Cheap Breaks to Ireland

Posted by Allen

I wonder if you’ve ever considered cheap breaks to Ireland, and specifically the North?

The reason is because I’ve heard that hotels in Belfast are slashing their prices in a bid to attract more people to the region, so that’s good news for  anybody planning holidays to the North of Ireland in the near future.

According to one website, various hotel chains are offering good deals, including the Travelodge, which has rooms from £17 between February 1st and June 6th, if accommodation is booked at least 21 days in advance.  Value breaks across the country are also being promoted by the Irish Hotels Federation for two-night stays at hotels with three stars, which may be tempting for people interested in city breaks, with best prices at weekends.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Belfast is ideally located in the city centre, formally the Gasworks area. The hotel is close to the city and out of the way of its hustle and bustle, allowing our guests to have a good night’s sleep and a good time out.

Here are some of the best Belfast Attractions to get the most out of cheap breaks to Northern Ireland

Arriving at Belfast for cheap breaks by Ferry

Belfast Harbour

The Port of Belfast is Northern Ireland’s principal maritime gateway, serving the Northern Ireland economy and increasingly that of the Republic of Ireland. About 60% of Northern Ireland’s seaborne trade and 20% of the entire island’s is handled by the Port which receives over 6000 vessels each year.

The Port is also a major centre of industry and commerce – its Harbour Estate is home to some of Northern Ireland’s most important urban regeneration projects and it is the region’s leading logistics & distribution hub.

With 1.2 million passengers and half a million freight units annually, Belfast is Ireland’s busiest ferry port. It is also the island’s leading dry bulk port, dominating the market with regard to imports of grain and animal feeds, coal, fertilisers and cement, and exports of scrap and aggregates. Over 95% of Northern Ireland’s petroleum and oil products are also handled at the Port.

www.belfast-harbour.co.uk

Larne Harbour

Belfast can be reached by ferry from Liverpool in England and Stranraer in Scotland. Norse Merchant Ferries operate the Belfast to Liverpool route and the journey takes around 8 hours. Stenaline runs the Belfast to Stranraer route and the journey takes less than 2 hours by fast ferry, and 3 hours 15 minutes by slow ferry. Larne, 23 miles north of Belfast has ferries from Troon (Summer only) and Cairnryan (near Stranraer) operated by P&O while Stenaline have a service to Fleetwood (near Blackpool).

www.portoflarne.co.uk

Bangor Marina

Bangor Marina is situated on the south shore of Belfast Lough, close the Irish Sea cruising routes. The marina has become well known since it opened for providing a safe berth in the centre of Bangor, a highly attractive town with many places to visit.

Bangor Marina is operated by Quay Marinas under a 15 year licence granted by North Down Borough Council. The Marina Manager, Andrew Jaggers, and his friendly team are there to make your stay at Bangor Marina as enjoyable and safe as possible so please speak to a member of staff if you need any help. The Marina is staffed 24 hours a day so there should always be someone on hand to provide any further information.

Carrickfergus Marina

The marina area at Carrickfergus boasts excellent amenities for berthing, setting sail and relaxing. The impressive marina building hosts the customer service team, who are friendly, confident and experienced, ready to greet any visitor 24 hours a day.

Carrickfergus Marina’s excellence has been reflected by receiving the prestigious quality accreditation of 5 Gold Anchor and European Blue Flag Status as well as designation as an RYA Sailability Centre. There’s always a warm welcome from the staff at Carrickfergus Marina and the exclusive amenities provided in the Marina building will make your stay all the more enjoyable. No detail is overlooked in the exclusive berth holder facilities. Immaculately presented showers, and personal laundry service, together with a bespoke marine services area and state of the art meeting/conference facilities, are just some of the facilities available.

The area around the Marina is a hub of activity, with a modern complex that offers restaurants, a childrens’ play facility, a hotel, a multi screen cinema, convenient superstore and a vibrant sailing club. There are inviting bar/restaurant facilities overlooking the marina and harbour – the ideal way to laze away a long summer evening or enjoy a hot drink on a winter’s night. The customer service team, located at the marina local information point, will also be delighted to provide information about other activities and places of interest in the town and beyond.

There are also ferry services available from Holyhead in Wales, and Liverpool in England to Dublin Port and Dun Laoghaire. Other ferry routes to Ireland include Pembroke and Fishguard in Wales to Rosslare in Co Wexford; and Roscoff and Cherbourg in France to Rosslare.

For details on routes and schedules please visit:

P & O Irish Sea:
Troon & Cairnryan to Larne
Dublin to Liverpool
www.poirishsea.com

Stena Line:
Stranraer to Belfast
Fleetwood to Larne
Holyhead to Dublin & Dun Laoghaire
Fishguard to Rosslare
www.stenaline.co.uk

Irish Ferries:
Holyhead to Dublin
Pembroke to Rosslare
Roscoff & Cherbourg to Rosslare
www.irishferries.com

Norfolkline:
Liverpool to Belfast & Dublin
www.norfolkline.com

Posted in: cheap breaks Comments(1) December 2009


UK hotel prices drop significantly as hotel owners try to tempt holidaymakers to stay at home

Posted by Allen

According to figures released this week by Hotels.com, UK hotel room prices fell 12% to £93 per night in the last three months of 2008, compared with the same period in 2007

In contrast British tourists are having to pay more for accommodation at many popular overseas destinations, supporting suggestions that Brits will turn their backs on destinations such as Spain and are instead planning to spend this years holidays in the UK.

But it’s not just Spain where prices are soaring, one night in a Swiss hotel rose, on average, to £120 – an increase of 22% – and France, Holland and Greece saw rises of 11%, 14% and 15% respectively.

Figures for individual cities showed average London hotel room rates dipping 12%, Edinburgh prices falling from £99 to £95 and Belfast room rates down 17% to £83.  Bucking the trend was Cardiff, where average prices rose slightly from £87 at the end of 2007 to £93 at the end of last year.

The most expensive city at the end of 2008 was Moscow with rooms costing an average of £207 a night, although the biggest percentage increase was in Rio de Janeiro, where room rates rose 63% to £164 at the end of last year.

Other destinations with rising prices included, Geneva up 34% to £136, Zurich up 20% to £119, Washington DC up 18% to £115 per night, Paris rising 13% to £112 and Munich up 10% to £93.

The least expensive major city at the end of last year was the Latvian capital Riga where average rooms cost just £50 a night.

Hotels.com worldwide president David Roche said: “Our report shows that hoteliers around the world are being forced to cut rates to fill their rooms.

“Due to weak sterling, UK travellers will have to work a bit harder to find the bargains but there are still plenty to be had.

“For travellers from any part of the world, this is a great time to explore: travel has not been this cheap since January 2004.”

“The indications are that 2009 will continue to be a good year for travellers. If sterling strengthens, UK travellers will start enjoying the great savings our European and US counterparts are currently experiencing.”

Overall, the average price for a night in a UK hotel fell to £93 in the last three months of 2008.

Posted in: Cheap Hotels in London Comments(0) March 2009