08 December 2024

I had the pleasure of being on board the brand new NCL prima for a mini cruise from Amsterdam via Le Havre back to Southampton in England for few nights in September 2022. I must say NCL are an amazing 4 star top of the range cruise liner and their offerings for cruises is just great. They offer NCL Free at sea packages to include your drinks packages, internet connectivity while on board etc and the food and service and standard of facilities on board was just great. Norwegian Prima is the first in its namesake class of ships designed to elevate every expectation. Explore the greater wide open the 360° Ocean Boulevard where you can soak in extraordinary sunsets from the Infinity pool or relax under the stars at Indulge Outdoor Lounge. Take your taste buds on a delicious journey through Indulge Food Hall and then embark on out-of-this-world adventures in the Galaxy Pavilion. Swoosh down the fastest dry slide at sea before slowing things down in the tranquil Thermal Suite. From the race track to amazing entertainment, get ready for unforgettable moments on board - all before unwinding in some of our most spacious accommodations. Discover a sea of new experiences aboard Norwegian Prima. Experience The Haven Discover unparalleled luxury in The Haven, an exclusive enclave with our most premium and spacious accommodation. Enjoy the personal service of a 24-hour butler and world-class amenities, exclusively reserved for guests of The Haven. This space offers our most exclusive & centralised suite complex ever - all suites are within easy walking distance of private elevators reserved exclusively for The Haven guests. These exclusive accommodations are also some of our largest suites ever and include our first new three-bedroom suite in 15 years, with public areas and suites designed by Piero Lissoni, one of Italy's preeminent designers. Additionally, for the first time, every public area in The Haven offers stunning sea views. New Spa & Fitness Centre Welcome to a place where the ocean meets the healing waters within — the breathtaking new Mandara Spa. From multiple detoxifying saunas to state-of-the-art pools to a two-story waterfall, the experience on Norwegian Prima will awaken every sense. For the energetic and thrill adventurous person, NCL prima offers a full formula 1 like go cart track on board where you can pump your adrenaline on the 3 story go cart track at an additional cost of approx $15 to $20 dollars per person. I highly recommend you try this, i did it and was very impressed. I recommend downloading the NCL app before you get on board, this speeds up your online check in process and gives you options to explore all the range of facilities on board before hand and become familiar with this amazing cruise liner. I would describe NCL Prima as an exceptional standard of ship and very modern and the entertainment and shows on board from broadway like shows to comedy clubs were just amazing. For your next relaxing luxury at sea get away please get in touch and i will be delighted to put together a package to suit your needs.

08 December 2024

I spent two days in Disneyland Paris from 26th November 2023 to 28th November 2023 and I explored the theme park and all its hotels. There is a huge range of hotels to choose from. Our party stayed at the Marvel New York hotel which is a really modern 4 star hotel. My next favorite is the Sequoia Lodge hotel, its a real homely hotel and nice swimming pool to relax in between the busy time at the Theme park. We also visited the 4 star New port bay hotel, the 3 star Cheyenne hotel. They are all lovely hotels. It really all comes down to client budget, i can highly recommend all of them. We flew to Charles de Gaulle airport, and took a transfer for the 40 minute approx transfer to our hotel. All the hotels are within a short walk from the main entrance to the theme park, with the exception of the recently renovated 5 star Disneyland hotel which is right at the entrance to the theme park. The shows at the theme park are amazing and happen are regular intervals during the day. I recommend and its a great idea for families to escape from the cold and see a nice show. The fireworks shows at night time are just amazing. I highly recommend going back to the theme park at night time to experience these shows. When clients stay at any of the Disney hotels you get the opportunity to enter earlier to the theme park (an hour earlier) than the regular public and gives you the opportunity to escape the queues for the attractions. Its an amazing experience, i highly recommend Disneyland Paris, i can put together packages flying from Shannon or Dublin for 2 or 3 or 4 nights stay. I highly recommend what we did flying out very early on day 1 and home late on day 3, this means you get 3 full days admission to the theme park included in your stay and you only have to pay for 2 nights stay at the hotel. One of the mornings we had the Character breakfast at the Plaza Gardens restaurant, it was an amazing experience, they do two sittings 08.15 am or 09.45am. 2 adults & 2 children, the average price of character breakfast is from €180 Its also possible to have Princess breakfast, Breakfast with Disney Princesses 1st Seating 08.15am & Breakfast with Disney Princesses 2nd Seating 09.45am, the average price of Princess breakfast for 2 adults & 2 children is from €216 Disneyland is located only 32 km's from Paris city center, for people with the energy, its real easy to explore Paris as there is a train that goes from Disneyland Paris train station right to Paris Gare de Lyon station, the journey is only 34 minutes. Give me a next call when your planning your getaway to Disneyland Paris and i will be happy to take you through all the options and prepare quotes for you.

08 December 2024

I had the pleasure of travelling to Dubai and Maldives with Emirates airlines and experienced a 1 night stop in Dubai on route to the Maldives for 4 nights stay at Jumneirah Olhahali Island Maldives in a water villa. We flew emirates airlines from Dublin to Dubai, in flight service and food and drinks was amazing on board. They are a really top class airline to fly with. It is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating more than 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport. On Arrival in Dubai on Wednesday we had a full day to visit some amazing Jumeirah properties and see the luxury and culture in Dubai. We visited the Jumeirah Mina Al Salam hotel and got a tour of this luxury hotel with its own private beach. We went for an amazing lunch and tour of the world famous Burj Al Arab hotel Standing at 321m tall, the worlds only 7 star hotel located along a private section of the Arabian Gulf's golden beachfront. The interiors are gilded in 24-carat gold. We were brought up on the 148th floor, at an impressive height of 555 meters, is the At the Top Sky , the highest observation deck in the world. Like the observation deck on the 124th floor, this one has an outdoor area protected by glass panels from which you can admire the city. We checked in then to the Jumeirah Creekside hotel 5 star hotel and had dinner, this hotel is a great location near the airport and next to the Irish village an ideal hotel for a stopover in Dubai. Mesmerizing views from unique vantage point overlooking the creek, a hive of activity in the heart of Old Dubai. Delicious cuisine, a sports and leisure complex, and a specially commissioned art collection. We then flew on to the Male airport in the Maldives with Emirates airlines, a 4 hour flight. On arrival in Male airport we were met by representative from Jumeirah Maldives hotel and taken by speedboat for 1 hour transfer to Jumeirah Olhahali Island Maldives. Jumeirah Olhahali Island has been carefully crafted for indulgence of luxury living, signature dining and effortless wellbeing. Its a new unique resort and i must say our stay at Jumeirah Maldives was unforgettable. When we arrived by speedboat from Male airport we were greeted on arrival and our butlers took us to our water villas and it was a seamless check in experience allowing us to settle down, relax and explore our blissful island villa. We had a lovely arrival lunch at Shimmers restaurant, the Greek mediterranean restaurant. Later that afternoon we were hosted to a wine and cheese tasting experience hosted by Aaidha. That night then we had dinner at Kayto an exotic blend of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine known as "Nikkei" Friday morning 18th October there was the offering of sunrise yoga at 6am, followed later by leisurely breakfast at Glow restaurant celebrating healthy eating and fresh produce. At lunch time then we had an amazing experience and went to a Maldivian cooking masterclass and afterwards had lunch at Glow. On Friday evening we had an amazing dinner at Shimmers restaurant, Mediterranean night, we embarked on a sensory adventure through vibrant Mediterranean flavours, set amidst an ambiance that captured the essence of the regions spirited charm. After dinner then we had a cinema night under the stars set against the backdrop of the Maldivian night sky Saturday morning we had a beautiful breakfast at Glow restaurant after after breakfast we embarked on a nature walk and strolled around the island with our gardening chef as he told us information on all the flora and fauna. We had a beautiful lunch at Shimmers a vibrant beach setting. That afternoon then we embarked on a sunset fishing trip out on the Indian ocean to watch the sunset while waiting for the fish to nibble on our bait. Saturday night we had an Indian night and live band music. It was a most enjoyable evening. We checked out on Monday and embarked on our journey home which involved taking the 1 hour speed boat back to Male airport for our Emirates flight to Dublin via Dubai. I would highly recommend the Maldives for an amazing experience and its really relaxing and you can do as little or as much as you wish during your trip. The weather was amazing and warm during our stay. I look forward to hearing from you to discuss a trip to the Maldives and Dubai.

18 November 2024

I attended our Gold Travel Counsellors conference in Doha from 19th September to 24th September inclusive. We flew from Dublin with Qatar airlines, I must say I was very impressed by Qatar airlines, they are a really amazing 5 star airline. Qatar Airways has been voted the World’s Best Airline at the 2024 World Airline Awards, the eighth time that the airline has scooped the Airline of the Year title in the 25-year history of the awards. I would highly recommend Doha as a stopover destination for a couple of nights on route any amount of worldwide destinations. Doha is the hub for Qatar airlines. The airport is top class with amazing lounges to choose from and really easy to navigate. On 19th September we arrived in Dubai and checked in the 5-star Fairmont Doha for our stay. WE had an arrival cocktail party on arrival at Raffles Doha, next door to the fairmont up on the roof top Acoustic bar, where we were treated to tapas food and drinks and music was amazing. On Friday morning 20th September we had breakfast at Fairmont Doha in Vaya Restaurant and proceeded on after the breakfast to attend our conference which took place in the ballroom of the Fairmont. After the conference finished, we headed to the Doha Beach club by coach for an afternoon at the beach club where we experienced delectable culinary delights and drinks with complimentary beach access and complimentary sun beds with convenient internet access ensuring we stayed connected while having fun at the beach. We returned to the hotel at 5pm and had a free evening to join up with other colleagues and relax for the evening. On Saturday morning 21st September we had breakfast at the Fairmont Doha and met in the lobby to embark on a day exploring Doha. Our tour of Doha included touring the Pearl, Katara Cultural village and the Souq Waqif. We had an amazing lunch near the Souq Wasif at Parisa Restaurant. We had free time after lunch to walk around the souq and haggle for some purchases, a lovely experience. We then headed the National Museum of Qatar for a guided tour. Upon returning back to the Fairmont we got ready and headed to the Banyan tree Doha for a party at Vertigo located up on level 28 one of the highest clubs in the Msheireb area and incredible 360-degree views of Doha skyline, Corniche and the Old city. We were hosted to a beautiful buffet dinner with live cooking stations and drinks and there was beautiful music also. On Sunday 22nd September after breakfast at the Fairmont we headed of on our pre-booked Discover Desert & inland sea tour. We discovered the remarkable desert landscape where sand dunes spill into the azure waters of the Inland Sea. Our qualified desert drivers took us on an adventure, travelling through the dramatic sand dunes to Khor Al Adaid, a large tidal embayment recognised for its outstanding natural heritage value. After being collected at the Fairmont hotel we drove approximately 1 hour to the entrance of the desert at Sealine. Here we had a brief stop to deflate our tyres. From here, the adventure started with our off-road desert drive through the dramatic sand dunes. Our experienced driver navigated the dunes until we reached Khor-Al-Adaid, or the inland sea. We had an opportunity to take in the magnificent desert landscape, visited the towering Sheraton Dune and marvelled at the azure waters of the Arabian Sea before we departed for a brief comfort stop at our desert camp on the way back to Doha. Upon returning to the Fairmont hotel, we got ready for our Fare well celebration dinner and drinks at Agua Urban desk at Raffles Doha. It was truly an amazing evening by the pool at Raffles. On Monday we had free time to relax by the pool and had a late check out before heading to Doha airport for our plane back to Dublin after Midnight. We also had time to go and explore Villaggio which is a touch of Venice in Doha, known as little Italy of Doha, We saw amazing shops and top of the line luxury brands in Villaggio Mall in Qatar where it's equipped to comfortably meet the demands of every visitor. We walked around Villaggio, and it felt just like i was in Venice with lovely canal views and beautiful buildings. We did not have time to attend the Mall of Qatar, a retail and entertainment destination, that is also the country's largest mall. My over all experience of Doha and Qatar as a country was amazing, its really safe, beautiful hotels and amazing excursion options and shopping opportunities to break your journey on route to a multitude of worldwide destinations.

13 May 2024

The popularity of river cruising is booming. Having cruised on larger cruise ships myself, the opportunity to experience a river cruise ship first hand was a very welcome opportunity for me. I was invited to attend the CLIA River Cruise conference in Amsterdam on 11th March 2024 to learn and expand my knowledge of what exactly is a river cruise and to experience the dynamics of these smaller, more intimate vessels. Plus, the opportunity to visit not one but multiple river cruise ships at the same time was a superb way to compare the products from each individual company. A river cruise is a unique way of cruising. Relaxed, enriching and the only way to get up close and personal with multiple bustling cities and hidden gems on your chosen itinerary. Travel in exceptional comfort and style with likeminded people while unpacking only once. The experience is immersive, authentic, scenic, and very safe. Wake up each morning in a new location to which you can walk or cycle straight into. Enjoy hand crafted excursions at each destination. In a nutshell it is a floating hotel. Typically, a river cruise ship will hold a small number of guests from approx. 120-180 passengers. Compare this to anything from 3500–7000 guests on a large ocean cruise ship, the word intimate is exceptionally prominent, therefore the service on board is immensely more personal and concierge style. Each river cruise ship I boarded was quite similar in layout, yet unique to each brand. On board the 3-deck ship you will enjoy a welcome reception area, a large main lounge with bar, comfortable seating, and large windows to view the rivers and sights as you leisurely sail by. Long top solarium deck with seating and bar, some have pools or jacuzzi pools on top deck. Dining is offered in the main restaurant with A La Carte menu or casual dining in the bar or on-board café. Most will have a spa on board for massage and treatments, a gym, and all offer Bicycles for free or to rent to explore the city at hand. Depending on your chosen river cruise, accommodation can range from lower deck rooms with small window, mid deck rooms with larger windows, top deck staterooms with balconies or picture windows to suites, junior suites, and owners’ suites. Each brand will offer a different variety of accommodation options. One of the main aspects as to why river cruising is booming is due to the sustainability aspect with each company’s emphasis and approach to protecting the rivers in Europe and further afield. From single use plastics, recycling, lower emissions on the rivers and noise reduction. River Cruise is available throughout the rivers of Europe including The Rhine, The Danube, The Moselle, and The Main, to The Douro in Portugal, The Venice Lagoon in Italy, The Dordogne, Garonne, Rhône, Saóne and Seine in France. But that is not all, you can also river cruise further afield in Egypt, India, Vietnam, and Cambodia even South America. The main differences in the brands range from décor onboard, where one might be minimal and modern the next will offer traditional luxury to the in between, so there is a brand to suit everyone. One company may offer fully All Inclusive where another will offer Full Board with drinks. My experience of the culinary side was exceptional on all. Service was professional, welcoming with an emphasis on the guests experience at all times. In recent years passengers are looking for “that something different,” “a cultural experience,” “new experiences” therefore a river cruise provides exactly all this and more for them. Families are starting to request the above also and guess what there is a perfect company who encourages and welcomes families on board of all ages. There is also a range of activities on and off board to enjoy from games to wellness to live entertainment each evening provided by local acts. Excursions from walking, cycling, kayaking, golfing, museums, ancient ruins and much more. River Cruise brands I was lucky to experience included: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise AmaWaterways APT Travel Marvel Riviera Travel Emerald Cruises A-ROSA – (Perfect family option with younger guests) Viva Cruises Amadeus River Cruises Riverside Luxury Cruises Avalon Waterways Is river cruise for you? Absolutely. Solo passengers, Couples, Friends, Multi-Generational family, Groups, this product is just amazing. If you would like to discuss this further or have any questions regarding my experience, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for taking the time to read my personal blog and look forward to hearing from you. Regards Michael.

14 June 2023

I had the pleasure of visiting Nashville which gave me a great insight of all the wonderful attractions that Nashville, Tennessee has to offer. Broadway in downtown Nashville has live music playing each day in all the bars and venues from 11am to 3am (15 hours per day) if one has the energy to stay going. It is an amazing experience for music lovers with all the live gigs there is to see. It is just “electric” and “awesome.” We sampled some of the honky tonky and the wonderful atmosphere while there. We flew with American Airlines from Dublin to Nashville via Philadelphia in premium economy class. I would highly recommend upgrading to premium economy class as you get a much wider seat and loads of leg room and the meals served on board were amazing. Supplements start from just €200 per person per journey to upgrade to a premium cabin on board American airlines (subject to availability at time of booking). We stayed for 3 nights at the Hutton Hotel which was a lovely 4-star hotel boutique style hotel situated a short drive approx. 6 minutes from Broadway in downtown Nashville where all the action happens. There was music in the lobby each afternoon and the atmosphere was very relaxing at this hotel. The bedrooms were really comfortable and nicely decorated. During our stay in Nashville, we used the Lyft app, which is just like the Uber taxi system, you request a pickup on the app from your location and your driver is there within a couple of minutes to take you to your destination. It is a really good value way of getting around Nashville. On Tuesday morning after a leisurely breakfast, we went for a tour to the RCA studio, home to musical titans such as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and many more. This studio was once one of the world's most famous recording facilities. Today it serves as a popular cultural attraction and as a classroom for students who visit the country music hall of fame and museum. We then continued on for a tour at the country music hall of fame located in downtown Nashville. It has been called the “Smithsonian of country music” celebrated for its brand cultural impact, educational mission and unrivalled collection of historically important artifacts. The country hall of fame was launched in 1967 on Nashville’s music row. The museum opened its current downtown location in 2001 and in 2014 unveiled a $100 million expansion that doubled its footprint in size. The country music hall of fame and museum now includes 350,000 square feet of dynamic galleries, archival storage, retail stores and event space, performance space in the CMA theatre and Ford Theatre which regularly host nationally recognized live music and cultural events. After a leisurely lunch in downtown Assembly food hall, we enjoyed another tour at the Ryman Auditorium, rich in history and built in 1892, well known as the mother church of country music. It was also revered as a long-time former home of Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. On Tuesday night, we had the most amazing experience at a live show at the Grand Ole Opry radio show which began broadcasting back in 1925. Today, it is an entertainment phenomenon showcasing a mix of country music greats, new stars, superstars, and legends. Before the show we got access to the Grand Ole Opry VIP lounge in the Auditorium called the Circle which I would highly recommend as you get drinks and get to meet a star in person who will perform at the live show on the night. We met Jennie Seely who performed that night. She has played at the grand ole Opry over 5,000 times during her career. Wednesday morning after breakfast we embarked on a tour to Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery situated a short drive outside of Nashville. The 1853 Greek revival mansion was home to English Derby winner Iroquois and renowned as a thoroughbred stud farm. As one of the premier thoroughbred racing and breeding farms in the south, Belle Meade was always the centre of hospitability, today that tradition continues. In 2009, Belle Meade opened the only winery in Nashville and they offer complimentary wine tastings after each tour. After the tour of Belle Meade mansion we enjoyed a lovely lunch. I found the venue a lovely relaxing experience, steeped in history. I would highly recommend Belle Meade as a must do tour to experience the culture and history of the past associated with horse breeding. That afternoon we enjoyed a great tour of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. The musician’s hall of fame is a premiere Nashville attraction and the one and only museum in the world that honours the talented musicians who actually played the greatest recordings of all time like Johnny Cash and many more. On Wednesday evening we went for dinner and a live music gig at the Listening room café. The Listening Room Café hosts up and coming artists and the star song writers behind Nashville’s biggest hits. It reminded me of an open mic event and the food, drinks and atmosphere was excellent while we listened to lovely music being played live. I would highly recommend this as a must do for visitors to Nashville. If you wish to plan your next getaway to Nashville please get in touch and I can share my experience with you and put together a bespoke itinerary to suit your requirements.

02 November 2022

I had the pleasure of spending 7 nights with my sister and my nephews and nieces at the 5-star camping Playa Montroig Campsite on the outskirts of Cambrils Spain for a week from the 27th of April 2019. We flew from Shannon to Reus which was very convenient. We then took a taxi transfer for the 15-minute journey from Reus airport to Playa Montroig. The campsite is definitely a 5-star campsite and has a vast range of facilities to keep all ages from young children up to teenagers happy and content. The fact that we were right on the beach was a huge bonus. The campsite has four swimming pools and waterslides for all ages. Down at the kiddie’s pool there are small waterslides and waterfalls, and the parents can sit, relax, and have a coffee or cool drink while watching their children play safely in the kiddie’s pool section. There are plenty of sports facilities to keep the family busy, from mini golf, boules and paddle tennis to beach volleyball, basketball, and kayaking. There is even a spa on the campsite to take some time out to relax. We hired bikes on one of the days and cycled into Miami Platja the neighbouring village and had some lunch. We took a day trip to Port Aventura theme park which was only 25 minutes away and accessed Ferrari land, the aqua water park and the theme park. It was a very enjoyable day out. The campsite offers evening entertainment at the new entertainment complex, although this was not fully open during our stay at the end of April as it was of season. We still found loads to do after dinner in the evenings such as walks on the beach and my nephews and nieces went in to play with other children near the restaurant and bar. I was amazed at the range of options on site to purchase food. The bakery opened early each morning and there were queues to get fresh breads and pastries. We ate at the campsite bar a few evenings and there were lots of nice options on the menu. They also had an ice cream stand where the children could purchase an ice cream after dinner. We treated ourselves on two evenings to a meal at Friends restaurant right on the beach, I would highly rate this restaurant to be like a Michelin star restaurant. The service and food were excellent. I would highly recommend this 5-star campsite right on the beach for a family holiday. Please feel free to contact me to plan your next luxury mobile home family holiday in France, Spain, Italy, or Croatia. I would only be delighted to share my knowledge having experienced this style of holiday first hand.

18 August 2022

I had the pleasure of treating my 4 nieces and nephews to a magical trip to Lapland for 2 nights / 3 days on 3rd December 2019. The trip started off with an early morning Aer Lingus charter flight from Dublin to Rovaniemi airport in Lapland, the official airport of Santa Claus. The flight was fun packed, we got a light breakfast on board and the elves on board the flight kept the children entertained with singing, colouring and drawing pictures. All of the children really enjoyed themselves. On arrival in Lapland we were met by more elves who were our guides for the 2 nights / 3 days action-packed itinerary. After we cleared passport control and collected our checked in luggage we headed off to the depot to get kitted out with our thermal gear to wear during the trip which was included in the cost of the package. We then set off for a short snow mobile safari though the snow covered forests. It is dark pretty much all day long except for a few hours during the day which makes the experience wonderful. The adults travel in the snow mobiles and the children travel in the sledges pulled by the guides. Afterwards, we headed to our accommodation at the Ouscharvarna chalets and checked in to our two bedroomed chalet with a buffet dinner and breakfast included in our stay. The accommodation was really cosy and warm and felt like a real home from home. Day 2 started off with a lovely early morning buffet breakfast before we headed off on our adventures for the day. First we headed to the husky farm where we learned all about the life of the husky dogs and enjoyed a short speedy ride in sledges pulled by the artic huskies. Afterwards we were treated to a hot drink and biscuits in the warmth of one of the cabins. We then boarded the coach to head to the reindeer farm where we experienced the magical ceremony of crossing the Artic Circle in a kota-teepee. We then got to enjoy a magical reindeer ride pulled by reindeers. The children were all in amazement at the experience. We boarded the coach after this visit to the reindeer farm and were taken for a well-deserved lunch break in a nice cosy restaurant served by a number of elves. All the children loved the experience of being served their lunch by elves. After a relaxing lunch we boarded the coach to head to the middle of the deep forest in Joulukka where the magic of Christmas comes alive. We visited the elf school and Santa’s command centre and even got a private audience with the man himself and he gave each of my nieces and nephews a very generous gift. We then headed back by coach to the Ouscharvarna chalets where we had some free time to relax before meeting up to go to a festive dinner and show in Santa park, the evening even consisted of a surprise visit by Santa and his cheeky elves. The children all had great fun and there was wooden train rides at Santa park for them to enjoy after dinner and drinks and entertainment before we headed back to the hotel by coach. Day 3 started off with breakfast and checking out of our accommodation and we headed to a shopping centre where we had free time to explore and buy some souvenirs. The children even got the opportunity to play outside in the snow as they still had their thermal gear. We headed back to the airport and dropped off our thermal gear on route to the airport. I would highly recommend this trip as it’s a once in a life time experience for both adults and children alike. Get in touch early in the year to plan your magical trip for your family to Lapland and I can share my experiences and knowledge.

18 August 2022

I had the pleasure of travelling with some friends to Bilbao in Spain on 15th November 2019 to do part of the Camino de Santiago walk or the way of St James from Pamplona to Burgos over 5 days. We spent 7 days overall in Spain. We flew with Aer Lingus from Dublin to Bilbao. We were extremely lucky as the weather was mild each day, we just experienced some rain and snow on our last day of walking. It was a great experience walking the Camino with the peace and quiet of the paths. We were blessed to meet up with other pilgrims each day and shared our experiences over lunch and relaxing pilgrim dinners each evening before we retired for the night in our private rooms at each of the hotels we stayed at after walking an average of 25 kms each day. May-June and September are the best time to walk the Camino de Santiago, as the weather is lovely, downpours less likely, and you'll have plenty of company along the way – but it won't be quite as crowded. Each day consisted of an early start at 7am walking and we took regular coffee breaks along our walk in lovely quaint villages which were dotted with beautiful churches, simple restaurants, cafes and lovely gothic buildings dating back for hundreds of years. There is pretty much a little village every 5 kms which gave us the opportunity to take a break and have a coffee and experience the peace and quiet of these lovely villages. I did not find the walking difficult, I recommend anyone to have a good pair of hiking boots or comfortable walking shoes with a good grip and light rainproof jacket also. We had no problem staying well hydrated each day as the opportunity to stop and take regular breaks was wonderful. Our last night finished in the lovely town of Burgos which is home to the famous Cathedral of Burgos, its architecture is very Spanish and Gothic. The town hosts many historic and religious buildings. The old town is lovely and we enjoyed pinchos or tapas as they are known with some beers. The company was brilliant and we met up with a lot of other fellow pilgrims and shared our experiences about our wonderful trip. Everybody was so friendly. Our last night was very memorable in this lovely town of Burgos before we took a bus back to Bilbao the following day to fly home to Dublin. I really recommend this trip as it is a great life experience for walking enthusiasts. I would be delighted to plan and tailor make a trip for anybody that wishes to walk this pilgrimage route which goes back hundreds of years. Please get in touch to plan your experience. I look forward to hearing from you.