From beach Pilates in Spain to family-friendly hostelling, JOAN SCALEShas the best offers
Heritage houses: from €300
As part of Heritage Week, the Irish Landmark Trust is opening its two Dublin properties for viewing tomorrow. The houses, restored to their periods but with unobtrusive modern comforts, are at 63 Fitzwilliam Lane and 25 Eustace Street. They'll be open from 10am until 4pm. Both rent from €300 per night. irishlandmark.com.
Ayurvedic break: from €155pps
Brandon House Hotel, in New Ross, Co Wexford, with its Solas Croí Eco Spa, is one of the few places here doing Ayurvedic treatments. Its two-night spa pamper package, with dinner one night in the Gallery Restaurant and a one-hour treatment, costs from €155pps. brandonhouse hotel.ie, 051-421703.
Over-55s: from €259pps
Visit Connemara for a "golden holiday" at the Connemara Coast Hotel and, as long as you're over 55, you'll get a fourth night free when you book its three-night package. The deal includes dinner on three nights, plus a range of activities. It costs from €259pps. sinnotthotels.com, 091-592108.
Sail training: from €235
Learn to sail in September with Glenans Irish Sailing Club in Roaring Water Bay, in west Cork, or Collanmore Island, in Clew Bay, Co Mayo. A week's sail-training course is €580; a weekend is €235. Both include accommodation and meals. gisc.ie, 028-20630.
Family hostels: from €66
Hostels are not just for backpackers - families are welcome in the Sleepzone Hostels in Galway city, Lisdoonvarna and Leenane. Family rooms, to accommodate up to six, cost from €66 per night for three to €78 per night for six. sleepzone.ie, 091-566999.
Aran rugby: €250 per team
Dust off your rugby boots for the first Aran Islands Tag Fest, which takes places on Inis Mór next Saturday. Part of the Sony Ericsson Beach Tag series, it also features relay races, cliff climbing and swimming. The day will end with après-tag in Kilronan. The entry fee is €250 per team. More about the festival and accommodation on tagrugby.ie.
OVERSEAS DEALS
Surf's up in Spain: a week with Pilates from €380pps
Learn to surf and do beach Pilates on a week's break in the Basque town of Zarautz - home to part of last year's Rip Curl Pro series (above) - from September 14th. Surf Holidays has a package of a week's self-catering accommodation and five days' surf tuition and Pilates classes from €380pps, for any day of arrival. Zarautz, which is 20km from San Sebastián, is close to the airports at Bilbao, which Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) serves from Dublin, and Biarritz, across the border in France, which Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies to, also from Dublin. surfholidays.com, 01-4822828.
Bordeaux tour: from €799pps
Visit the French wine region of Bordeaux, including the Médoc and St Émilion, on an escorted tour from Dublin, between September 25th and 28th, with Maria Madigan. The price, which starts at €799pps, includes vineyard and chateaux visits, flights, accommodation, a tour of Bordeaux city and lunch on two days. justsplit.com, 01-4939444.
Luxury cruises: from €1,840pps
Silversea, the luxury cruise line, has a few offers for cruises departing in October and December. A 10-day trip from Rome to Athens will cost from £2,647pps (€3,000pps), including flights from the UK, transfers and $1,000 (€700) on-board credit per suite. In December, a cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Barbados costs from £1,622pps (€1,840pps), or from Mumbai to the Seychelles from £2,322pps (€2,635pps). silversea.com.
Fly to Norway: from €96
One of the few new airlines to begin services from Ireland this year is Norwegian, which has opened routes from Dublin to Oslo (from €96 return) and Copenhagen (from €122 return). norwegian.com.
Free fares on Aer Arann
Aer Arann has five routes with zero fares on sale until Sunday night; you just pay taxes and charges. The routes are Cork and Dublin to Cardiff; Waterford and Galway to Manchester; and Donegal to Glasgow Prestwick. aerarann.com.
Budapest flights: from €10
Malév Hungarian Airlines is celebrating 10 years on the Dublin-Budapest route with a €10 fare (plus taxes) for travel between September 1st and October 5th. malev.com, 0818-555577.
Aer Lingus sale: starts tomorrow
Aer Lingus's winter sale begins tomorrow, with UK fares from €9.99, Europe from €29.99, New York from €195 and Orlando from €205. aerlingus.com.
Canaries stay: from €43pps
Enjoy an autumn break at the Gloria Palace Hotel and Thalasso Spa in San Agustin, Gran Canaria, from €43pps per night, or €51pps half-board, until September 30th. gloriapalaceth.com.
Ferry to France: from €79
LD Lines has a new service from Rosslare to Cherbourg beginning on September 19th. From €79 each way for a car and two people. ldlines.ie, 0818-332100.
Please bear in mind that all deals are subject to availability