Get sun alerts

Every destination, rated honestly

Direct from Irish airports, scored out of seven blue dots. Pick your airport.

Flying from

What are you after?

Bit romantic direct from Dublin Clear

Lanzarote

Spain · 4h direct25°6/713° warmerthan home9/10Worth the bother? Go on so.“Looks like the moon, feels like July. Half of Carlow is on your flight.”

Marrakech

Morocco · 3h 35m direct28°7/716° warmerthan home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Souks, spice, rooftop sunsets and snake charmers. A full-on assault on the senses, in the best way.”

Tenerife

Spain · 4h 20m direct26°7/714° warmerthan home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Guaranteed sun. You will meet someone you went to school with.”

Paphos

Cyprus · 5h direct25°6/713° warmerthan home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“Sun nearly all year, mosaics older than your granny’s granny and a sea that stays warm into November.”

Majorca

Spain · 2h 30m direct19°7/77° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Mountains, coves and a cathedral that shows off. Something for everyone, including the stag in seat 14C.”

Barcelona

Spain · 2h 20m direct18°6/76° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Gaudí, tapas and a beach in the city. Mind your phone on Las Ramblas.”

Lisbon

Portugal · 2h 40m direct22°6/710° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Gorgeous, cheap-ish and built entirely on hills. Bring the good runners.”

Madeira

Portugal · 3h 40m direct23°6/711° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Spring all year, cliffs everywhere and walks along water channels. Not a beach island, and that is fine.”

Seville

Spain · 2h 45m direct25°6/713° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Flamenco, orange trees and the best tapas in Spain. Do not go in August unless you enjoy being roasted.”

Cancún and the Riviera Maya

Mexico · 10h 45m direct24°7/712° warmerthan home5/10Worth the bother? Ah… maybe.“White sand, turquoise sea, Mayan ruins and swimming in cenotes. Long flight, worth it.”

Rome

Italy · 2h 55m direct16°7/74° warmerthan home5/10Worth the bother? Ah… maybe.“Three thousand years of history and the best pasta of your life. You will walk 20,000 steps and regret nothing.”

Corfu

Greece · 3h 30m direct20°6/78° warmerthan home4/10Worth the bother? Think about it.“Green hills, blue water and a Venetian old town. The Greek island for people who like trees.”

Nice and the Riviera

France · 2h 20m direct19°6/77° warmerthan home4/10Worth the bother? Think about it.“Pebbles instead of sand, rosé instead of water and Monaco a bus ride away. Very civilised.”

Porto

Portugal · 2h 15m direct23°6/711° warmerthan home4/10Worth the bother? Think about it.“Port wine, pretty bridges and a riverside built for long lunches. Your legs will remember the hills.”

Istanbul

Turkiye · 4h 25m direct20°7/78° warmerthan home3/10Worth the bother? I wouldn’t.“One of the great cities of the world, and closer than you think. Go.”

Tuscany and Pisa

Italy · 2h 40m direct14°7/72° warmerthan home3/10Worth the bother? I wouldn’t.“Florence, Siena, rolling hills and cypress trees. Yes, it really does look like that.”

Venice

Italy · 2h 35m direct17°7/75° warmerthan home3/10Worth the bother? I wouldn’t.“Unreal. Absolutely unreal. Also absolutely heaving, so get up early.”

Budapest

Hungary · 2h 50m direct10°7/72° colderthan home2/10Worth the bother? Would ya bother?“Thermal baths, ruin bars and the Danube lit up at night. Two cities for the price of one.”

Salzburg and the Austrian Alps

Austria · 2h 30m direct7°7/75° colderthan home2/10Worth the bother? Would ya bother?“Mozart, The Sound of Music and ski slopes an hour away. Winter wonderland or summer meadows.”

Paris

France · 1h 40m direct12°6/7Same as home2/10Worth the bother? Would ya bother?“Yes, it is as good as the films. Yes, the coffee is dear. No, you do not have to climb the Eiffel Tower.”

Vienna

Austria · 2h 45m direct8°6/74° colderthan home2/10Worth the bother? Would ya bother?“Palaces, cake and coffee houses. The most civilised city in Europe, with Christmas markets to match.”

Prague

Czechia · 2h 15m direct7°7/75° colderthan home1/10Worth the bother? Stay where you are.“Castles, bridges and beer cheaper than water. Possibly the most beautiful city you can reach in two hours.”

Amsterdam

Netherlands · 1h 30m direct13°5/71° warmerthan home1/10Worth the bother? Stay where you are.“Canals, museums and 800,000 bikes, all of them coming straight for you. Look both ways. Twice.”

Lapland

Finland · 3h 20m direct1°7/711° colderthan home0/10Worth the bother? Cop on.“Santa, reindeer and the Northern Lights. Pricey, magical, and the kids will never forget it.”

Reykjavík and Iceland

Iceland · 2h 40m direct10°7/72° colderthan home0/10Worth the bother? Cop on.“Northern Lights, geysers and hot springs. Colder than Kerry, and somehow even more dramatic.”

Tallinn

Estonia · 3h 05m direct8°6/74° colderthan home0/10Worth the bother? Cop on.“A fairytale old town at stag-party prices. Go before the secret is out. Ah, it is out.”

Vilnius

Lithuania · 2h 55m direct7°5/75° colderthan home0/10Worth the bother? Cop on.“A baroque old town nobody talks about, with prices that make you order dessert.”

Wish you were here?

The Sun Alert

One email when it's grim at home and somewhere direct is sunny and sound. No spam, one-click unsubscribe. Mammy's honour.