Every December it's the same question. What do you get the person who has everything, or who keeps saying they don't want anything? A Sos Stays gift voucher is a simple answer: you give them a break away, and they pick the place and the dates.
Sos is the Irish word for a break, which is exactly what this is. If you're searching for Christmas gift vouchers in Ireland that won't end up in a drawer, this is the one. It works just as well for birthdays, anniversaries and any time someone has earned a few days off.
Buying for a team, or to a budget? Use the Ultimate Irish Gift Maker. Tell us who it's for, how many people and your budget per gift, and it builds options from our shop, each led by a Sos Stays gift voucher. We handle delivery and email a formal quote.
Why a break beats another box under the tree
Most of us have enough stuff. What we're short on is time away from the routine: a slow morning, a walk with nowhere to be, a night where nobody has to cook or tidy up.
An experience gift also lasts longer than the day it's opened. There's the fun of picking somewhere, the trip itself, and the stories after. And it's a gift people can share. Put enough on it for a room for two and you might even be invited along.
Christmas gift voucher ideas for everyone on your list
The amount you choose shapes the gift. A few ways people use them:
- For parents or grandparents: a quiet midweek night away in the new year, when the house finally empties out after the holidays.
- For a couple: enough for two or three nights, so they get a proper break and not just a night away.
- For the family: put it towards a family room, so the kids have their own adventure too.
- From a group: friends or siblings can each buy a voucher and give them together. They can all go towards the same booking.
- For yourself: January is long. Nobody will judge you.
Leaving it late? Vouchers are emailed as a PDF, so there's no postage and no queue. You can print it and put it in a card, or forward it straight to their inbox on Christmas morning.
Not just for Christmas: birthdays, anniversaries and more
A gift voucher for a stay works for any occasion where you want to give time rather than things.
- Birthday gift vouchers: a big birthday deserves more than a card. A weekend away gift voucher gives them something to look forward to all year.
- Anniversary gift ideas: whether it's the first year or the fortieth, a few days somewhere new together is hard to beat.
- Weddings and engagements: a voucher towards a night away after the big day, when the couple need a rest most.
- Retirements and leaving gifts: the team chips in and gives them the first trip of their free time.
- Thank-yous: for the neighbour who minded the dog, or the friend who got you through a tough year.
Because each voucher is valid for five years, there's no pressure to rush. They can save it for the right weekend.
Where they can go
The voucher goes towards a stay at any Sos Stays property, so they can choose the kind of break that suits them.
- Howard's Way, Liscannor, Co. Clare: a house on the Wild Atlantic Way, a short drive from the Cliffs of Moher. There's an open fire in the living room and a gas fire in the reading room for when the wind picks up.
- Rathescar Grove Guest House, Co. Louth: ensuite rooms in the Boyne Valley with views over farmland to the Cooley and Mourne mountains. Newgrange is within reach, and the family room has bunk beds the kids love.
- Tinnashrule Farm Lodge, Ferns, Co. Wexford: a farm lodge in the quiet Wexford countryside, for an escape from the screens and the school run.
- Downings House, Co. Donegal: a base on the north Donegal coast for beach walks and big skies.
How Sos Stays gift vouchers work
- Choose an amount from €50 up to €1,000 in our shop.
- We email the voucher as a PDF with a unique code, usually within 4 to 10 hours.
- Print it or forward it. Pop it in a card, or send it straight to them.
- They book their break directly with Sos Stays and use the code towards the stay.
Every voucher is valid for five years from the date you buy it. It doesn't have to be spent in one go, and more than one voucher can go towards the same booking.
Give someone their somewhere
This Christmas, skip another jumper. Give a break they'll actually remember, whether it's a fire in Clare, a beach in Donegal or a slow breakfast with mountain views in Louth.
Giving more than one? Build the lot in the gift maker, or read our guides to Irish gifting and corporate gifting.
Send your SOS. We'll sort the stay.