IT MAY be sizzling at the moment – but set your sights on winter breaks to bag some real value.
Now is the best time to book a Christmas getaway, says Sophie Swietochowski, with prices as low as they go for the next few weeks. You can try out these top deals . . .
WINTER SUN IN EGYPT
THOSE wanting to spend Christmas on the beach in luxury lodgings should set their sights on Hurghada.
It’s around a five-hour flight, temperatures will reach 23C and you’ll be waited on hand and foot.
You can score a cracking deal with easyJet if you book before July 21, using the code FOOTBALL26.
There’s £100 off a seven-night B&B getaway to the 4H Cook’s Club El Gouna with a new price from £876pp based on two sharing and including flights from Bristol on December 19.
SANTA IN LAPLAND
IF bucket list is what you’re after, that’s what you’ll get when you whisk the kids off to Finnish Lapland.
Who wouldn’t dream of seeing Santa Claus on Christmas Day?
The Suomo resort will take your breath away, with its thick woodland coated in fresh snow, and cosy wooden lodges where you can hunker down with some wine or a board game around a roaring fireplace.
Along with feeding the reindeer, little ones will get to join the elves filtering through letters and go husky sledding or tobogganing, all while wrapped in their snowsuit and boots — free for all guests.
The four-night package costs from £1,890pp based on a family of four sharing and includes all of the experiences mentioned above, plus flights from Stansted on December 23.
You’ll stay in the Scandi-decorated Arctic Circle Hotel with all meals included and a meeting and gift from Santa.
See canterburytravel.com.
MICKEY IN PARIS
DISNEY doesn’t come cheap, no matter what time of year you visit, but if you book now you can bag seriously good deals over Christmas.
Disney Enchanted Christmas brings the magic from November 7 to January 6 and this season, for the first time, the joy will spread beyond Disneyland Park as you celebrate in Arendelle style in World Of Frozen.
Queen Anna, Elsa ,Olaf and friends, will welcome guests into the Kingdom of Arendelle at Disney Adventure World, plus there are carol singalongs and character meet-and-greets.
Three nights’ room-only in Disney’s Santa Fe hotel is from £745.96pp based on a family of four sharing, flying from Heathrow on December 23.
This price includes four days’ worth of park tickets for the whole family.
See disneyholidays.co.uk.
AMSTERDAM MARKETS
SOME cities simply come alive in winter — and Amsterdam is undoubtedly one of those.
The frosted canals of the Netherlands city are lit up by old-fashioned lampposts and pokey cafes serve up piping- hot mugs of Choco- mel spiked with rum to give it some extra warmth.
The Christmas markets will be in full force in the lead-up to the big day.
But these are not your stereotypical tat stalls — everything here if authentically Dutch.
Don’t forget to sample the oliebollen — warm doughballs dunked in powdery icing sugar.
Check in at the 4H Leonardo Museumhotel Amsterdam City Centre which is slap-bang in the heart of the action.
Four nights’ room-only costs from £485pp based on two people sharing and including flights from Liverpool on December 23.
See onthebeach.co.uk.
SKIING IN ANDORRA
Few scenes are more spectacular at Christmas time than those from the top of a snow-drenched ski slope, the sun reflecting off the mountain-scape.
Crystal Ski has some great deals at the moment, including this one to Andorra. The resort of Grandvalira is perfect for both pros and beginners, with one of the largest ski domains in Europe, home to a whopping 215 km of interconnected slopes, meaning there’s great variety.
These pistes are often praised for their world-class ski schools that exceed many others in Europe, plus it’s a little more affordable than the Alps.
Seven nights’ half board at the 4* Residence Pas de la Casa Alaska is from £825pp based on two people sharing including flights from Gatwick on December 20.
See crystalski.co.uk.