When it comes to holiday trends, winter breaks may well be the new black. With temperatures soaring and tempers flaring in summer, taking a break in the quieter winter season can make much more sense. Whether it’s a sightseeing city break or a sun-kissed beach you’re after, a fascinating guided tour or the thrill of a ski slope, there are plenty of great options.
Sun
With reliable year-round sunshine and toasty temperatures it’s little wonder that Spain’s Canary Islands are a top choice for Irish people looking for winter vitamin D. Top of the pops for travellers at this time of the year are Gran Canaria and Tenerife, with resorts on the south coast of each island being most sun sure. In Gran Canaria, well-known hot spots such as Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico will fit the bill, as will the quieter resort of Meloneras, which has some lovely five-star hotels: in Tenerife, a stay at the Mare Nostrum, a three-hotel resort minutes from Tenerife Sud airport; stay at its five-star Mediterranean Palace for a luxe vibe, a 1,200m pool, and the “golden mile” of Playa las Americas right on your door. Doubles from €200 a night on selected dates in October and November, with Ryanair tickets from €25 one way.
Ski
For some, winter breaks mean just one thing: skiing. Award-winning tour operator Topflight has a new addition to its portfolio of powder-perfect locations this year, with the addition of the four-star Apartments Austria, in Soll. It’s a sleek property with the perfect mix of modern facilities and alpine charm and makes a great base from which to explore the Wilder Kaiser. The apartments are fully equipped with all mod cons, plus a fresh bread service on site and a bar downstairs for apres-ski. Prices start from €847 based on four people sharing, travelling in March, including flights, transfers and the all-important — and hugely handy — Topflight resort manager service. But the real appeal is the location, right in the heart of the village. Just metres from the ski bus stop, it’s your passport to the whopping 270km of pistes offered by the SkiWelt — Austria’s largest interconnected ski area.
City
In the height of summer Seville is simply too hot to enjoy. Even the locals leave. But a visit in October or November, when temperatures fall back to a comfortable 20-something degrees, is perfect for enjoying the sights, including hiking to the top of the Giralda, the 12th-century bell tower of Seville Cathedral. Once you’ve taken in its bird’s eye view, it’s time for a hop-on hop-off tourist bus to see it up close and personal. It’s a lot more comfortable sitting on an open-top bus, or one of the city’s gorgeous horse-drawn carriages when it’s not 40 degrees. Stay three nights somewhere super atmospheric, like the Hotel Las Casas de la Juderias, a short step from the Plaza de Espana, from €748 for a three-night weekend in November, a time when flights — at the time of writing — are about €55 one way from Ryanair and not much more on Aer Lingus.
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Escorted
If you fancy getting away by yourself over the winter, but not being entirely alone, Travel Department has a Tenerife Coast and Country option available from September to November. Much more than a beach break, it will see you travel around the island taking in the capital, Santa Cruz, as well as the Unesco World Heritage site of La Laguna, visiting the island’s majestic volcano, Mount Teide and the dramatic cliffs of Los Gigantes, as well as enjoying the bustle of Playa de las Americas. In between tours, you’ll have plenty of time on your own to stroll around or soak up the sun. It’s up to you how much or little you want to join in, with prices from €799 per person sharing half board, staying in a three- or four-star hotel.
The Mediterranean
The Mediterranean island of Malta’s midwinter temperatures — 15 to 17 degrees — aren’t super warm but still feel like a balm when you’re coming from Ireland, especially as it’s also sunnier and, on average, three times as dry. Make like a heat-seeking missile and stay in the capital, Valletta, the warmest spot, whose winter temperatures are just perfect for exploring. Travel Department has a guided tour available over the coming months that includes seven nights in a hotel and full-day tours including the medieval city of Mdina, a scenic boat ride through the historical harbours of the three cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, plus a day trip to explore the island of Gozo. There you’ll see the famous inland sea at Dwejra, the Citadel in Victoria and the prehistoric Ggantija Temples, priced from €999 per person sharing.
Ice
If you’re going to go to a cold destination, winter is by far the best time to do it. Certainly, winter makes a great time to see Iceland at its most extreme. Experience days that don’t begin until11am and nights that start to close in four hours later, making an early trip to one of Reykjavík’s cosy pubs and restaurants a great way to spend your time. Make the most of the island’s tourist bus services, with excursions to the waterfalls and steaming geysers that dot its frozen landscape. If you’re lucky, a night-time tour to experience the Northern Lights will crown it all off but, even if they don’t make an appearance — and they more often don’t — there is still something magical about being abroad at night in this most barren of landscapes. All in all, it’s an unforgettable experience. Travel Department has four-night Iceland breaks from €1,189 per person, including flights, transfers and excursions, based on two sharing.
Cruise
To slow things right down you can’t beat a floating hotel. Trailfinders has a huge range of Caribbean cruise options including one, departing in January, which will see you spend three nights in New York, followed by an 11-night tryst aboard Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, taking in St Maarten, Saint Lucia, Barbados and St Kitts & Nevis. The 16-night package is priced from €2,699 for an inside stateroom including three nights in a four-star New York hotel, New York City harbour lights cruise, flights and transfers, based on a January 13th departure.
Christmas
Finally, if the best winter break for you is one that allows you to spend Christmas abroad, how about enjoying the festive season on a seven-day, fully guided tour of Tuscany with Travel Department, departing on December 20th? From €1,299 per person sharing you can stay seven nights half-board in Montecatini, a scenic Tuscan spa town surrounded by natural thermal springs. Enjoy exploring the architectural splendour of cities such as Florence, Lucca and Sienna, plus the medieval gem of San Gimignano, in peace, while everyone back home is still sitting in front of the telly sucking sweets.
