The Travel Expert is giving us a list of the holidays that are the top destinations for 2017:

Dublin airport has just celebrated it’s best ever year in 2016 and there are lots of new routes announced from Dublin, Cork and Shannon. It seems Irish airports are set for another bumper year.  So where are the top holiday destinations in 2017?

Spain

Ireland’s favourite holiday destination never disappoints. Culture vultures or party animals enjoy the numerous choices for city breaks and beach holidays. Why not combine both though? The Costa Dorada looks like it could be the big winner this year. There are flights from Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Knock serving Reus, Girona or Barcelona and Sunway and Falcon Holidays both offer package deals to Salou and Cambrils. The combination of the iconic city of Barcelona and the opening of Ferrari World at the already popular Port Aventura theme park, make it an ideal choice for all the family.

Italy

beaches, Italy has something to offer all holiday makers. Lake Garda is becoming more and more popular with families as there are numerous self catering and camping options. The Amalfi Coast is always a popular honeymoon destination and the islands will attract couples looking for an upmarket holiday. Sunway have introduced a direct flight to Sardinia for 2017 which should keep the beach enthusiasts happy, and the growing trend for authentic experiences will ensure that Irish numbers to the region of Puglia should continue to grow.

USA

Flights to the States have grown to unprecedented levels. New routes to from Aer Lingus to Hartford and Miami and extra flights to Los Angeles, Orlando and New York, should translate into a bumper year for Irish tourists to the USA. The addition of low cost flights with Norwegian Air from Cork to Boston and New York, as well as WOW air flights via Iceland, should ensure lots of good deals for Irish holidaymakers. San Francisco is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic ‘summer of love’ with a year of events and festivals in 2017. And would you believe Elvis is dead 40 years this year… sure makes me feel old! Why not pay tribute to the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ by visiting Memphis during ‘Elvis Week’, between 11th and 19th August. See American Sky for details.

Mexico

Mexico is one of our most popular long haul destinations. Falcon Holidays are offering direct flights from Dublin for those looking for a two week holiday in the summer months. Many choose to fly via America and combine with a city break in New York or Vegas. I think Mexico will continue to be as popular with Irish holidaymakers in 2017.

Iceland

WOW air introduced flights to Reykjavik in 2015 which proved to be a resounding success. People chased the Northern lights and swam in the Blue Lagoon, with lots of positive reviews. So much so that WOW have decided to increase flights from Dublin and add on a service from Cork. It looks like Iceland will remain popular in 2017 for weekend breaks and as a holiday destination.

Cruises

One of the fastest growing sectors in the travel industry is set for another bumper year. The competition has never been greater. Most major cruise lines have dedicated Irish websites now and many travel agents and tour operators have dedicated cruise departments. Free all inclusive drinks packages, half price kids offers and even free flights, will I am sure, entice Irish holidaymakers to cruise in 2017. New destinations like Cuba will make it easier for visitors to visit Havana without paying the increasing accommodation costs. River cruises are also proving popular for discerning clients. For those who don’t want to fly there are even cruises operating directly from Ireland in 2017.

Croatia

For those looking for somewhere a little different but still close to home, Croatia will be a top choice. The stunning city of Dubrovnik has always been a favourite but now there are flights to Split and Pula with Aer Lingus, as well as Zadar with Ryanair. Falcon Holidays have also announced package holidays to Croatia and specialists Croatia Tours continue to offer a wide choice of package holidays to the region.

THE ARRIVAL of Summer has brought some much-improved weather and with that, the desire to seek some open-top motoring.

After all, who doesn’t daydream of cruising along a great road with the roof down in the glorious sunshine?

Perhaps more shrewd buyers will have tried to bag a soft-top bargain during the winter months when values take a bit of a dive along with the temperature… but if you’re looking for some instant gratification, here’s our look at the best convertibles for under €20k.

1. Audi A3 Cabriolet (2008-2013)

Source: DoneDeal

Perhaps not the most obvious choice, but certainly one of the classier looking convertibles on the market. This first generation Audi A3 didn’t sell in huge numbers, but they do come up for sale regularly enough.

The A3 is based mainly on the Volkswagen Golf MkV underpinnings. It is a four-seater, but those in the rear don’t get that much legroom. One of the other downsides is the boot, which is tricky to access when the roof is down.

Find one of the 1.6-litre TDI engined models (from 2009 onwards), and you’ll enjoy economic driving – you won’t have the pleasure of quite as nice an engine note as the petrol version, but these only accounted for around ten percent of sales. While it’s not the sportiest of cars to drive it does provide good ride quality and has an upmarket appearance that will appeal to some.

See cars on the market now

2. MINI Cooper Convertible (2004-2008)

Source: DoneDeal

The first generation MINI Convertible remains one of the most fun-to-drive soft tops that isn’t a sports car. It was available in standard, Cooper and Cooper S models, with the latter being the more potent. You can spot a Cooper S by its distinctive bonnet scoop, which helped feed air into the engine. Powering the Cooper S was a supercharged engine that gave plenty of performance and had quite a unique engine note. Its handling makes it good fun to drive without being overtly sporty.

It is a car of compromises, however. Whether the roof is up or down, rear visibility is limited as is the boot space. The upside is that you get styling that still looks good today and with MINI having offered so many different colour and spec combinations at the time, there should be something out there to suit your taste.

See cars on the market now

3. Mazda MX-5 (1998-2005)

Source: DoneDeal

The Mazda MX-5 is ubiquitous on any list involving convertibles, and with good reason. This little two-seater is a cracking car to drive, and the second generation – or NB model to Mazda aficionados – is probably the best one to have. Early first-generation models are harder to come by (especially ones that haven’t been molested by would-be tuners) while others may not have escaped common rust problems. The second generation shipped with a choice of 110hp 1.6-litre or a 190hp 1.8-litre engine. Post-2001 models saw both engines gain slight power increases.

With the MX-5 being such a simple car the main things to watch out for any obvious mechanical issues and cosmetic ones. The manually-operated fabric roof mechanism shouldn’t cause any problems but do check for any rips or tears, as it can be particularly costly to replace if you use original parts. Thankfully, some specialists can re-trim the roof if needed. Mechanically these cars are quite robust, so don’t be too put off by higher mileage examples.

See cars on the market now

4. Mercedes-Benz CLK Cabriolet (2004-2009)

Source: DoneDeal

Considering that many examples of this second-generation CLK Cabriolet cost upwards of €50,000 when new, they now represent something of a bargain. Most of the models sold in Ireland were the smaller 1.8-litre petrol. However, there were also 3.0-litre versions sold in smaller numbers from 2005 onwards.

It is a quick car and is great over longer distances thanks to its softer suspension setup.

Adding to that comfort is the fact that the majority of models sold came equipped with automatic transmissions… and with these cars selling during peak Celtic Tiger, they generally come with high levels of equipment fitted too.

READY to hire in a crack builder, or swing a lump hammer at that internal partition?

There’s a lot to consider if you want that final finish to be level with your dreams. Here are some top tips to get it right without blowing the bank and liquidising your nerves.

1. Don’t set out to blow all of what you have

This may sound rather kooky, but it’s important to know what you can get for your money, before hurling everything you’ve saved or are entitled to borrow at the project.

You might be pleasantly surprised if you price materials and skills more rigorously.

Yes, there may be a difference in the level of finish, and builders and tradespeople need to know what’s expected.

Get three quotes and don’t expect to grab up the cheapest — personalities, experience, and reputation count for a lot.

Be wary about giving any supplier or service your top number, go for a bracket or make them state their case and then haggle.

There are individuals who will price the job for that hire-purchase S-class Mercedes you are driving.

Just about every improvement project from a new kitchen to a full house renovation demands a contingency fund and if you can run up a spread sheet to manage the money — go to it — 15% is a healthy number.

Trust me — saving money and still getting an A1 result is what make the juices flow for seasoned renovators.

Follow up: go to www.consumerhelp.ie

(Competition and Consumer Protection Commission) and use their Budget Planner to calculate your incoming, outgoings, and formulate solid goals.

2. Source beyond highstreet ‘bespoke’

Second hand, showroom examples, slight seconds and salvage — the potential to get even greater quality than you expected takes a sense of adventure, some legwork, and ditching the snobbery of the sparkling, bespoke ‘everything stitched in place’ by a five-star team.

If you can find, for example, a run of suitable kitchen units that is big enough for an independent fitter to cut down and re-shuffle, the savings can be astounding.

Obviously don’t furiously hammer that square peg into a round hole — find what you want, not what will do.

Sticking to standard sizings will always undercut made-to-measure if you want a purely commercial product, but the independent supplier and local craftsman should be given their chance to meet your expectations.

Shop where contractors do, passing up retailer DIY chain outlets for the local builder’s merchant and trades’ outlets tucked away in industrial estates for materials, lighting, plumbing, and electrics.

Even with the VAT at 23%, the prices can reach down to wholesale levels.

Follow up: If you have a favourite brand in kitchens or bathrooms, contact their showroom directly about floor-sales of demonstration pieces.

Keep an eye on selling sites.

3. Mix the modestly great with the gorgeous

Combining cheaper and more expensive elements can be just about undetectable —good layout, honest materials, and seamless fitting is what marks out a great kitchen.

A good structurally tough, stable carcass will be largely the same wherever you get it.

Concentrate the money on what you see — doors, drawers, tiling, and counters.

Micro-managing storage pieces can double the price of a unit — see what’s available after-market to fit yourself.

Make quality your baseline as much as possible.

Cheap paint has a weedy pigment content — it’s a false, economy.

Even top tile houses have an area of the floor given over to ends of lines — a few square metres of a large order.

Imagine what you could do with an indulgent feature splash-back in the bathroom at 25% its original RRP?

No money for a huge rug? Have a remnant or great carpet whip-stitched for a fraction of the price.

Easter is a good time to gather materials in DIY suppliers’ sales.

Follow up: Inspirational reading.

Pick up a pile of Selfbuild & Improve (Ireland) magazines at your largest local library and take time to read the features on individual projects.

Most demonstrate clever integration of the bargain and the investment thing in every room.

4. Make a plan and stick, stick, stick

There’s a phrase in every estimate that jangles the nerves of the most granite faced builder and it should rattle you too — provisional costings (PCs).

Whether you are installing a new stair or putting on an entire extension, it’s vital to know what you want and to bring this down as close as possible to the very last bolt, nail and finish.

Homeowners forget that an individual or team often have to tear into the house to do the work and then ‘make good’ the necessary damage.

Wasted time and grey areas soon equal up to added cost, and shredded relationships.

The very worst extremes of woolly planning will be further tortured by white coat syndrome (where the owner gives unasked for ‘advice’ to trades during the project) or worse still, changes the brief from moment to moment.

Don’t spring the fact you are using the Home Renovation Scheme tax credits on your contractor.

Ensure they are on board, and ready to qualify and file the claim.

If you are claiming an SEAI grant, your supplier and installers must be SEAI approved.

www.Seai.ie

You can download a contract template for your home improvement or building project at a number of websites including www.onlinetradesmen.ie

Have your lawyer look it over for any serious work.

5. Sweat some equity

It’s important to recognise your talents and your limits when it comes to extensive DIY or more comprehensive renovations.

This might be just filling out the cheque, and keep in mind that your work does not qualify for the HRI scheme as you don’t tax yourself bar the bruising.

Generally for all but the calloused warrior, labour is off the table as hands-on contributions to the struggle.

Where you might get down and dirty from the get-go is cleaning up to the skip and the essential ‘tear down’ — taking out built-in units, carpet, tiles, bathroom ware and removing non structural walls (if services are made safe).

If you want speed things along (don’t hire by the hour, by the way, hire by the job) there’s a lot to be said for having all materials on site and the area clean and clear daily for the tradespeople.

Follow up: DIY: Know-how with show-how (2nd edition) by Julian Cassell and Peter Parham, Doring Kindersley, €37.50 (Easons)