Every destination, rated honestly

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

Flying from

What are you after?

Anywhere warmer than here direct from Dublin Clear

Doha

Qatar · 7h 05m direct34°5/722° warmerthan home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“Winter sun with skyscrapers and a very good museum. Do not go in July.”

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates · 7h 20m direct33°6/721° warmerthan home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“Dubai’s calmer, richer cousin. Guaranteed winter sun, theme parks and a mosque you won’t forget.”

Dubai

United Arab Emirates · 7h 40m direct32°5/720° warmerthan home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“Winter sun turned up to eleven. Skyscrapers, beaches and a mall with an aquarium.”

Cairo

Egypt · 5h 30m direct31°5/719° warmerthan home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“The pyramids are every bit as good as you think. The traffic is every bit as bad.”

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.”

Gran Canaria

Spain · 4h 15m direct27°6/715° warmerthan home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Sand dunes, a proper city and sun on demand. Like a continent squashed into an island.”

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.”

Miami

USA · 9h 40m direct26°6/714° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Art Deco, South Beach and Cuban coffee. Warm when Ireland is miserable, which is often.”

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.”

Fuerteventura

Spain · 4h 10m direct25°6/713° warmerthan home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Endless beaches and a breeze that never clocks off. Bring a book, not a hairdryer.”

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.”

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.”

Málaga

Spain · 2h 55m direct23°6/711° warmerthan home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“A proper city with a beach attached. Tapas portions are not a meal.”

Antalya

Turkey · 4h 55m direct23°7/711° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Ancient ruins, a cracking old town and resort hotels the size of villages. Sun guaranteed.”

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.”

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.”

Faro and the Algarve

Portugal · 2h 45m direct22°6/710° warmerthan home8/10Worth the bother? Sure why not.“Golf, grilled fish and a sunburnt man from Mullingar. Grand.”

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.”

Alicante

Spain · 2h 40m direct21°6/79° warmerthan home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“Sun, sea and a castle on the hill. Benidorm is down the road if you are feeling brave.”

Murcia and the Costa Cálida

Spain · 2h 50m direct21°6/79° warmerthan home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“The Mar Menor, endless golf and sunshine that rarely takes a day off. Retirees know something.”

Valencia

Spain · 2h 40m direct21°6/79° warmerthan home7/10Worth the bother? Worth a look.“Paella’s home town, a city beach and futuristic buildings. Like Barcelona without the elbows.”

Crete

Greece · 4h 05m direct20°7/78° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Big enough for a fortnight, beautiful enough for a lifetime. The food alone is worth the flight.”

Athens

Greece · 4h 15m direct20°6/78° warmerthan home5/10Worth the bother? Ah… maybe.“The Acropolis, rooftop bars and souvlaki at midnight. Ancient history with a great night out attached.”

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.”

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.”

Tirana

Albania · 3h 35m direct20°6/78° warmerthan home3/10Worth the bother? I wouldn’t.“Croatia’s beaches at half the price, before everyone else copped on.”

Ibiza

Spain · 2h 35m direct19°5/77° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Yes, the clubs. But also quiet coves, good food and sunsets that make grown adults clap.”

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.”

Malta

Malta · 3h 30m direct19°5/77° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“They drive on the left and speak English. Wexford with sun and 7,000 years of history.”

Orlando

USA · 9h 30m direct19°6/77° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Theme parks, sunshine and outlet shopping. Your wallet will need a holiday after the holiday.”

Salou and the Costa Dorada

Spain · 2h 30m direct19°6/77° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“Golden beaches, PortAventura rollercoasters and chips if you want them. Families, this is your spot.”

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.”

Split

Croatia · 2h 55m direct19°6/77° warmerthan home3/10Worth the bother? I wouldn’t.“People live inside a Roman emperor’s palace. The islands are right there. Your camera roll will be full.”

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.”

Rhodes

Greece · 4h 20m direct18°6/76° warmerthan home6/10Worth the bother? Could be tempted.“A medieval walled city, a clifftop acropolis and 300 days of sun. The knights had taste.”

Izmir

Turkiye · 4h 20m direct17°6/75° warmerthan home5/10Worth the bother? Ah… maybe.“Turkey without the all-inclusive wristband. Proper city, proper food, beaches up the road.”

Madrid

Spain · 2h 35m direct17°6/75° warmerthan home5/10Worth the bother? Ah… maybe.“Late dinners, world-class art and a city that never seems to go to bed. Your liver will need a siesta.”

Shanghai

China · 11h 30m direct17°5/75° warmerthan home3/10Worth the bother? I wouldn’t.“A long, long flight to a very big, very good city. Bring a charger and a plan.”

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.”

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.