DESTINATIONS UK & IREND | FESTIVE BREAKS


BEST OF THE REST


E Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, Scotland: Mulled wine, mince pies and a Christmas Day lunch with champagne are all on the agenda at this lavish golf and spa resort over the festive period, with room rates starting at £900 for two nights.


5 witness the thursford christmas spectacular


For sheer glitz, nothing beats Thursford’s iconic Christmas Spectacular in Norfolk. The biggest show of its kind in Europe, it brings singing, dancing, music and other performances together in an explosive, three-hour fiesta, with fairy lights and Christmas trees decorating a lavish auditorium. Just Go Holidays offers a trip to the show as part of a four-day coach package, adding in an excursion to nearby Norwich, whose Christmas market has gained country-wide fame for its colourful crafts, Christmassy food and hand-made souvenirs spilling out from traditional wooden chalets. Book it: From £299 per person including three nights’ half-board accommodation, coach travel and tickets to the show. Departures are available from November 11 to December 13. justgoholidays.com


E De Vere Cotswold Water Park: Set just outside Cheltenham, this historic mansion makes a good base for visiting the Christmas markets, while festive Santa lunches make it a good bet for kids. Two nights starts at £250 for a family of four.


E Slieve Donard, Belfast: Guests at this country retreat will be greeted with a range of festive activities, including a Polar Express experience around the grounds, while Belfast’s markets are within easy reach.


E Lincolnshire Golden Coast: Grand UK Holidays offers a pre-Christmas coach tour in Lincolnshire that dishes up festive fare, sightseeing, a gift from Santa and plenty more amid quintessentially British landscapes, with prices from £269.


6 tour yorkshire by rail


For clients who want a break with a difference over Christmas, suggest Arena Rail Holidays’ Yorkshire Christmas Tour. The five-day trip whisks guests around the Dales on various heritage trains, including a restored vintage steam train and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, once used for the valley’s wool mills. Guests also visit a seventh-century cathedral and the historic Ripley Castle, with a Christmas lunch thrown in for good measure and accommodation in the town of Skipton, known for its medieval castle and age- old market. Book it: From £689 per person, based on two sharing half-board accommodation for four nights, including excursions and rail journeys, and departing December 23. arenarailholidays.co.uk


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26 SEPTEMBER 2019


travelweekly.co.uk


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