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Orlando's recommendation was spot on. We were very impressed with the choice of hotel location and service.

Juliette Yard Visited Kos Town | Posted on 21 Jun | Stayed at Ikos Aria

Airport assistance there and back excellent. Thanks

Marvyn Slater Visited Chania | Posted on 21 Jun | Stayed at Grecotel LUXME White

Jack went above and beyond the call of duty in helping us over such a small booking. Thank you

David Pease Visited Norway | Posted on 21 Jun | Stayed at Clarion Hotel The Edge

Thank you. All happened as planned. We had a great trip.

Jane Clements Visited Dubrovnik | Posted on 21 Jun | Stayed at Heritage Grand Perast Hotel

Excellent company. Mason is very knowledgeable and friendly but whoever answers the phone is helpful, makes you feel confident to book a holiday

Deborah Raven Visited Kerkyra | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at Ikos Odisia

Excellent choice of hotel

James Trotter Visited Florence | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at The James Suite Hotel

The service from Ian was excellent. There was a quick response and a good selection of hotels. The comms were great and it was lovely to have a call before the trip. Booking with DialAFlight takes the hassle away with a trusted service.

Jasbir Bains Visited Verona | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at Palace Hotel Desenzano

Only issue our return transfer from the hotel to airport was cancelled

Stuart Bateman Visited Thessaloniki | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at Sani Beach

Wonderful to be able to book flights and choose baggage options while talking to a real person

Gila Falkus Visited Valletta | Posted on 20 Jun

We were supposed to be going to Madeira (booked independently) but couldn’t land so were flown back to Birmingham - round trip of 22 hours. One phone to Ashley got us a new destination and holiday. Outstanding customer service from him as always.

Judith Limbrick Visited Faro | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at Pine Cliffs Residence, a Luxury Collection Resort

I have used DialAFlight for my last 2 holidays, they are very helpful and professional. Kennedy does a fantastic job and I would highly recommend her services.

Michelle Smith Visited Bourgas | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at SOL Luna Bay

Slightly different car to expected but overall an excellent experience. The accommodation was in an area we really enjoyed. Thank you for doing such a good job

Sally Watson Visited Bastia | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at La Résidence Santa Maria

Useless BA didn't fail to disappoint. Their seats were as crammed as Ryanair and, although they had loaded drinks and food, as their credit/debit card reader broke down, they couldn't sell anything to passengers and refused to accept cash. BA are now even worse than Ryanair but many times more expensive.

Neil Glass Visited Copenhagen | Posted on 20 Jun

As always Mark didn’t let me down. He recommended our hotel and it was better than we could have hoped for.

Wendy Butterworth Visited Tenerife | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama

All went to plan.

Richard Warrington Visited Toulouse | Posted on 20 Jun

Marco and Joey are brilliant!

Anita Dwyer Visited Thessaloniki | Posted on 20 Jun | Stayed at Sani Dunes

Great service and after care which is so valuable. Along with being able to speak to someone if I need to check anything out. Brilliant!

Alison Reid Visited Venice | Posted on 19 Jun

I always use DialAFlight. Never let me down and a top class service and support

Gary Turner Visited Frankfurt | Posted on 19 Jun

Mason has delivered yet again; can’t fault the service

Michael Coles Visited Santorini | Posted on 19 Jun | Stayed at Suites Of The Gods

I always recommend you

Annette Wildeman Visited Valencia | Posted on 19 Jun

Marie was fantastic from start to finish. 5* amazing

Marie Ransom Visited Nice | Posted on 19 Jun | Stayed at Aparthotel Adagio Nice Promenade des Anglais

Another lovely short break. Thanks

Nicholas Lucy Visited Prague | Posted on 19 Jun | Stayed at Hotel Grandium Prague

Lux Air was awful. They delayed departure 30 minutes (technical problem) before we were herded onto a coach and then driven out to the plane. We were then left 30 minutes on the coach fully loaded on one of the hottest days so far. We were then allowed on the plane which was hotter than the coach where we sat for a further 20/30 minutes.

Nicholas Wilkinson Visited Luxembourg | Posted on 18 Jun

Superb personal customer service, would highly recommend DialAFlight

Graeme Lockwood Visited Heraklion | Posted on 18 Jun | Stayed at Grecotel LUXME White

We will certainly use DialAFlight again.

Violanto Rallia Visited Athens | Posted on 18 Jun

Dealing with DialAFlight is a pleasure. It’s like booking your holiday through a family member. Staff are quick to answer your call and give you peace of mind that if you require help when away, they are there for you. An excellent company with traditional old fashioned principles. A must for a worry free holiday.

Vivienne Stokes Visited Mahon | Posted on 18 Jun | Stayed at Valentin Star Hotel

As always, top class and everything worked out perfectly

Adam Bergman Visited Larnaca | Posted on 18 Jun | Stayed at Four Seasons Hotel

Reid Marshall was absolutely excellent

Ralph Foljambe Visited Nice | Posted on 18 Jun | Stayed at Villa Victoria

Yet again, you came up trumps. A delightful boutique hotel in the tiny streets of Hanai. Lovely country, lovely food and people, couldn’t have gone better. Thank you

Jerry Williams Visited Chania | Posted on 17 Jun | Stayed at Porto Del Colombo

Ray is absolutely brilliant. Having had two health scares he’s sorted everything for us for two trips to Greece. I would only ever book holidays through him now

Victoria Hamilton Visited Kerkyra | Posted on 17 Jun | Stayed at Corfu Imperial, A Grecotel Resort to Live

Europe Offers 65

Europe Reviews 10855

Europe Fly-Drives 12

Basque Beauty!

Like a mini-Rio, San Sebastián is a feast for the eyes and a feast for the tastebuds, as Martin Symington discovered...

Reaching the top of a twisting trail through the forests of Monte Urgull, I suddenly saw why the city below is sometimes compared with Rio de Janeiro.

From the rocky crest, a giant statue of Christ opens his arms, blessing San Sebastian. At his feet lie golden scallops of urban beach, sandwiched between green pinnacles rising from a vast natural harbour.

This is the setting for the Basque city on the Bay of Biscay, chosen (jointly with Wroclaw in Poland) to be European Capital of Culture 2016.

It is hard to ignore the twinkling of Michelin stars in Spain's foodie capital – that's what the city is known the world over for. More about the grub in a moment, but I was here to taste some of the other cultural delicacies of San Sebastian, or Donostia as it is known in the Basque language.

San Sebastian is famed for its mouthwatering pintxo, seen here at Bar Zeruko

The seaside town has been attracting cultured sophisticates ever since the Spanish royal family made it their summer base in the 19th century. Alluring art nouveau hotels and mansions soon became the rivals of fellow Basque resort Biarritz across the French border but just 20 kilometres away.

Since the Fifties the cream of Hollywood have been drawn here by the annual September film festival, which is artier and more compact than glitzy Cannes, according to the cognoscenti. And for half a century the July San Sebastian jazz fortnight has been drawing grandees of the music world.

The length of the city's coast is fringed by a boardwalk, starting at the surfers' Zurriola beach, then skirting the Urgull peninsula headland to La Concha bay, which must rank as one of the world's top urban beaches.

The esplanade rounds a horseshoe of golden sand more than a mile long, facing dark green Santa Clara islet. As I strolled along, the stirring echoes I felt of Rio's Copacabana beach amplified as I neared the rearing Monte Igueldo headland.

Monte Igueldo headland at the end of a sweeping bay

The old quarter, I found, is as walkable as the sea-fringe. A grid of narrow streets pedestrianised from noon onwards (after the vans delivering food have gone), is relieved by open spaces such as Plaza de la Constitucion, where windows have seat numbers dating from when the square was used as a bullring.

There is a neo-Gothic cathedral and some fine, older churches. However, the way to observe the town's purest religion is to eat. Pintxos – the version of tapas that Basques take to dizzy heights of delicacy – are the order of the day (and night).

Visually appetising and elaborate San Sebastian pintxo

People swarm to sniff out morsels of edible art including dishes such as chipirones en equilibrio (squid, patterned with caramel filigree).

As I tried to walk off my gastronomic indulgence by hiking up Monte Urgull, I concluded that the Rio-like panorama was as visually appetising as the most elaborate San Sebastian pintxo.

First published in the Daily Mail - July 2016

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