What's a better way to welcome Daylight Savings than planning a spring vacation to Ireland? Dooley Vacations (tel. 877/331-9301; www.dooleyvacations.com) offers airfare, six nights' hotel, and a car rental from $699.
This trip puts you in three of Ireland's best cities -- Dublin, Galway, Killarney -- for two nights apiece. The included car rental gets you from one spot to the next at your leisure. While in Dublin, check out the pub scene, the Book of Kells, the James Joyce Centre, and more. When you're in the west of Ireland (i.e. Galway), consider buying a claddagh ring at Thomas Dillon's, the original maker of these love-and-friendship rings. When you're in Killarney, spend some time in Killarney National Park.
This Ireland package is a steal when you consider that a Kayak search for airfare for April 11 started around $870 just for the round-trip flights. The package is advertised as saving each traveler more than $600, and that's easy to see. For starters, Dooley Vacations puts you up in better-than-average hotels. Spend the first and last night in Dublin at the Academy Plaza Hotel, two nights in Galway at Clayton Hotel, followed by two nights in Killarney at the Scotts Hotel.
Scotts Hotel, for midweek stays in mid-April, averages around $160 per night. The Dublin spot is a Best Western property that starts around $150 per night for weeknight stays and $226 on the weekends, based on double occupancy. When you're in Galway, you'll stay at the sleek and contemporary Clayton Hotel, which starts at $191 per room for midweek stays, based on double occupancy. When you consider the flights for two people would total almost $1,800, and then add about $1,000 for hotel stays, this package is packed with great value. (By our calculation, the $699 package would actually save you close to $675 per person -- and we haven't even factored in the car rental yet.)
Trip Type: Air-inclusive, independent
What the Quoted Price Gets You: Round-trip airfare from New York-JFK to Dublin, six nights' hotel, a weeklong car rental, and breakfast daily
What Else You'll Have to Pay: Taxes and fees of up to about $180.
Book By: As soon as possible to ensure best availability
When: Monday and Tuesday departures April 4-May 31 (from $699); June 6-14 (from $729); June 20-28 (from $999)
Other Details: Departures on other days of the week are possible but will cost more. In July and August, the starting price jumps to $1,099 per person.
Car-rental upgrades are priced from $50 per person for an automatic transmission vehicle with GPS and unlimited mileage; hotel upgrades are possible from $149 per person. If you get swept up and enchanted by Ireland and don't want to leave, a seventh night is possible in Dublin from just $75 per person -- including your car rental for another day.
Other Gateways: Boston (from $719), Orlando (from $769), Chicago (from $789).
All prices are per person and, if lodging is a component of the package, based upon two people traveling together (unless otherwise noted). The prices listed are general starting rates; see "What Else You'll Have to Pay" for details about associated taxes and fees. Base-prices, taxes, and fees can vary based on point of departure and time of travel. Blackout dates may apply. Trip add-ons like sightseeing tours and meal plans may also increase the price. Check with the tour operator for additional gateways and any single supplements, which is the extra cost that a solo traveler would pay to book the deal.
