The Irish Times Travel Service

Holidays designed to inspire

Since 1999, The Irish Times Travel Service has been creating memorable holidays for readers who want to experience more from their travels. Working with a select group of trusted travel specialists — Institute for CultureTravel / Keith Prowse, GTI and Travel Escapes — we bring together decades of expertise to offer an exciting collection of carefully curated holidays across Ireland, the UK, Europe and further afield. Whether your passion is opera and classical music, history and culture, river and ocean cruising, theatre, or discovering the character of a great city, our holidays are designed to take you beyond the ordinary. Stay in carefully selected, centrally located hotels. Explore with knowledgeable local guides. Discover fascinating places through thoughtfully planned tours and excursions. And, above all, enjoy the reassurance of travelling on an itinerary where the details have been taken care of for you. Sail through some of Europe’s most beautiful landscapes on a river cruise, discover new destinations on an ocean voyage, walk in the footsteps of history on an expert-led battlefield tour, experience a spectacular West End production, or immerse yourself in the art, architecture and culture of one of the world’s great cities.

Wherever you choose to go, The Irish Times Travel Service makes the journey part of the experience.

Institute for CultureTravel

Exceptional journeys for lovers of opera, ballet and classical music

For travellers with a passion for the performing arts, Institute for CultureTravel (IFC) is the specialist opera, ballet and classical music travel provider for The Irish Times Travel Service.

IFC creates exceptional cultural holidays centred around some of the world’s great performances, venues and artistic destinations.

Imagine an evening at the Vienna State Opera, experiencing music in Salzburg, enjoying opera beneath the stars in Verona, discovering the great musical heritage of Leipzig and Dresden, or combining world-class performances with the galleries, museums, architecture and history of cities such as Milan, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, London and New York.

Every IFC journey is carefully curated to make the experience as enjoyable and seamless as possible. Holidays typically include flights, transfers, centrally located accommodation, expert guides, guided tours and excursions, alongside carefully selected performances and cultural experiences.

It is this combination of outstanding music, fascinating destinations and meticulous attention to detail that makes an IFC holiday so special.

Driven by a genuine love of opera, ballet, classical music, art and culture, IFC has been a proud partner of The Irish Times Travel Service since its inception in 1999.

For added peace of mind, Institute for CultureTravel is a member of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) and is fully licensed and bonded, giving our guests the reassurance of booking with an established and trusted Irish travel provider.

For those who love the arts, these are more than holidays. They are experiences to remember.

Travel with confidence

For complete peace of mind, all travel partners are fully licensed and bonded in accordance with the relevant Irish travel regulations.