ADIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THEMED’S HOTSPOTS...
Visit beautiful destinations for half the price this winter
There’s nothing better than planning an autumn/winter break when it’s still July. I think that most people who love to travel get a real kick out of always having another trip on the horizon – be it a short weekend break or a longer, more exotic holiday.
I spent last weekend online, checking out flight prices in a number of places and was pleasantly surprised by the incredible value to be had.
My general ports of call when it comes to checking out European flights are direct with Ryanair or Aer Lingus, or via Skyscanner. The fact that you can check out monthly fares at a glance nowadays, or just put in your dates and then opt for from ‘Dublin’ (in my case) to ‘Anywhere’ is such a bonus. With Skyscanner you can then tell at a glance which countries have the cheapest flights, then click on the most appealing country to display the specific cities.
And that particular ‘Anywhere’ option on Skyscanner is currently throwing up all kinds of amazing prices for the long-weekend dates that I am specifically looking at for myself for November.
Like how amazing? Well, it doesn’t get much better than €50 return to Copenhagen, does it? That fare is with Ryanair but if you wanted to fly with SAS that would only cost you an extra €20.
Or how about Rome? Just a few days ago that was €68 with Ryanair and €80 with Aer Lingus. You can also do a similarly priced combination flight – out with Ryanair and back with Aer Lingus, or vice versa, if the particular flight times suit you better to mix and match.
You need to remember with Rome, however, that the two airlines fly into different airports. In this case, however, Ciampino, the Ryanair airport, is no further from the centre of Rome than Fiumicino.
Interestingly, even some further away destinations are still good value this autumn. You’ll get a Ryanair return to Chania in Crete, for instance, for less than €150 return. And that’s in October, when the weather is really lovely in that part of the Mediterranean. And the same airline has November flights to Malta for €130.
November is a great month to get away. Apart from the cheaper flights (and accommodation), let’s face it, it’s a dreadful month to be at home in Ireland – only to be surpassed by February, in my opinion.
Travelling in Europe in November also affords you the opportunity to see places in winter that you normally only associate with the heat of summer. I love that – a different perspective.
So which European destinations fit that particular bill?
Well, there are three that immediately spring to mind for me, all of them great places for a long weekend out of season.
First up is Valletta, one of the best spots on the island of Malta. Full of history, with steep, windy streets, this old walled town smacks a bit of somewhat faded grandeur. But its atmosphere sucks you in. Perfect weekend territory.
Another favourite would be Athens, a vastly underrated destination and a great place for when the summer hordes have left and the city’s sites are less crowded.
Finally, there’s Seville, my favourite Spanish city after Madrid and now, thankfully, accessible directly from Ireland with Ryanair up to the end of November. Not for nothing is Seville known as ‘the frying pan of Andalucia’ in the summer. What a relief then, to be able to walk this fabulous city in comfort. So forget the suncream – but pack a jacket.