BLUE SKY thinking
Shake off the winter chill and get your holiday plans in place
GOT the January blues? Then focus on blue skies and crystal-clear blue seas instead. Because nothing gets us through cold, dark months like the thought of a hot holiday later in the year.
And I’m very pleased to report that we’re not just day-dreaming about travel this January. We’re getting our credit cards out and booking trips in our droves.
Everyone from Tui to Travelbag and from easyJet to Great Rail Journeys says bookings are booming. In an increasingly crowded field, the Canary Islands and Canada seem to be top choices for summer, Jet2 says customers love its low, £60pp deposit deals and Hays Travel says family trips to Florida are flying off the shelves – see opposite.
Even John Lewis reports that suitcase sales are up by a third so far this year as we all prepare for take-off.
ALL NEW
As if all this isn’t exciting enough, we’re getting more holiday options all the time. On page 13 we’ve rounded up some of the best new routes on offer for spring onwards. From Greek islands to the South of France, from city breaks to Caribbean beaches there are new British Airways, easyJet, Jet2 and other flights to choose from.
The ones I like most for summer breaks are to Florence, Malaga and the under-rated Carcassonne in France. And when autumn comes, Virgin Atlantic’s new hop to the Turks & Caicos Islands is also going to be hard to ignore.
STUNNING
Caribbean islands do seem to be capturing everyone’s imagination right now, and several are getting stunning new hotels and resorts to complement the new flights.
Turn to page 12 for a brief taster from Sandals Resorts. It’s got a range of luxurious new properties in Jamaica, Barbados and also on the lovely, less-known Curaçao.
Friends who stayed with Sandals last year raved about everything from candle-lit dinners on the beach to the butler service in their swim-up suite. And with Valentine’s Day less than a month away this could be a very good time to take a look at these most romantic of holidays.
JOIN FORCES
One of the true joys of travel is that if you look hard enough there’s a holiday for everyone. Not got anyone special to travel with or can’t persuade your other half to join you on your next adventure? Then join forces with other solo travellers. On page 16 we look at some wonderful trips where everyone starts off solo but ends as friends.
Small group escorted tours with companies like Titan
Travel are another great option for solo travellers. Most departures have a broad mix of solos, couples and friends. Alongside the ideas on pages 14 and 15 I’m also tempted by the thought of stepping (or floating) back in time on the company’s new River Nile cruise and tour. Pick it and you’ll be one of just 14 guests travelling on a luxury dahabiya sailing boat.
Having loved every minute of the most recent Death on the Nile film I’m not sure I can think of a more evocative holiday.
CLASSICS
Classic train trips are something else lots of us associate with Agatha Christie. And from the Orient Express down there are plenty of extraordinary rail journeys on offer this year.
As someone who loves mountains, the Glacier, Jungfrau and Bernina Express trains are among my favourites whatever the season. You can enjoy them all with the likes of Great Rail Journeys. And as I’m secretly obsessed by seeing how rich people live, I’m particularly taken by the sound of its 10-day The Glacier Express and St Moritz holiday.
Canada also calls when it comes to big cities, classic train trips and wide-open spaces. On page 8 we’ve got lots of inspiration from the experts at Canadian Affair. But if you’ve got particularly big dreams and are planning a coast-to-coast rail tour across Canada then I’ve got two predictions to make.
First, you’ll see how long the trip is likely to take and you’ll fire up your Kindle and pack lots of books for the upcoming journey.
Second, you’ll barely read a word! When I did a trip, booking a mix of day and night trains on a two-week holiday, I was so mesmerised by the views I’m not sure I turned a single page. Sit in the observation deck of trains from Switzerland to Saskatchewan and time flies wonderfully fast.
Happy travelling!