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Spencer always delivers the best advice

Patrick Conway Visited Milan | Posted on 31 Mar | Stayed at Doria Grand Hotel

Everything was excellent during our stay. The only thing that didn’t happen was the transfer back to the airport as the Hopper bus arranged didn’t contact us or confirm pick up so we got a taxi which was not a problem.

Trudy Matthews Visited Fuerteventura | Posted on 29 Mar | Stayed at Barceló Fuerteventura Castillo

A big thank you to Sean for booking another exceptional holiday for us, the hotel was one of the best we have stayed in, and would definitely recommend it.

Kristina Firth Visited Paphos | Posted on 29 Mar | Stayed at Amavi MadeForTwo Hotels

Always get good service and have had many flights arranged by Des and team.

Anthony Lavers Visited Milan | Posted on 29 Mar

Excellent support when we had problems checking in online. Professional and reassuring

Sharon Markless Visited Venice | Posted on 28 Mar

Get Heathrow to vastly improve their disability assistance, it is woefully inadequate when compared with countries we have visited, but also Gatwick.

Andrew Larkin Visited Prague | Posted on 27 Mar

Excellent service

William Jones Visited Alicante | Posted on 27 Mar

So refreshing to have calls and queries answered immediately and by someone who is not in a faraway call centre.

Katherine Whiteing Visited Sweden | Posted on 27 Mar

Super service as always

Neil Cornford Visited Faro | Posted on 26 Mar | Stayed at Domes Lake Algarve, Autograph Collection

We were very satisfied with your service.

Agatha Day Visited London | Posted on 26 Mar

Jade was exceptional. Your company is the industry benchmark

Richard Butcher Visited Las Palmas | Posted on 25 Mar | Stayed at Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort & Spa

Lovely to deal with and you couldn’t make it easier to look forward to a holiday.

Jacqui Malcolm Visited Rome | Posted on 24 Mar | Stayed at Scalinata di Spagna

As usual, first class support from Darryll

Bernie Newmarch Visited Malaga | Posted on 23 Mar

Everything was perfect and the hotel recommended by Kennedy was exactly what we requested

Julie Hunt Visited Seville | Posted on 23 Mar | Stayed at Fernando III

Friendly, knowledgeable and approachable even if you have a limited budget

Allyson Mole Collins Visited Amsterdam | Posted on 22 Mar | Stayed at Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam Airport

It was good to have someone from DialAFlight to talk to, making bespoke arrangements and dealing with problems.

Thayne Forbes Visited Milan | Posted on 22 Mar | Stayed at Hotel Adamello

Heathrow was closed whwn we were due to fly home but DAF were able to find an alternative flight - great effort.

Gavin Muge Visited Rome | Posted on 21 Mar | Stayed at Quirinale

Cody had reorganised a holiday that we had to cancel at short notice at Christmas. Everything went smoothly as it always does with DialAFlight and we enjoyed a week in Madeira. Can’t thank him enough.

David Marlow Visited Funchal | Posted on 21 Mar | Stayed at Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel

There was no snow, where we stayed, apart from that everything was good

Janice Lenzie Visited Basel | Posted on 20 Mar | Stayed at Belvédère Strandhotel & Restaurant

Always spot on

Simon Fisher Visited Santa Cruz La Palma | Posted on 20 Mar | Stayed at Hotel Hacienda de Abajo

Fantastic choice of hotel. All went smoothly. We had a lovely holiday.

Ann Earwicker Visited Tenerife | Posted on 18 Mar | Stayed at Iberostar Waves Bouganville Playa

While I was in the Algarve I did recommend a couple I met out there to DialAFlight and they say they are going to give you a call.

Annabelle Ainsworth Visited Faro | Posted on 16 Mar | Stayed at Domes Lake Algarve, Autograph Collection

Very good service, just as I remember it. I have only once had a poor experience about three years ago but this time was excellent and helpful

Colin Lee Visited Brussels | Posted on 16 Mar | Stayed at Hilton Antwerp Old Town

Very helpful and well organised as always making the trip effortless on our part

Claire Machin Visited Malaga | Posted on 15 Mar | Stayed at Amàre Beach Hotel Marbella

Very many thanks - as always

Jane Willard Visited Dublin | Posted on 15 Mar

As always brilliant

Kim Cobbold Visited Florence | Posted on 14 Mar

When we had a problem, Adam was on hand to help. That is one measure of a good business.

Paul Redman Visited Malaga | Posted on 13 Mar | Tailor-made tour

A number of hotel suggestions were made, all of which were good but one in particular stood out and proved perfect for our needs.

Helen Brew Visited Barcelona | Posted on 13 Mar | Stayed at Yurbban Passage Hotel and Spa

Will definitely use DialAFlight for my travel from now on

Peter Blakey Visited Finland | Posted on 13 Mar

Another well organised experience

David Arkieson Visited Finland | Posted on 12 Mar | Stayed at F6 An Ascend Hotel Collection Member

Europe Reviews 9372

Europe Offers 34

Europe Fly-Drives 7

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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