Spring Break: 5 great getaways from Cork Airport

It’s not too late to book a last minute break abroad this Easter. Tom Breathnach rounds up some of the best deals on offer

Venice: home of art, waterways and quiet spring breaks

Venice

With a new direct route from Cork together with the city facing its lowest tourism numbers in decades, there has never been a better time to visit the Queen of the Adriatic.

Spring also means fewer crowds; while the Venezia Biennale, often dubbed the ‘Olympics of the Art World’ starts later this month and runs until November (tickets €25).

If you’re looking to push your break back a little further, don’t forget that from this June you can also fly from Cork to Pisa if you’re seeking a Tuscan city while direct flights to Alghero is bringing Sardinia all the closer if you’re looking for a Mediterranean break with a difference.

Looking for a cruise alternative? Popular cruise company MSC is offering a seven-night Med cruise aboard its Seaview vessel departing May 13. Designed with an “ocean to the world” brief, the ship features its trademark Panorama pool where guests can relax, sip cocktails and enjoy the sweeping sea views. This cruise sets sail from Barcelona, visiting Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Taormina, and Valetta with prices including flights from €1,229pps (ex. Dublin including flights from Dublin – Barcelona return, including transfer to and from ship).

• Stay: For a quintessential Venetian hotel, check into the likes of the Hotel Galleria where you can enjoy canal views from your antique-filled room, all so fitting of this 16th-century build. Rooms start from €140 per night.
• Get there: Ryanair fly from Cork to Venice on Saturdays and Tuesdays with fares from around €75 return.

La Gomera

Roque de Agando (commonly called Roque Agando) is a prominent rock formation on the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands. It is one of La Gomera's most striking features and is frequently used as a symbol for the island.

Tenerife has long been one of Cork Airport’s most popular destinations but if you’re looking for a Canary Island break beyond the main slipstream, consider journeying a little further on to the largely undiscovered island of La Gomera. The second smallest Canary Island is reachable via a one-hour ferry transfer from Los Cristianos, just south of Tenerife-South airport, and those early touchdown times from Cork means travellers have the option to make the whole trip in one day or overnight in Tenerife en route.

San Sebastian, La Gomera’s main port and historic capital (where Christopher Columbus set off from) makes a postcard base for your trip, but it’s when you venture out into the wilds of this lush, volcanic island, that you really feel the switch-off. Think black beaches, thick laurel forests, incredible mountains, lush valleys and scenes similar to a Healy Pass shrouded in cacti. All a dreamy backdrop for hiking, lounging and drinking sundowners to one of Europe’s most ultimate escapes.

• Stay: Built in the style of a traditional Canarian village, albeit with an incredible clifftop setting and a collection of panoramic swimming pools, Jardin Tecina is La Gomera’s ultimate resort oasis with rooms from €180 per night.
• Get there: Ryanair fly from Cork to Tenerife on Saturdays and Tuesdays with fares from around €250 return. Ferries to La Gomera are operated by the Fred Olsen company and are expensive — expect to pay about €170 return in summer to make the one-hour journey each way. Perhaps worth it for a ticket to what feels like the edge of the earth.

Lake Constance

Lake Constance: an hour from Zurich, accessible via the airport

A little sojourn in Switzerland may be struck off many travellers’ shortlist due to the ever-robust franc. But there’s a stunning and overlooked way to take advantage of Cork’s new direct route to Zurich: Hop on the first train to Germany. The gorgeous city of Konstanz which sits on the shores of Lake Constance is a dream destination for a long weekend, and it all lies just a scenic one-hour train ride from Zurich Airport. While in Konstanz, ramble through one of Germany’s best-preserved old towns or take your pick of relaxing excursions to make the most of lake life. Catch the ferry to Insel Mainau, a flower island which features a butterfly house and Baroque palace, or to Meersburg, a postcard medieval village flanked by vineyards and two fairytale castles. If you have a few more days off, tour right across Lake Constance, taking in Austria and Liechtenstein before looping back to Zurich.

• Stay: Hotel Halm situated at both the lake, train station and Altstadt makes the perfect base for a Konstanz stay with decent value too with rooms from €110.
• Get there: Swiss begin their new route from Cork to Zurich this month with rates from €245 return. Train fares from Zurich to Konstanz teeter around €50 return.

Champagne

Sign of the Route Touristique du Champagne with in the background vineyards of the Champagne district Vallee de Marne, France.

Flight routes to Paris don’t just have to mean a weekend on the banks of the Seine. From Charles de Gaulle Airport, you can be in the iconic Champagne region within one hour. Centred around the towns of Reims and Epernay, the rolling region of acclaimed wineries makes an idyllic way to spend a long weekend and become a veritable expert on the capital of fizz. Tour the homes of iconic names like Mumm, Veuve and Tattlinger by day, dine in the region’s trove of Michelin restaurants by night or simply hire a bike and cycle into the hills kitted with a baguette and a bottle of bubbly.

• Stay: Enjoy charming gems such as Le Logis aux Bulles with rooms from €95 per night to top-shelf experiences like Le Royal Champagne resort and spa for €600 per night.
• Get there: The Air Francetarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> service from Cork Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle returned this week with return fares from €154. You can also check out fares with Vueling who fly from Cork to Orly, on the southern side of Paris.
• All fares quoted above include a 10kg+ carry-on bag.

Gdansk

The old town of Gdansk by the Motlawa river in the evening. On the right is a historical wooden crane, a landmark in the city.

Love the idea of Copenhagen but not the price tag? Well why not consider a Cork to Gdansk getaway? If you’re looking for a Baltic break that doesn’t break the bank, the Polish city offers a destination high on Northern European sophistication but low on spend.

You’ll discover a labyrinth of old-world wonder in Stare Miasto, Gdansk’s old town which is a postcard of period architecture while the city’s waterfront is a stylish district where boujee yachts and historic galleons shadow top seafood restaurants and artisan amber merchants.

The city is also kid friendly, high on culture and offers great value dining. And if your weekend starts to heat up, take the short train ride to Sopot, the historic seaside spa resort which sets alongside the Polish Riviera.

• Stay: For a little value context, Gdansk’s Hilton (billed as a five-star hotel) which sits right on this historic waterfront offers rooms from just €77 a night (hilton.com).
• Get there: Ryanair from Cork to Gdansk on Thursdays and Mondays with spring fares for €150 return.

• For more see corkairport.com