Christmas season holiday offers

This week we’ve a super-cheap route to Asia, some New Year city stays around Ireland, sports trips and our normal rake of winter sun.

Winter sun at a steal

Latedeals.ie is among the leaders in budget last minute sun holidays and this week they’ve outdone themselves with seven-night Med stays starting from a recession-busting €181. Here are the company’s top deals:

• Fuerteventura, Corralejo, Playa Park, self-catering for seven nights. Depart 11 December, from Belfast. €181.

• Egypt, Sharm el Sheikh, Luna Sharm Hotel, all-inclusive for seven nights. Depart 16 December from Dublin. €449.

• Playa de las Americas, Tenerife. Stella Polaris Oro Blanco, self-catering for 10 nights. Depart 7 December from Belfast. €267.

• Gran Canaria, Puerto Rico, Colina Mar Apartments, self-catering for seven nights. Depart 11 December from Dublin. €349.

• Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen, Balcon del Mar, self-catering for seven nights. Depart 9 December from Belfast. €238.

• Morocco, Agadir, Intouriste Aparthotel, self-catering for seven nights. Depart 11 December from Dublin. €379.

• Gran Canaria, Maspalomas, El Cardonal, self-catering for 14 nights. Depart 6 December from Belfast. €292.

Prices based on per person sharing. Subject to availability. Final pricing will be confirmed at time of booking as supplements may apply.

More winter sun

Thomas Cook, meanwhile, has its own range of sun offers on the go. Here’s some that might be good enough to prise you away from this wonderfully optimistic, cheery country of ours.

Panorama Holidays

• Eight nights in Gran Canaria from €389 per person. Staying in the three-star Colina Mar Apartments in Puerto Rico. Self-catering basis, departing 18 December 2010 from Dublin.

• Seven nights in Egypt from €499 per person. Staying in the three-star St George three corners in Hadaba, all-inclusive basis, departing 9 December 2010 from Dublin.

To book call 0818 20 20 20 or visit www.panoramaholidays.ie.

Sunworld Holidays

• 10 nights in Lanzarote from €479 per person. Staying at the three-star Sun Beach Apartments in Playa Blanca, self-catering basis, departing 30 December 2010 from Cork.

• Nine nights in Tunisia from €589 per person. Staying at the four-star Abou Sofiane Hotel in Port El Kantaoui, all-inclusive basis, departing 30 December 2010 from Dublin.

• Seven nights in Egypt from €549 per person. Staying at the four-star Oriental Hotel in Nabq Bay, all-inclusive basis, departing 16 December 2010 from Dublin.

To book call 0818 200 400 or click here.

Direct Holidays

• Seven nights in Lanzarote from €469 per person. Staying at the two-star Los Hibiscos apartments in Puerto Del Carmen, self-catering basis, departing 23 December 2010 from Cork.

• 35 nights in Tunisia from €579 per person. Staying at the four-star Diar Lemdina Residence in Hammamet Yasmine, self-catering basis, departing 8 January 2010 from Dublin.

To book call 0818 200 110 or click here.

All Thomas Cook holidays above based on two adults sharing, unless otherwise stated and inclusive of flights, transfers, accommodation as specified, baggage allowance and all taxes and charges. Optional supplements may be applicable at time of booking.  Offers are subject to availability, correct at time of issue.

Sport trips

Thomas Cook Sport Ireland is running offers on a couple of interesting non-football related sports events that are coming up early next year:

Turkish Formula 1 Grand Prix in Istanbul from €380 per person. Includes three nights B&B and weekend admission ticket. Departing 8 May 2011. To book call Thomas Cook Sport Dublin Office 0818 200 112. (Flights not included).

Six Nations Wales v Ireland in Cardiff from €273 per person. Includes category 1 match ticket and one over night stay on B&B basis, departing 12 March 2011. To book call Thomas Cook Sport Dublin Office 0818 200 112. (Flights not included).

Med Cruise

If you would rather take to the seas than the skies in your bid to escape the malaise, Thomas Cook Cruise is offering a cut-price 11 night Mediterranean Cruise from €555 per person (cruise only). Your ports of call will be Barcelona, Casablanca, Santa Cruz, Funchal Madeira, Civitavecchia/Rome and Savana (Italy). Departure dates throughout January/February 2011. Cruise only price is based on two sharing in Interior Cabin (tax and charges included).

To book call Thomas Cook Cruise on 0818 200 101.

Air Asia open Paris route

Good news for budget travellers this week – Asia’s most popular cut-priced airline has opened up a route to Paris. It means you will now be able to fly to Paris with Ryanair or one of the other budget airlines before connecting to Asian travel hub Kuala Lumpur.

This, in turn, puts Air Asia’s range of destinations in easy, and cheap, range. €320 will get you from Paris to KL. Booking period on this offer price is until 12 December. Click here for more information.

New Year city stays around Ireland

Lastminute.com has a host of value post-Christmas Irish hotel deals for under €250 for two nights and under €150 for one night. Not a bad shout for a Christmas present:

• Dublin – Maldron Hotel Smithfield, three-star, two nights, from €125.

• Cork – The Montenotte Hotel & Leisure Club, four-star, two nights, €116.08.

• Galway – Best Western Flannery's Hotel, three-star, two nights, from €108.

Click here for more information.

Secret Hotels

www.lastminute.ie is running their famous ‘Secret Hotels’ offer again this week. The deal is they will hook you up with a stay in a four or five star hotel in Dublin or in any number of UK cities for a knock-down price.

The catch is, the hotels don’t want it known that they are practically giving some rooms away while charging others top dollar. But although you don’t get to know the name of the hotel you will be staying in until you’ve booked, you can rest assured it will be a swanky little number. Click here for more information.