If you were in Paris today you would be wearing scented lily of the valleys on your lapel in honour of May Day. You would also find the city shut down. An ideal day to see the city of light in a new light. No need to rush from museum to art gallery, just walk around, have lunch, maybe take a boat trip and enjoy the May sunshine.
Some 29,000 CIE Tours International customers who visited Ireland last year on coach tours filled in evaluation forms for the places they visited and the results give a good idea of where we should be going. Best breakfast was in Kilkea Castle in Kildare, and best dinner in the Great Southern Hotel, Eyre Square, Galway. Best dinner and entertainment was at Knappogue Castle, Quin, Co Clare. Also in Clare, Dromoland Castle shared the award for best hotel service with Ashford Castle, Cong. Glenveagh Castle and National Park was voted best tour visit, and Siamsa Tire in Tralee best tour feature. Best home-stay (B&Bs) were the Town and Country Homes of Waterford, an alliance of nine ladies who open their homes to visitors. The Burlington Hotel in Dublin was voted best for accommodation. I also saw the Burlo voted best conference hotel in the UK recently. Overall winner of the CIE Tours Award for Excellence was the Killarney Park Hotel. Congratulations to everyone.
Summer tours of Northern Ireland begin again this month from Belfast International Youth Hotel, 22 Donegall Road. Departing each day at 09.30 a.m. you get a chance to see the famous Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and the Bushmills Distillery. Bookings on 08-01232- 324733.
Yet another new destination from Ireland - Slovenia - came on stream last week. Soon we will be able to go direct to anywhere we want in Europe. Just to remind people where Slovenia is, it's directly south of Austria and boasts mountains full of clean air, the Slovenian riviera with lots of sandy beaches, casinos and health spas. Independent travellers can take the regular Saturday flights to Ljubljana costing £245 and lasting only two-and-a-half hours. Crystal Holidays is offering packages to Slovenia from May 29th for £355, and will feature the mountain resorts of Lake Bled and Bohinj. Your local travel agent or Crystal (01-6708444) can give you details.
Sunway Holidays has some great value in Morocco during May. Prices for self-catering for one week start at £239 and for hotel accommodation at £329. Single travellers will be pleased to hear there is some accommodation in the Argana and Oasis hotels that does not carry a single supplement. Details from your local travel agent or from Sunway (01- 2886828).
Panorama Holidays still has some availability this month for those planning a quick break. There is some availability in Majorca from £249 for two weeks, in Ibiza from £169 for one week, in Portugal's Algarve from £219, in the Costa Del Sol from £229 for one week, and in Gran Canaria from £259. You can book through your local travel agent or Panorama Holidays (016707666).