Great Escapes: Smart travel, a Stork Exchange, and in-room takeaways...

Dubliner Olivia Typrowicz, her husband Bartek and their children Anya (5) and Nicholas (2). The couple run The Stork Exchange at Dublin Airport.

Heated terrace at the Gibson Hotel

The Rocky Mountaineer

One of the rooms in Mulranny Park, Mayo

thumbnail: Dubliner Olivia Typrowicz, her husband Bartek and their children Anya (5) and Nicholas (2). The couple run The Stork Exchange at Dublin Airport.
thumbnail: Heated terrace at the Gibson Hotel
thumbnail: The Rocky Mountaineer
thumbnail: One of the rooms in Mulranny Park, Mayo
Pól Ó Chongaile

Stay tuned with what's happening in travel every week with Pól Ó Conghaile's Weekend Magazine column.

DEPARTURES

Three years ago, Dubliner Olivia Typrowicz, her husband Bartek and their children Anya (5) and Nicholas (2) returned home after a frustrating holiday. The car they hired had the wrong-size baby seat, among other issues. Instead of seething, however, they set up The Stork Exchange - which rents everything from child car seats to buggies, travel cots and other baby equipment to passengers arriving into Dublin Airport.

The business is targeted at parents with children under five, and gets a lot of Irish diaspora home on holiday - visitors who may wish to use a grandparent's car, for instance, but don't have the necessary boosters or child seats. The Barteks say that all of their equipment is insured, cleaned, serviced and safety-checked before hire. Located in the Car Park Atrium in Terminal 1. thestorkexchange.ie

SMART TRAVEL

Looking for a last-minute summer holiday? 
Holidaysonline.ie is a one-stop shop for offers from Sunway, Topflight, Falcon, Crystal, Thomson and more.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

Fancy room service without the mark-up? Why not order in? Chicago-based online food-ordering service GrubHub Inc recently analysed orders delivered to 8,000 hotels across the USA, and found takeaway deliveries to hotels have increased 125pc in the past three years.

Guests in Ireland may slowly be cottoning on… in Dublin, Saba restaurant and Saba To Go tell me they regularly deliver to hotels throughout the city. Service, please!

DEALS OF THE WEEK

BARGAIN: Some say Bruges is boring; others consider it a gorgeous Gothic city with enthralling streets and canals. Decide for yourself for just €399pp with Travel Department, who have direct flights plus four nights and a half-day guided tour departing Dublin on September 8. 
traveldepartment.ie

SPLASH: The Rocky Mountaineer is one of the world's great luxury train journeys, with stunning views from its glass-domed roof. Topflight has a Goldleaf Experience featuring flights, two nights on the train and two nights in a hotel from €2,448pp, based on a September 19 departure. topflight.ie

STAYCATION: Thinking of a family trip to Dublin? The Gibson Hotel  has a summer special with B&B from €60pp, with kids sharing for free. thegibsonhotel.ie