GET AWAY WITH YOURSELF!

Many explanations have been put forward for the recent gales and floods which have assailed this country. Some put the foul weather down to mere coincidence. Others claim divine retribution, while one commentator is actually convinced it’s all a result of bad karma brought about by the behaviour of our elected representatives during the Harry Whelehan affair.
Here at the Hot Press weather desk we know the truth. We know it was a carefully orchestrated marketing ploy by the Irish travel trade to make us look forward to warmer days and start planning our holidays but quick. Obvious when you think about it, yes?
Of course the pleasures that accrue from a successful holiday or break can often stem from your decision to deal with the right people in the first place whereas many a holiday heartbreak can be traced to doing business with inexperienced or unreliable companies who get their sums wrong.
USIT – the long-established travel specialists for students, youth and independent travellers – are just one example of the right class of people to trust with your travel arrangements. Usit have been in the business of helping young Irish people plot their way around the globe since 1959, offering ‘offbeat’ holidays as well as student work programme opportunities. The USIT staff are well briefed and travel-hardened and they have fifteen offices in locations around Ireland, including Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Maynooth, Belfast and Derry, and on campus in UCD, DCU, Athlone RTC, UCC, UCG, QUB and University of Ulster in Coleraine and Jordanstown. In fact, if there isn’t a USIT office near you, you must be a hermit.
Although young people often have to travel on a shoestring, that often reinforces the need to plan ahead. Young Irish people in particular have a reputation for travelling well. They’re usually interested in the country or culture they’re visiting, and they generally try to explore beyond the tourist trail. Usit’s range is specifically geared towards the young independent traveller. All the practical essentials ranging from guide books, comprehensive travel insurance, international student/youth identity cards and youth hostel cards are all readily available from them and their knowledgeable staff can deal with any specific personal enquiries.
Their student and youth fares are flexible enough to suit the independent traveller’s needs and can be booked when you like, for as long as you like. They can facilitate one-way or return travel and, most importantly, accommodate change without high penalties.
Ticket prices are more than favourable and offer special rates on a wide range of scheduled services, covering virtually every imaginable worldwide destination.
During the summer USIT operate a series of great value charter flights between Dublin and Paris, Nice, Athens, Budapest, Prague, Thessaloniki and many other European destinations. Their long-haul department specialises in more exotic locations and faraway places. They can offer package holidays or custom design arrangements for the more adventurous, who might prefer to explore independently. The more popular options include ‘round the world’ via Asia or the US, package holidays in Egypt, Kenya or Thailand or competitively priced flights to Australia, Asia, Africa and South America.
For those who prefer rambling holidays, the railways of Europe make adventurous as well as enjoyable breaks and with an Inter-rail card you can choose between twenty-three European countries. USIT’s network of offices in Britain, France, Belgium, Greece, Germany and New York offer a comprehensive travel service as well as providing support back-up for Irish travellers.
For those who prefer an Irish holiday option, Usit’s Kinlay House accommodation centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway provide quality budget accommodation. The ‘Kinlay’s’ are not as basic as a hostel and pride themselves on their casual, friendly atmosphere.
Whether you want to stay in a restored Victorian house in Dublin, an old mill in Donegal or an island retreat off the West Coast, Independent Holiday Hostels of Ireland may be exactly the kind of people you need to talk to. Offering high-quality, low-cost accommodation in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, IHH hostels stay open all day, require no membership card, have no curfews and welcome all ages.
Representing 125 independently-owned hostels throughout the country, IHH is the largest organisation of its kind in Ireland. All IHH hostels are approved by Bord Failte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and comply with full fire safety, health and building regulations. They can cater for individuals or families, with private and family rooms available at most hostels. All have self-catering kitchens but some also offer meals. Guests can book ahead from one hostel to the next, alleviating the worry out of travelling in hope of finding a place to hang your hat.
According to Laura Guilfoyle, bicycle hire, camping facilities and vegetarian meals are available at many hostels, along with a wide range of activities, including canoeing, horse riding, music sessions, golf, angling, birdwatching or a bizarre sport called “pub-crawling” which is unlikely to take off in Ireland! Owners are on hand throughout the day to provide maps, leaflets and any other local information you need. With prices starting at just £5.00 per night, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more affordable, convenient or enjoyable way to explore Ireland.
Bunacamp, the London-based company which specialises in Summer camp jobs in America, are well worth putting on your holiday shopping list. They are looking for intelligent young adults to work as camp counsellors this Summer, from June to August. It’s a perfect opportunity for people to experience the USA at first-hand while doing a challenging job at the same time. In the coming months Bunacamp will be interviewing prospective candidates in Dublin, preferably aged 19 to 35. In 1994 more than 3,500 went to America and Canada through Bunacamp and a similar number will go this year. You could be one of them.
The Aran Islands have long been a destination of choice for travellers of all age groups, both from this country and from further afield. With their wild, windswept, starkly beautiful landscapes and their unique place in our cultural heritage – not forgetting their public houses which, reportedly, stay open till well after bedtime! – who could resist a trip there?
To facilitate the tempted traveller, Island Ferries Teoranta, based in Connemara, have a twice daily service from Rossaveal between November and March, with several sailings daily in the summer months, and to make it even more convenient, coach connections for all scheduled trips depart from Galway Tourist Office.
Island Ferries staff will arrange all aspects of your trip if you wish, from accommodation to guided walks, to an evening’s set dancing. Further information is available seven days a week from Jennie or Mary at (091) 61767. Go n-éirí an bóthar libh.
• News, views and information should be addressed to the Hot Press Travel Desk