5 Last-Minute European Getaways You Can Book For Paddy’s Day

mariemadden

There’s a lot to love about St Patrick’s Day.

It’s a celebration of our culture, heading to the parade can be a good laugh… and, we all get an extra day of work. Hallelujah!

If you’ve been dying for a little holiday, this is a great opportunity because March 17 falls on a Friday, giving us a nice three-day break away from the office.

You’re not going to find a bargain €20 flight at the last minute but there are still some reasonable offers available online for a little European jaunt.

Check these out…

Edinburgh

This is one very cool city, with tons of history, interesting architecture and things to do. Sample some top-quality whiskey at the Scotch Whiskey Experience, visit Edinburgh Castle, do some exploring through the winding streets. There’s a sizable Irish community over there too so if you want to fit in some Paddy’s Day celebrations, there’ll be serious craic in the Irish pubs.

Aer Lingus has flights leaving Thursday and returning on Sunday for €172 and there are some fab rooms on AirBnB from €50 a night.

Manchester

This is one of the UK’s most underrated cities, in our humble opinion, as it has brilliant shopping options, lively nightlife and a seriously good food scene.

There’s a ton of art galleries and museums, as well as the excellent Police Museum, Levonshulme Market and the John Rylands Library. Not to mention Old Trafford and a wealth of independent music stores. If you need some guidance, we’ve got a website for that!

Aer Lingus has return flights Thursday-Sunday for €189 and you’ll get a hotel room in the city centre for under €100.

Dusseldorf

It may not be as well-known as a tourist destination as Berlin or Munich but when you’re booking with just a few days to go, you gotta be flexible! Dusseldorf is situated on the River Rhine and is regarded as a hub for art and fashion. The Konigsalle is an absolute must-see – often described as Germany’s ‘most elegant avenue’ – and the Baroque Palace is definitely worth the ten-minute commute from the city centre.

Aer Lingus has flights Thurs-Sunday for €162 and there are city centre hotels under the €100 mark on Hotels.com.

Barcelona

If you love your food, you have to go to Barcelona at least once, as you could happily fill a weekend just by strolling from one tapas bar to the next sampling the local delicacies. The city is dotted with incredible landmarks by Gaudi, there’s a zoo, the Montjuïc mountain is the perfect hike and there’s loads of amazing music venues to check out.

Aer Lingus has direct flights Thursday to Sunday for €212 and there’s tons of accommodation options on AirBnB.

Krakow

This polish city is home to one of the most beautiful squares in Europe – Renek Glwony – which is a great place to start your trip with a traditional Polish breakfast. The Wawel Castle is well worth a visit and there are free walking tours that will help you soak up the Polish culture. Make sure to sample some of their amazing vodka before you come home!

Lastminute.com has packages including flight and a four-star hotel from Thursday to Sunday from €550.