Spain holidays

Brits looking for winter sun holidays that don’t require heaps of travel and a big dent in the budget may want to consider the Canary Islands for their next break

The Canary Islands may be particularly popular during the summer, but they hold their own year-round with balmy temperatures and plenty of sunshine. For those who aren’t tied to school holiday dates, the bigger islands such as Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura can be ideal for a cheep and cheerful holiday where it’s warm enough to enjoy the outdoors (temperatures can reach 24C in November), and sunny enough that you can forget all about the dreary British weather.

However, according to research from travel pros at the Post Office, there’s one island where you can particularly get the best value for your money for a break in winter 2026. Tenerife came out as the top spot from the Canaries in the Post Office’s ‘winter sun costs barometer’, which compared prices in holiday hotspots across a number of factors such as the price of a cup of coffee, a three-course meal with house wine, a local beer, and other food and drink.

Tenerife came eighth in the overall global rankings, but was the top Canary Island, followed by Lanzarote which was 11th overall. “Tenerife remains a popular choice for winter sun holidays,” the team behind the study explained. “It’s known for its warm weather, volcanic scenery and range of attractions.

“Visitors can explore Mount Teide National Park, take a whale or dolphin-watching trip, or relax on the island’s beaches. You’ll also find lots of resorts, restaurants and family-friendly activities. Tenerife offers a good mix of sunshine, convenience and value. It’s also one of the cheapest European destinations in this year’s report.”

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While the report looked at food and drink costs while out on holiday, it didn’t factor in prices of flights or package holidays to actually reach the destination. Still, the good news is that when there aren’t school holidays in the mix (for example, in November or early December), there are deals to be found. According to Skyscanner, you can find cheap flights from the UK to Tenerife starting from £26 each way (excluding extra hand luggage), while the likes of TUI, easyJet Holidays, Loveholidays and On the Beach all offer some tempting last-minute deals.

Given that the flight time is approximately four hours from most UK airports, it can also be an ideal destination if you want a break but don’t have the annual leave to commit to a full week or two’s getaway.

While Tenerife was the top of the Canaries in the rankings, when it came to Europe overall, it was Portugal’s Algarve that came out as the winner for the best value winter sun holiday. It came sixth in the overall rankings, followed by Spain’s Costa del Sol in seventh place. However the title of overall best value holiday went to South Africa’s Cape Town, which boasted some of the lowest average prices including local beer and three-course meals.

Need to know

Rachel was on holiday with her husband when everything went terribly wrong

A 42-year-old Brit mum died suddenly in Spain while on holiday – what you need to know

• A British mum collapsed and died on holiday in Spain despite the best efforts of paramedics to save her life.
• Rachel Weston, 42, from Bury, Greater Manchester, had been to see a pharmacist about what she thought was just a cold, but her condition later worsened significantly – and she suddenly collapsed in her hotel room in Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
• Local reports said she suffered a cardiac arrest, although no underlying cause has been confirmed. Hotel staff and paramedics tried to save her but tragically she couldn’t be saved.
• Her husband, Mark, said: “My world was completely turned upside down with the sudden and heartbreaking loss of my gorgeous wife, Rachel.” Rachel was a loving stepmum to his three children and he described her as “the absolute heart of our home”.
• Mark has launched a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and has asked mourners to wear purple, Rachel’s favourite colour, at her funeral on November 6.

READ THE FULL STORY: ‘My gorgeous wife died suddenly in Lanzarote – it’s heartbreaking’

Ryanair passengers checking in luggage will have less time to reach the airport desk under a new deadline

Anyone travelling with Ryanair who leave their airport journey until the last minute could risk missing their flight when a new rule takes effect. From Tuesday, November 10, airport check-in and bag-drop desks will close 60 minutes before departure, instead of the current 40 minutes.

The change means travellers checking in a suitcase will need to get their bags accepted earlier than they may be used to, even if they have already checked in online. For a flight scheduled to leave at 10am, the deadline will move from 9.20am to 9am. Ryanair carried 206.5 million passengers in the 2025 calendar year.

Travel expert Arber Abdullahu, from TripSIM, has urged holidaymakers to check their airport arrangements before setting off, particularly if they have booked a transfer. He warned that having a boarding pass on a phone does not mean a checked bag has been accepted or that passengers can arrive at the desk whenever they like.

“Checking in online can make you feel that everything is sorted. But if you’re taking a suitcase that needs to go in the hold, you still have a separate deadline to meet at the airport,” he said.

Getting to the airport and reaching the correct desk are not necessarily the same thing, as travellers may need to park, take a shuttle, find their terminal and queue. Anyone relying on a transfer that arrives shortly before the cut-off should review the timings rather than treating the deadline as their target arrival time.

The change could also catch people out on their return journey if they are away when the new rule begins. Someone flying out before November 10 but returning on or after that date should check the deadline for both legs and make sure their hotel pick-up leaves enough time to reach the airport.

“Don’t assume the routine that worked on your outbound flight will work for your return. Check your hotel pick-up time and tell the transfer provider which flight you are taking,” Mr Abdullahu said.

Ryanair says the earlier cut-off is intended to give passengers more time to get through airport security and passport-control queues before reaching their departure gate. The airline says around 20 per cent of its passengers check in a bag, while those who check in online and travel without checked luggage will be unaffected by the bag-drop change.

Passengers should remember that online check-in has a separate deadline and remains open until two hours before departure. Anyone using airport check-in or bag drop should check the latest instructions for their flight and allow enough time to complete each stage of the journey.

The FCDO has issued new advice to British people travelling in Spain after a train crash killed 69 people and injured dozens of others near Toledo on Wednesday

The Government has issued new advice to British nationals travelling in Spain, warning of “significant disruption”.

At least 69 people were killed and dozens more injured after two trains crashed on Wednesday morning near the town of Urda, in the province of Toledo.

A high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Seville, operated by state-owned railway company Renfe, crashed into the back of a stationary train on the same track, between the municipalities of Mora and Orgaz.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has warned British holidaymakers heading to Spain: “Significant disruption to rail services is expected.”

Those requiring assistance or seeking information about passengers affected by the crash are advised to contact Renfe on +34 900 10 10 20. The FCDO urged British nationals or their family members who are affected by the crash to contact the nearest British embassy or consulate on +34 91 714 6300.

Anyone travelling to Spain via France should check the travel advice for France before setting off. Those planning to enter Spain via Gibraltar are also advised to consult the travel advice for Gibraltar.

Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on Wednesday that 43 miles of track had been affected by an outage of the automatic control system, bringing all trains in the area to a halt.

But the control centre decided to “resume traffic in circumstances that, from our point of view, are inexplicable”, Puente said. The Renfe train travelled around 15 miles before striking the stationary train, which was operated by private company Iryo.

The control centre “had more than enough time to verify the error, and they did not fix it”, Puente added.

During a visit to the crash site, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who faces a general election on November 29, vowed to establish the cause of the crash.

“We are working day and night not only to support the victims’ families, but also to establish every last detail of this tragedy and strengthen safety measures to ensure it never happens again,” he said.

In January, two high-speed trains collided in the southern region of Andalusia after one derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track, killing 46 people. The investigation into that crash is ongoing.

Spain’s government has faced mounting criticism over its management of Spain’s railways.

Train drivers went on strike on Thursday “to defend rail safety”. The industrial action had been called before Wednesday’s deadly crash.

Rachel felt a little unwell in the Canary Islands hotel they were staying in in October – then suddenly collapsed

A British mum who thought she had come down with a nasty cold collapsed and died while on holiday abroad. Rachel Weston, 42, was away with her husband, Mark, 41, and two friends when she started to feel unwell.

The carer, from Bury, Greater Manchester, went to a pharmacy and at first seemed to be getting better. However, her condition then deteriorated, leading the couple to arrange emergency flights back home for the next day.

But Rachel then suddenly collapsed in their hotel room in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote. Hotel lifeguards tried to help before paramedics turned up, but tragically she couldn’t be saved.

Local reports say Rachel suffered a cardiac arrest, though an underlying medical cause hasn’t been publicly confirmed. Mark said: “My world was completely turned upside down with the sudden and heartbreaking loss of my gorgeous wife, Rachel, while we were on holiday.

“Rachel and I were together for 11 years and one day – sadly only married for two of those years, but every single day was full of love, laughter and partnership.”

Rachel was a loving stepmum to Mark’s three children, Steven, 22, Charley, 19, and Mikey, 15. Mark described his late wife as “the absolute heart of our home”, adding that she had poured herself into helping him raise the children.

The couple tied the knot on May 11, 2024 after a memorable on-stage proposal at a Bowling for Soup concert. Mark contacted the band’s frontman, Jaret Reddick, before its December 2022 show in Torquay and was invited on stage during Punk Rock 101 to ask Rachel to marry him.

Rachel worked as a carer at Regency Care Home and had devoted her professional life to looking after others. She was also deeply attached to the couple’s two dogs, Maisie and Padmé. Mark said: “Losing her so unexpectedly is a total nightmare.

“Between planning the funeral and keeping life steady for the kids, it’s a massive weight to carry.” Rachel’s funeral is due to take place on November 6. Mark has launched a fundraiser in memory of his “beautiful wife” to help cover the costs.

He has requested that mourners wear something purple, which was Rachel’s favourite colour. To donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe web page here.