The greatest free show in Britain has opened again - Blackpool Illuminations. Running from now until November 5th, the Illuminations, which stretch for six miles along the promenade, were turned on by our very own boys, Westlife. . The Pleasure Beach has more than 145 rides, including the new Valhalla - a six-minute journey, part water, part roller coaster, which bombards the senses. Every night there is a wide selection of shows to attend, and overall Blackpool is very inexpensive. Getting to Blackpool is easy, with direct flights from Dublin every day, or take a package with Irish Ferries or Stena Line. You can see what's on in Blackpool on www.blackpooltourism.com.
In recent years Ryan Hotels have branched out with hotels in London, Brussels, Amsterdam and Hamburg. During the autumn they will have some exclusive two-night packages that include flights to the Hyde Park Hotel in London and Le Belson Hotel in Brussels. The London package will include tickets on the Heathrow Express train and cost £179 midweek and £199 at the weekend. A trip to Brussels will cost just £189. This package is also available from Belfast for £189 sterling. In the Memphis Hotel in Amsterdam, rooms cost £35 per person sharing per night in November and December, and two nights' accommodation in the Carat Hotel in Hamburg cost £89 per person. Information and reservations from 1850-777 777.
The Belfast Festival at Queens will run from October 27th to November 12th, and the variety of events planned - from dance and music to visual arts and comedy is extensive. Copies of the programme are available from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board at 18 Nassau Street, Dublin 2 or 1850-230 230. The box office can be contacted at 048-90 66 55 77 or view the website at www.belfastfestival.com.
The three-day Wicklow Mountains Autumn Walking Festival will take place from October 27th-29th at Glendalough, an excellent base for the nine walks as it is surrounded by outstanding natural scenery. There will also be a night hike on the Friday with David Moore from Astronomy Ireland. There is a special offer of £20 for a full three-day walking pass or £8 for a one-day pass for walks pre-booked before October 20th. Walks booked on the day will cost £10 per person. Details from Wicklow County Tourism, St Manntan's House, Kilmantin Hill, Wicklow Town, 0404-66058 or e-mail wctr@iol.ie.
Joan Scales can be contacted at jscales@irish-times.ie