I am planning a short break to sunnier climes between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Are there any good deals to be had for this time? Is it likely package holidays abroad will be slashed at the last minute? — Peter May, Romford
The week between Christmas and New Year is an odd one for the travel industry. At other times of year, you can predict fairly confidently how prices and availability will behave, but during the festive season it goes a bit funny.
Package holidays tend to be pricey, though there may be odd bargains around — possibly a “bin end” trip of strange durations, because short-haul airlines don’t fly much on Christmas Day and so the usual seven or 14-night patterns are disrupted.
If you fix something yourself, be warned that anything returning in the first few days of January — particularly the first weekend — tends to be very expensive. However, if you take a break of slightly less than a week then you can usually find a bargain.
The obvious targets are the south of Spain and Italy, with lots of flight choices and weather probably better than it is in Romford.
Naples — along with Malaga — is a great choice because if the weather turns out to be cold and wet you have all the advantages of a big, appealing city.
Last year I booked return flights from London to Naples for £175, going out on December 27 and back on New Year’s Day, and thought it was a bargain but then saw the price fall closer to departure.
Right now, about six weeks out, is a good time to book.
Email your queries to s@hols.tv
