Celebrate St Patrick’s Day in New England

Seven nights with Virgin Holidays from £562 per person

If you’re looking for somewhere different to celebrate St Patrick’s Day this year then New England is the perfect destination for an unforgettable Spring break. Just a short hop across the Atlantic (six hours flying time), New England is ideal for both short breaks and longer trips, and with its rich Irish heritage, the region plays host to some of the largest St Patrick’s Day celebrations outside Dublin.

Throughout the 19^th and 20^th Centuries Irish men and women sailed across the Atlantic to pursue their dreams of economic prosperity and religious freedom in the great ‘New World. ‘Today, more than 11% of America’s population is believed to have Irish ancestry and the Irish culture and heritage in the region remains the strongest in America An incredible 29 out of the 44 US Presidents are believed to have Irish heritage of varying degrees — dating all the way from George Washington to current President Barack Obama, whose Kansas-born mother is of Irish and English descent.

The city of Boston, in Massachusetts, is the birth place of the US St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, hosting the first ever event in 1737, and today is home to one of the largest parades in the country, which attracts over half a million visitors to the city. The parade, which takes place on March 14^th 2010, begins in the traditionally Irish neighbourhood of South Boston and continues through the heart of the city, entertaining spectators on the way with an array of traditional Irish dancers, marching bands and pipe musicians. Elsewhere in the city, visitors can engage in more Irish history and heritage at the Irish Film Festival, take a trip to the Irish Cultural Centre Open House, or visit the JFK Presidential Library and Museum and celebrate the most famous Irish-American of all, the 35^th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.

No St Patrick’s Day celebration would be complete without a pint of Guinness or two in a traditional Irish Pub. New England boasts its fair share of lively Irish bars in great holiday destinations, including: The Kinsdale and Black Rose in Boston; The Shannon Door in Jackson, New Hampshire;  Patrick’s Pub in Providence, Rhode Island; McGrath’s Irish Pub in Killington, Vermont; and Ri Ra Irish Pub in the coastal city of Portland, Maine.

As well as providing an evocative backdrop for the St Patrick’s Day Celebrations, New England’s vibrant towns and cities offer great shopping opportunities for those hoping to take advantage of the favorable exchange rates on designer clothing, cosmetics and electrical goods.

Holidaymakers wishing to explore the region a little further will benefit from the bright skies and crisp cool March air, which provides ideal conditions for winter pursuits such as skiing, snowboarding, zip-lining and snowmobiling.  Hit the slopes at Mad River Glen, Vermont, on St Patrick’s Day, dressed from head to toe in green, to ski all day for just $17 (approximately £11). And don’t forget – St Patrick’s Day coincides perfectly with the New England Maple Syrup season, allowing visitors to indulge their taste buds with the sweet taste of New England.

For further information about St Patrick’s Day celebrations throughout the six states or for help with planning your New England holiday, please visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977 to request a free brochure and map pack.

Virgin Holidays is offering seven nights in New England over the St Patrick’s Day period from just £562 per person (representing a saving up to £112). The price includes scheduled flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow to Boston, seven nights accommodation at the 3v Merrill Farm Resort Hotel in North Conway, New Hampshire and car hire.  Price based on two adults travelling together and sharing a suite.  Price includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharge which are subject to change.  Price based on departures 10-24 March 2010. Virgin Holidays is a member of ABTA and is ATOL protected.  To book: www.virginholidays.co.uk, 0844 557 3859 or visit one of our 40 stores located in Debenhams and House of Fraser stores nationwide. For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

Bon Voyage is offering a three night city break in New England over St Patrick’s Day from just £559 per person. The price includes return British Airways flights and three nights accommodation at the five-star Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston.  The price is based on two adults travelling together and includes taxes.  For further information and bookings visit www.bon-yoyage.co.uk, email sales@bon-voyage.co.uk or call 0800 316 0191. For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

America As You Like It is offering seven nights in New England over St Patrick’s Day from £810 per person.  The price includes return British Airways flights from London to Boston, seven days economy car hire including all insurance and taxes for one driver, two nights accommodation at the Park Plaza Boston, two nights at the Golden Riverside Inn (near Mad River Glen) Vermont, two nights at the Eagle Mountain House in Jackson, New Hampshire and one night at the Admiral Farragut Inn in Newport, Rhode Island.  For reservations please call 020 8742 8299 or visit www.americaasyoulikeit.com sales@americaasyoulikeit.com. For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

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Media enquiries:

Jardine Chalkly
McCluskey International
0208 237 7979
NewEngland@mccluskey.co.uk

Travel trade and other consumer enquiries:

Jardine Chalkly
McCluskey International
0208 237 7977
NewEngland@mccluskey.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Discover New England is the marketing body responsible for promoting the six eastern most US states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, known collectively as New England, to the travel trade and consumer in the UK, Ireland and Germany.

New England offers family fun for February half-term

Seven nights from £649 per adult and £599 per child with Bon Voyage

For families wishing to get away and explore somewhere new this February half-term, there is no better place to go than the six states of New England.  Go skiing, snowboarding, and ziplining through snowy tree tops, or explore covered bridges, skate on frozen ponds and sample the newest ice cream flavours at the Ben & Jerry’s Factory. There is something available to suit all tastes and ages in New England

New England is also the fascinating historical corner of the USA and offers a plethora of cultural and educational experiences.  Interesting historical adventures include Boston’s Freedom Trail, which retraces the significant events and sights leading up to the American Revolution, and Boston’s Children’s Museum where families will find engaging interactive exhibits.  Other top family attractions include Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, where children and adults have the opportunity to come face to face with Beluga whales, and the Newport Mansions in Rhode Island, which offer a glimpse into the lives of America’s high-society during the Gilded Age.

The cosy clapboard inns, for which New England is renowned, provide the perfect haven for tired parents and worn out children looking to kick back and relax.  The combination of warm hospitality, delicious home cooked meals, roaring log fires and bubbling hot tubs will leave even the most exhausted of parents feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Here is a selection of some of the best value family packages to New England currently available for the February half-term week:

Bon Voyage is offering seven nights in New England during the February half-term from just £649 per adult and £599 per child (from £2,496 for family of four). The price includes return Virgin Atlantic flights to Boston, seven days car hire and seven nights accommodation including two nights at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston, four nights at the Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont, and one night at the Newport Beach Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island.  The prices are based on two adults and two children travelling together.  For further information and bookings visit www.bon-yoyage.co.uk, email sales@bon-voyage.co.uk or call 0800 316 0191.  For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

British Airways offers a 7 night stay in New England from £2505 for a family of four based on 13 February 2010 departures. The price includes return BA flights from Heathrow, Avis inclusive car hire for the full duration, three nights room only at the 4* Back Bay Hotel in Boston, two nights room only at the 3* Comfort Inn and Suites in Burlington, Vermont, and two nights room only at the 3* Eagle Mountain House in Jackson, New Hampshire. The price is based on two adults and two children (age 2-11) sharing and up to two children stay free at each hotel.  For reservations visit ba.com/boston or call 0844 4930758.  For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

America As You Like It offers seven nights in New England from £995 per adult and £455 per child based on 13 February 2010 departures (from £2,900 for family of four).  The price includes return British Airways flights to Boston, five days 4 wheel drive rental, three nights at the Hilton Back Bay in Boston, two nights at the Inn at Mill Falls in Meredith, New Hampshire, and two nights at the Grey Fox Inn in Stowe, Vermont.  The priced is based on two adults and two children (2-11 years) travelling together and sharing a family room.  Prices subject to availability at time of booking.  For further information and bookings visit www.americaasyoulikeit.com or call 020 8742 8299.  For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

Virgin Holidays offers seven nights in New England from £2,900 for a family of four based on 14 February 2010 departures.  The price includes return Virgin Atlantic flights to Boston, car hire and seven nights accommodation at the 3V Grey Bonnet Inn, Killington, Vermont on a bed and breakfast basis.  Price is based on two adults and two children travelling together and sharing a standard room.  Price includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change.  For further information and bookings visit www.virginholidays.co.uk or call 0844 557 3870.  For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

-Ends-

Media enquiries:

Jardine Chalkly
McCluskey International
0208 237 7979
NewEngland@mccluskey.co.uk

Travel trade and other consumer enquiries:

Jardine Chalkly
McCluskey International
0208 237 7977
NewEngland@mccluskey.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Discover New England is the marketing body responsible for promoting the six eastern most US states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, known collectively as New England, to the travel trade and consumer in the UK, Ireland and Germany.

New England’s culinary delights

Maple Sugaring adventures from £895 per person with New England Vacations

The New England region of the USA offers a wealth of natural culinary delights from fresh lobsters, clams and scallops to wild blueberries, cranberries and pumpkins.  However, for those with a sweet tooth, there is no better time to visit than during March and April for New England’s “Maple Sugaring Season”.

The North Eastern corner of the United States is one of the few places in the world with an ideal climate for the growth of sugar maple trees which yield sweet maple syrup. In cold climate areas, these trees store sugar in their roots before the winter and the sap, which rises in the spring, can be tapped and concentrated. The New England state of Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the USA, generating over four million litres per season, while Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island are collectively the second largest.  For visitors, maple syrup is often a morning delicacy served over pancakes, waffles and French toast in New England’s cosy bed and breakfast inns.

Dotted throughout New England are many traditional “sugar shacks” – wooden huts with louvered tin roofs to vent steam as the sap is boiled down to syrup (it takes approximately 40 litres of sap to get one litre of syrup!).  Visitors can smell the sweet scent from miles away.

Spring travellers to New England states can visit these sugar shacks during open house days to see the maple sugaring process up close, sample the many different varieties of maple syrup, and delight in the mouth watering New England institution “sugar on snow”.

“Sugar on snow” is made by pouring hot maple syrup onto cones of fresh snow.  As the maple syrup quickly cools, it turns into chewy toffee-like sweet that is simply delicious. Other maple syrup treats include pure maple sugar, maple toffee, maple cream and maple fudge. Although the maple season usually finishes in April, many “sugar shacks” remain open throughout the year to visitors wishing to purchase pure maple products.

A dedicated maple sugaring visitor map, which contains the location of all sugar shacks and their opening times, has been developed by the state of Vermont.  The map also provides details of the annual Vermont Maple Festival which takes place in St Albans from April 30 to May 02 2010. To request a copy, please visit:www.vermontmaple.org.

For information on maple sugaring tours in other states, visit:

• Connecticut: http://www.ctmaple.org/
• Maine: http://www.mainemapleproducers.com/
• Massachusetts: http://www.massmaple.org/
• New Hampshire: http://www.nhmapleproducers.com/
• Rhode Island: http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/agricult/pdf/risweets.pdf

For further information about maple sugaring throughout the six states or for help with planning your New England holiday, please visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977 to request a free brochure and map pack.

New England Vacations offer many fly drive packages throughout New England including the eight day “Boston and Beyond” from £895 per person including return flights to Boston, car hire and seven nights accommodation.  The price is based on two adults travelling together and is valid on various departure dates in February and March.  For further information and bookings visit www.vacationsgroup.co.uk or call 01582 469 771. For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

America As You Like It is offering its 14 night “Complete New England” package from just £1105 per person.  The price includes return British Airways flights from Heathrow to Boston, car hire, two nights Boston, one night Freeport, Maine, two nights Bar Harbor, Maine, two nights Jackson,  New Hampshire, one night Stowe, Vermont, one night Woodstock, Vermont, one night Lenox, Massachusetts, one night Mystic, Connecticut, one night Newport, Rhode Island, two nights Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  The price is based on two adults sharing and is valid on various departure dates throughout March and April.  Prices subject to availability at time of booking.  For further information and bookings visit www.americaasyoulikeit.com or call 020 8742 8299.  For a free New England brochure and map pack visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk or call 020 8237 7977.

- ENDS -

Media enquiries:

Jardine Chalkly
McCluskey International
0208 237 7979
NewEngland@mccluskey.co.uk

Travel trade and other consumer enquiries:

Jardine Chalkly
McCluskey International
0208 237 7977
NewEngland@mccluskey.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Discover New England is the marketing body responsible for promoting the six eastern most US states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, known collectively as New England, to the travel trade and consumer in the UK, Ireland and Germany.