IT'S A FREE WORLD: HAVEN’T RECEIVED your invite to the Royal wedding yet?
The D4 Berkeley Hotel in Ballsbridge would like to invite 30 people to celebrate the wedding on April 29th with a complimentary afternoon tea. Guests can indulge in a selection of teas and coffees, sandwiches, pastries and fresh scones, served in the Berkeley Bar during the live TV coverage of the wedding.
Catch: with only 30 places you need to get in quick. Hopefully the royal wedding dress won’t resemble your free meringue.
Take note: tel 01-4373444 to reserve a place.
BELLE ISLECastle, a 470-acre estate by Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh, is undergoing minor renovations with the conversion of bathrooms to en suites while retaining period details. This work will be completed by May.
Special packages are being offered for its cottages and courtyard apartments including a relaxing trip on the wooden cruiser Trasna for anyone booking a week between April and September, free fresh eggs from rescue hens, free logs and bottles of Belle Isle wine.
Catch: A week in the cottages in high season is from £635 (€721); courtyard apartments start at £495 (€562).
Take note: see belle-isle.com.
ONWARD MALEVair coach connections to Debrecen, Miskolc, Pecs and Szeged are free until July 1st for Malev passengers arriving at Budapest Ferihegy Airport. The connections run three times per day and can be booked on malev.com or with your travel agent. As these coach connections are like a connecting flight, any delays experienced will result in passengers being facilitated on the next available one as well as complimentary overnight accommodation. Passengers in Budapest can go through a fast lane track for security and coaches have Wi-Fi and on-board mineral water.
Catch: don’t get too used to this freebie because in three months it’ll cost €30 one way.
Take note: Malev has upped its flights from Dublin to Budapest from five a week to every day.
VILU REEFBeach Spa Resort in the South Nilandhe Atoll, Maldives is offering free giveaways (worth up to $120/€85) in June and July including a diving introduction and a catamaran excursion.
Vilu Reef’s Gold Palm dive centre offers the diving introduction free of charge for children aged eight plus in June and July when one parent books a diving session.
For those who prefer to stay above the water, a complimentary catamaran trip with an experienced skipper is on offer for the entire family (based on two adults and two children) when one adult books a watersports activity.
Catch: Seven nights at Vilu Reef Beach Spa Resort is from €1,924pp in July. The price for two adults and two children is €6,260.
Take note: this offer is available exclusively with WeTravel2 (01-2401788 or wetravel2.com quoting DIVE). Price includes scheduled flights from Dublin (via one overnight stay in a Gatwick hotel), accommodation in the resort on a half-board basis and seaplane transfers.
Found a freebie on holiday?Tell me about it. E-mail emorgan@irishtimes.com
