail emorgan@irishtimes.com
