Davin O'Dwyerwith a round up of deals
Formula 1
The Grand Prix season begins at the end of March but doesn’t arrive in Europe until the Spanish Grand Prix, on May 8th-10th.
The Travel Department (www.the travel department.ie, 01-6371600), however, is offering a suitably lavish package to April’s Chinese Grand Prix. The nine-night trip includes flights from Dublin, departing on April 15th, four nights at a four-star hotel in Shanghai and four nights’ five-star accommodation in Beijing, with excursions to the Yu Garden and Shanghai Museum, Tiananmen Square and the Palace Museum, the Great Wall of China and the Imperial Summer Palace. €1,745 per person, including taxes.
If China is a bit too far, the company is also offering a three-night trip to the fabled Monaco Grand Prix, departing May 22nd, for €799 per person, including taxes, flights, accommodation and admission to qualifying and the race.
Soccer
Another luxury trip is offered by Keith Prowse (www.keithprowse.com/ie, 01-8783500) for the Arsenal versus Fulham game at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 28th. For €217pps you get a VIP match ticket, a night’s three-star hotel accommodation, a pre-match three-course buffet meal with wine, beer and minerals at half-time, a match-day programme and a £5 Arsenal store voucher.
Packages are also available for Arsenal versus Manchester City on April 4th (€322 pps) and Arsenal versus Middlesbrough on April 25th (€216).
Thomas Cook (www.thomascooksport.com, 01-6771721/ 01-8783944) has some deals in February, with prices including match ticket and accommodation: Fulham versus Manchester Utd on February 17th for €170pp; Aston Villa versus Chelsea on February 21st for a superb €107pp; and Celtic versus St Mirren on February 28th for just €79 per person.