Why you should book next year’s winter sun holiday now

WITH the festive season officially behind us, it’s time to start planning the next one.

Planning your beach holiday now might save you last-minute stress and hundreds of pounds.

A good trick for finding the cheapest price is not travelling the weekend before Christmas and New Year’s Eve, as they are usually the busiest and priciest days.

That said, research from last December revealed that it was cheaper to fly to a foreign country than to stay in London over the festive period.

Now is the ideal time to bag cheap short-haul holidays in December, as week-long stays abroad start from £399pp.

Holidaymakers planning ahead can also book the holidays with deposits from £60pp and set up monthly payment plans.

If that wasn’t enough, a study showed that the average’ cost of Christmas’ in UK households is around £818, only counting Christmas food, gifts and decorations.

The best deals we’ve found are in some of Brits’ favourite hotspots in Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Egypt and Cyprus, to name a few.

Although these destinations won’t be as hot as during the summer, they will still be much warmer and sunnier than the UK.

The bargain prices come from holiday giants like TUI, Jet2holidays, easyJet holidays and loveholidays.

All the holiday packages will include return flights, accommodation and baggage allowance.

The deals we’ve spotted are available on different board basis, from self-catering and room-only to half-board and all-inclusive, so there’s something to suit every budget.

This December, seven-night stays in Algarve, Portugal, are available from £399pp.

The deal includes your return flights and stay at Vilamoura Golf Apartments and can be booked with £60pp deposits.

If you’d rather set up a monthly plan, you could bag a week-long stay at Castillo Beach Park Bungalows in Fuerteventura, costing from £43pp a month (£543pp).

To secure the price, you will have to pay £99pp now and then set up payments for the next 11 months.

Here are some of the best deals we’ve spotted over Christmas and New Year’s Eve:

• 7 nights self-catering at Playamar Apartments in Benidorm, Costa Blanca, Spain – from £589pp (deposits from £60pp)
• 7 nights half-board at Sol Pelicanos Ocas in Benidorm, Costa Blanca, Spain – from £649pp (deposits from £60pp)
• 7 nights b&b at Avlida Hotel in Paphos, Cyprus – from £655pp (deposits from £60pp)
• 7 nights all-inclusive at Grand Park Lara in Lara Beach, Antalya, Turkey – from £699pp (deposits from £60pp)
• 7 nights half-board at Hotel Angela in Fuengirola, Costa del Sol, Spain – from £879pp (deposits from £75pp)
• 7 nights all-inclusive at Caves Beach Resort in Hurghada, Egypt – from £899pp (deposits from £139pp)
• 7 nights all-inclusive at Ali Baba Palace in Hurghada, Egypt – from £999pp (deposits from £60pp)

For more Christmas deals, Lapland day trips are now on sale for 2024, with Santa meets, reindeer and snowmobile rides.

If you’d like to head somewhere warmer before Christmas, there are discounted beach holidays to Spain from £202pp that come with free airport lounges and security fast-track.

Plus, we’ve also revealed why Turkey is the ‘perfect’ all-year-round destination with cheap beach holidays and city breaks under £350.

_{Prices correct at the time of publication.}

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