XL Holidays, a new Irish tour operator, will be offering exclusive packages to the Greek islands of Santorini and Skiathos in their summer 2007 brochure.

Also in the brochure is the Algarve, Salou, Costa Dorada, Mallorca, Lanzorote, Cyprus and Bulgaria. Prices for Santorini and Skiathos start at Euro299, based on two people sharing, selfcatering, for one week.

Visit www. xl. com or call 0818 220 220 or contact your local travel agent.

Go Mandarin with Malev

Dublin or Cork to Beijing with Malev Airlines via Budapest for Euro435 including taxes and fuel surcharges. Twenty-one days advance purchase required.

Maximum of 14 nights.

Log on to www. malev. com or call 0818-55 55 77.

New Portuguese offers from Stein

Stein Travel has just launched their 2007 summer brochure. Newly included is the five-star resort of Le Meridien Penina, which is situated between the historic town of Lagos and the fishing port of Portimao.

Facilities include four restaurants, three bars, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a health and beauty centre, a floodlit tennis court and three golf courses. Book online at www. steintravel. ie, locall 1890 408 408.

Stay cool in Finland

Lonely Planet has voted Finland one of the 10 places to visit in 2007. The Mammut Snow Hotel in Kemi was named the most eccentric place to stay in the world, whilst the Polar Lights were listed as the world's most amazing natural phenomena.

Lonely Planet introduces Finland as a "cool zone of design and fashion in Helsinki, surrounded by remote wilderness areas - Finland is a breath of fresh air on a European adventure."

For more information log on to www. visitfinland. com

Italy covered from head to toe

Topflight's new Italy brochure covers every inch of the country from Lake Garda in the north to the island of Sicily off the south coast, and from the beach resorts of Lido di Jesolo, Grado and Bibione on the Adriatic to the Tuscan resorts on the Mediterranean.

New in 2007 will be a direct flight from Cork to Rome, luxury wine tours, and Puglia in the south.

Call Topflight on 01 240 1700 or your local travel agent.

Dublin airport hits new high

Just after noon on Friday 8 December, the 20 millionth passenger of the year went through Dublin airport - five times the entire population of Ireland. Up to 122 airlines service over 160 destinations from the airport. Just 10 years ago, a lonely nine million passengers passed through.

Azores open up for Ireland

New for the Irish holidaymaker in 2007 will be the mid-Atlantic Portuguese islands of the Azores. The nine islands are three and a half hours from Dublin. Sao Miguel, the largest island, is renowned for its flowers and green landscapes, its large scenic lakes and the vibrant city of Ponta Delgado. For more information visit www. sunway. ie or call 01 288 68 28 In association with Abroad magazine and www. abroad. ie