The cheapest holiday months are coming – here’s where travel experts suggest you go and when
Colder weather doesn’t mean you have to put travel plans on ice.
In fact, winter getaways are the cheapest, particularly in January and February.
And with more than 50 direct flights to new destinations this season, you could explore lesser-known places before they become popular and expensive.
For some insider tips on how to escape the winter blues without depressing your bank balance, the Money team has spoken to travel experts Sean Tipton, from the Association of British Travel Agents, and Alan French, chief holidays officer at Thomas Cook.
“Just after Christmas, not many people are thinking about taking a break and because of that, demand is very low, so the prices are much, much lower – and that continues into February,” Tipton says.
He says prices “come down drastically” from 10 January after festive travellers have returned home, with the exception of ski resorts.
“All destinations will be offering the best value at that time,” he says.
Eastern Europe
It’s the perfect time for a cheap city break, says Tipton, given the weather is less important for museums, galleries and meals out.
In eastern Europe, prices are much lower than in the UK, so a trip during the off-season means “some really good deals”.
Poland is often overlooked, despite historic urban destinations such as Krakow and Warsaw, Tipton says.
Ryanair has just launched its first direct flights from Leeds Bradford to Warsaw, and from London and Newcastle to Poland’s third-biggest city, Wroclaw.
It’s one of several airlines that have announced dozens of new routes this winter. Search our table to see if there are any fresh destinations you could reach from an airport near you…
“There’s something very evocative about walking around a city in the winter, particularly in eastern Europe, as it’s generally snowing,” Tipton says.
“So as long as you’re dressed appropriately, it’s actually quite a magical time to go.”
While Prague in the Czech Republic may be an obvious choice, Bratislava in neighbouring Slovakia “is a really lovely city and it offers incredibly good value for money”.
“If you try and avoid going to the more famous, more touristy destinations – and that’s true of every single country – things tend to be cheaper,” Tipton adds.
Tbilisi in Georgia, once somewhat difficult to get to, can now be reached with direct British Airways and EasyJet flights, he says.
Western Europe
If embracing the snow doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, western Europe has some pleasantly sunny winter days.
“One that’s really quite nice and stays open very late is Portugal,” says French.
He says travellers should avoid beach-orientated resorts and head for Porto or Lisbon.
Malta is a year-round option, and parts of Greece, like Rhodes, are also staying open a lot later in the year than they used to.
“But be a little careful on the resorts, particularly in the northern part of the Med, because not all of them are completely open,” he says.
“You turn up and you find that the swimming pools are being refurbished.”
Tipton adds: “We tend to go to the Greek islands. If you look at travel to the Greek mainland, there are lots of really fascinating, very beautiful places, which are much, much cheaper because they don’t get very many foreign tourists.”
Even the capital, Athens, is a bargain compared to the likes of London or Paris.
Southern Spain and Italy, especially Sicily, will also offer better weather than the UK, though the cold kicks in once the sun goes down, Tipton says.
One “very undervalued” location is the Spanish city of Almeria, which had sunny days of 17C in February this year.
“It’s not necessarily the most beautiful city, but the people are friendly and the food is really good quality,” Tiptop says.
Tapas generosity varies greatly across Spain, but in Almeria it peaks, with impressive portions served alongside every drink at some establishments.
“The size of a full-portion meal and it costs absolutely nothing. So just think of that,” Tipton says.
Southern Turkey offers inexpensive, good-quality hotels in places like Antalya.
“I don’t think people have quite realised that it’s a really nice, pleasant place to get away from the British winter,” he says.
North Africa
“North Africa is offering great value for money, from Tunisia, which is now opening up again, to Morocco,” French says.
Tipton agrees that both locations have had a big increase in winter getaways.
But rather than the ever-popular Marrakesh, try the port city of Essaouira or the “very historic, very interesting city” of Fes, he says.
Long-haul
“That winter sun holiday further afield is opening up in a way it’s not opened up since 2019,” says French.
“We’re seeing people becoming more and more adventurous.”
This is particularly true for older travellers, now making their way in numbers to the likes of Southeast Asia for the first time since the pandemic, he says.
Yes, the flights are more expensive, but locations like Vietnam and Laos offer much more bang for your buck once you’ve landed, adds Tipton.
On the other side of the world, US tourist attractions are offering up “some fantastic deals” to combat the political climate, French says.
“Given the reaction to foreigners in America, hoteliers are desperate to try and attract customers.”
Off-season, states like Florida and Virginia rely heavily on foreign tourists, so their offers are “very keenly priced”.
“The Caribbean is also a place that you shouldn’t overlook,” adds French.
If you like the sound of South America, take a look at Argentina, says Tipton.
Trouble in the Argentinian economy means it can be a very affordable base for trips around the continent to places like Uruguay and Brazil, he explains: “This year, our members are reporting people getting more and more interested in going to Columbia.”
South Africa is another “classic example” of expensive flights countered by a great exchange rate, with the standard of food also “very high”.
“It’s one of the few destinations where every year, the pound gets stronger against the local currency, the rand, and that’s the case again this year,” Tipton says.
Going abroad this winter? Tell us in the comments if you’ve found a hidden, affordable gem other readers should know about.