ANOTHER week of grey, leaking Irish skies and pallid Irish faces. The summer, which seemed to be suffering a creeping delay, like the worst sort of holiday flight, is now unlikely to arrive at all. There's not much point in hoping, at this late stage, for a home-grown heatwave. Instead, we are hoping, in our thousands, that our friendly travel agent will magic up instant sunshine send us off to blue skies before insanity sets in. The last-minute holiday bargain has never seemed more enticing.
We have all heard spellbinding stories. In late June, a teacher I know flew off at two days' notice for a fortnight of villa luxury in the old Turkish port of Bodrum: total price £180. In July, friends took their three large children to a super Florida hotel for a fortnight for £1,300 - less than half the brochure price. "We always pick up something at the last minute," they said. "We've done it about 10 times and never been let down."
Well, this weekend, last-minute holiday bookers aren't so blithe. A season that began with slow bookings and abundant seats has swung to the opposite extreme, with operators cutting capacity just before gloom about the Irish summer settled like a canopy of grey. "Demand has been frantic for the past three weeks," says Cormac Walsh of Joe Walsh Tours, "and there simply aren't enough seats to bring people to the sun. From now until the middle of September there will be virtually no special offers."
Eugene Corcoran of Budget Travel agrees: "People are scrabbling now to get away, and any holidays that are left will be sold at or very close to the brochure price."
What is the poor, sunstarved sufferer to do? Forget Turkey, Greece and the Canaries, at least until late September, is the consensus, and don't pin too much hope on Spain, Majorca or Portugal either. Instead, think laterally. Look at the brochures again, with an eye for more unusual destinations which may in the end prove more appealing. There may not be too many discount bargains out there, but there are plenty of keenly priced, attractive holidays.
Even long-haul shouldn't be ruled out, for although it may cost you more to reach your destination, lower living costs may mean you end up spending no more in total than on a typical package to the sun. "I've converted a huge amount of European business into long-distance," says Colette Pearson of Silk Road Travel. "You could do a hell of a lot with £1,000 in the Far East."
LA BELLE FRANCE:
After la rentree - that traffic-choked weekend at the end of August when French holiday-makers set off, lemming like, for home - France can be wonderful warm, still, and uncrowded. For anybody who likes the idea of meandering by car, Irish Ferries (tel O1 661 0511, 021 504333 or 053 33158) have a new Autumn Saver Apex for travel August 26th-September 30th: two adults, two children plus car for £382, compared with brochure price of £493; two adults plus car for £308, compared with normal price of £407; shared cabin included. Brittany Ferries also have low September fares between Cork and Roscoff: two adults plus car for £286 return, cabin included.
On the Cote d'Azur, Abbey Travel (tel 01 804 7100) are offering flight and accommodation in a four-star self-catering complex at Mandelieu, just outside Cannes, for £350 for one week, £395 for two weeks (based on two sharing) a substantial reduction on the normal rates of £455 and £635. Nice, return flight only is available for. September 14th, 21st and 28th at £169 instead of £229. USIT (tel 01 679-8833)has a bargain one-way fare to Nice, August 31st and September 7th and 14th, of £59 one-way for anybody under 32 with an International Student Identity Card or European Youth Card, and a steal of £39 one way for InterRail holders. Return flight, open to all, is £159 if you come back by September 14th.
SPAIN IN VAIN?
For the few offers that remain, you're talking mid to late September. Anybody with the use of an apartment will jump at Flyaway Tours flights to Malaga: day flights £185, night flights £165, bookable from Flyaway (tel 01 478 4733) or through Michael Stein Travel (tel 01 478 5707).
Generally, prices being quoted for Costa del Sol packages are similar to those being quoted for Portugal (see below), with a typical saving of just about £40 on the brochure price. If you're interested in something more stimulating and don't mind paying a bit more, consider the Mundi Color range of holidays to the real Spain on offer from Eugene Magee Travel (tel 01 679 3811). You could organise a 10-day fly-drive package including three nights in a 3-star hotel in Seville, and stops in Cordoba, Ronda and Jerez for about £650 in September, less in October. Not a special offer, but what sounds like a pretty special holiday at a good price.
ELUSIVE FAVOURITES
Majorca: parents with pre-school tots (or bigger children whom they're prepared to wrench from the new school term) may do well with a family package. Michael Stein (tel 01 478 5707) have one for two adults, two children in Santa Ponsa with accommodation at the Jardin del Mar with children's complex, September 7th or 14th, for £1,076 for two weeks - a saving of £225.
Portugal: availability is very limited with offers from a variety of sources only marginal improvements on brochure price. Expect to pay about £319
for one week, £369 for two, in self-catering accommodation of reasonable (but not mindblowing) standard.
NOT SO DEAR, AGADIR
Morocco is more exotic than most European hotspots - and on offer at a very special price from Twohigs (tel 01 677 2666): Agadir from £269 for one week, £299 for two, and if you want to swank it up in a 4-star hotel the B & B prices are £349 and £449. There's not much left for early September, but the good news is that departures continue until October 19th.
FLORIDA COCKTAIL
A touch hot and humid, maybe, but not a bad choice: as Americans much prefer to go there for winter sun, late summer prices are low. . . but think hard before committing yourself to a whole fortnight in attraction-heavy Orlando, which could turn out to cost a Disney fortune. Flightfinders (tel 01 676 3811) specialise in mix-and-match holidays with at keen prices: five nights in a 3-star hotel in Orlando, four nights on the West Coast, and four in Palm Beach or Daytona, flights included, for £459.
PARADISE ISLANDS
There aren't many last-minute Caribbean bargains, but sunseekers are jumping at the best remaining brochure holidays; the heavy rains don't strike until November. Joe Walsh Tours (tel 676 0991) reports huge interest in Barbados: five nights in a 3-star, beach-side studio for £659; £19 per extra night. Budget Travel (tel 01 6611866) is heavily booked to Barbados until mid-September, but should have some availability thereafter: prices from £359 per person for a week, £439 for two weeks. World Travel Centre (tel 671 7155) have a late Hayes & Jarvis offer of a week at the highly rated Club Antigua Hotel for z669 ex-London; £949 for two weeks.
THAI HIGH
If you don't mind flying by a slightly roundabout route a change from the brochure flight details, resulting in lower fares - you can have two quiet weeks in the family-run Beach Garden Hotel, right on the sand at Cha-am, for just £489 ex-UK, instead of £622. Available September-November from Merrion Travel (tel 01 676 8000).
EAST AFRICA
It's a good time to go to Kenya - sunny but not scorching. Sandymount Travel (tel 01 668 4399) have starting prices of £535 ex-UK for two weeks in a 3-star hotel; if you're beach-bound, you might like the sound of a 4-star fortnight at Diani, at the far end of Mombasa Beach, for £527 ex-UK
from Merrion Travel (tel 676 8000).
