With the holidays fast approaching, people who have decided to drop their traditions in favor of new experiences are busy looking for destinations that can give them that. Unfortunately, one is faced with one ordeal when booking just before the holidays. To get the best deals, it is practical to book ahead of time; one year in advance is not too early.
If you know what exactly you are looking for, deciding where to go may not be so hard, but if you have nothing specific in mind, you might want to check out the suggestions made by Sophie Butler in her article published at Telegraph Travel entitled “Expert holiday advice: which breaks to book now?” If you are eager to enjoy these destinations at low prices, book early.
From Christmas markets to Caribbean sun, rail connections to ski resorts and a remarkable wine tour to Tuscany – now is the time to book the best deals and get the holiday you want.
- Christmas Markets in Europe
When: December
Why book now? Now that the Christmas countdown has started, the tours that take in the best of atmospheric markets in northern Europe are filling quickly – and fastest to go are those that include special festive events.
What to book: Coach tour specialist Shearings (0844 209 7143; shearings.com) has a wide range of new itineraries for this season, including the five-day “Amsterdam Light Festival and Christmas Markets”, which includes stops in Amsterdam, Haarlem and Bruges, plus Amsterdam’s Light Festival (from November 27 to January 18), from £299 per person, including return coach, departing December 7. Leger Holidays (0844 846 0808; leger.co.uk) also offers a range of market tours from three-day tours to Belgium starting at £179.
- Winter sun in the Caribbean
When: This winter
Why book now? Operators are offering incentives to book now for travel next year. Look out for book-by deals that offer good discounts for stays at luxury hotels and resorts.
What to book: Caribtours (020 7751 0660; caribtours.co.uk) is offering a £300 saving per couple on all holidays in its luxury Caribbean and Mexico collection and £200 per couple on its more affordable holidays in its C by Caribtours collection if booked by November. This saving applies to bookings of seven nights or more, including flights, taken between now and September 2015. Kuoni (01306 856105; kuoni.co.uk) has discounts of 20-30?per cent on room rates at a selection of its Caribbean hotels, for travel in 2015, if booked before December 20 (look for its “early bird offers”).
- Rail travel to ski resorts
When: February and March
Why book now? On November 7, the booking window opens for European train travel on or after February 7 until around mid-March (exact cut-off dates vary from country to country). This includes the February half-term week, which always sells out fast. Book as soon as possible after this date to secure seats and best fares, and first-choice departure times for travel to ski resorts in France, Italy, Switzerland or Austria.
What to book: High-speed day and overnight services run from London via Paris to Bourg St Maurice, Chambery and Moutiers for connections to the Trois Vallées resorts, while direct services serve Geneva from Lille or Paris for Swiss destinations. Contact Voyages-sncf.com (0844 848 5848; voyages-sncf.com) for tickets and timetables.
Other Suggested Destinations
There were other suggestions that you would want to check out for yourself if you are a single traveller who is looking for an inexpensive and escorted group tour. The best time to go on this kind of travel is between April and November. As these are limited, it will be good to make an advance booking.
The best days to enjoy a festive holiday in UK are in the cold months of December and January. As Christmas and New Year draw closer, the number of holidaymakers will be growing. It will be best to work on your looking a year earlier.
Around Christmas season, another destination you would love to check out is the Telegraph Chianti Wine Festival. This is an exclusive Telegraph Tour that can be arranged with Arblaster?&?Clarke, the specialist wine operator in this region. For the details, visit telegraph.co.uk/winetour or call 020 7462 8414.
Immediately after Christmas, you can head to Venice for its famous Venice Carnival slated from January (31) to February (17). With the city bursting to the seams with its numerous events and large number of guests in this duration, it is recommended that you book ahead to get cheaper accommodations and flights to this city.
What are your Christmas plans by 2015? If you want the best deals and the best seats in the house, it is not too early to book now.
