The first months of the year are traditionally the cheapest for holidays, with everyone skint after Christmas and staying home to review their ruined bank accounts.
If you do have some spare cash, it’s a great time to find a bargain. Here are a few deals that make being Scrooge worthwhile.
Bari’s Basilica di San Nicola.Budget to Bari
Ryanair flights to this town on the Adriatic Sea (just above the heel of Italy’s boot) are going for €14.99 one-way.
There’s tons to do here even in January’s chillier weather. Top attractions include renting a rickshaw to drive you around the sights, visiting the stark beauty of the Romanesque Basilica di San Nicola and exploring the cathedral with its archaeological treasures (a road from the Roman Empire and an ancient basilica can be found below floor level).
The B&B Zupetta is making a name for itself as budget accommodation with a luxurious edge.
Rooms decorated in an elegant Italian design start at around €45 a night and www.tripadvisor.com currently has a 10 per cent discount voucher.
The B&B is five minutes from the station, 10 minutes from the old town and close to a gorgeous coastal walk.
Book in advance for a cheaper, romantic break to Venice.Valentine Venice
It might seem a little early to be thinking about where Cupid’s February arrow should fall, but book now and you could get some great savings.
Hamilton Travel is offering a three-night mini break that will take in Verona, the Dolomites, Bolzano and Venice.
Flights, accommodation half board, transfers and all excursions (except a gondola ride) are included in the price of €478pp.
Downhill all the way
It’s forecast to be a great snow year in the Italian resort of Livigno, which is a good destination for beginners and pros alike.
The resort has a mix of blue, red and black slopes and www.ytctravel.org has a ski package for €495 per person, which includes flights, transfers, accommodation half board, departing on January 15 for three nights.
Tuition, ski hire and pass are an additional €165.
MSC Fantasia’s itinerary includes Messina, Naples, Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona and Tunis
Legends of long haul
Emirates is touting for long-haul business from Malta with some impressive deals for 2015. Flights to Dubai cost from €685 and from there, the airline offers an Arabian Flightpass, meaning that you can visit 12 cities in the region, from Egypt to Oman.
No minimum stays are required and prices start from just €48 per flight sector in economy class.
It’s an amazing way to explore the region fully. Attractions include some of the best accommodation in the world, diving, deep-sea fishing and tours of the desert landscape.
There are also ancient villages oases to be discovered, with winding streets screened with banana and date palms and fascinating forts on the higher ground.
www.emirates.com.mt
The MSC Fantasiawill cruise into Grand Harbour next season.Cruise control
The MSC Fantasia will be cruising into Grand Harbour next season and when it departs, you could be on it. The tour will take in the ancient Sicilian trading port of Messina, the gastronomic powerhouse of Naples, romantic Genoa with its terracotta and pastel-plastered houses, the newly revamped Marseille with its museums and French cuisine, Barcelona for Gaudi’s mind-bending architecture and Tunis, where West collides with East in a cloud of spices and plastic trinkets. Prices for weekly cabins will be announced by Hamilton Travel around January 15. Contact them on 2124 1292 or info@hamiltontravel.com.mt.
January sales in London would be a perfect post-Christmas break for shopaholics. Photo: Bikeworldtravel/Shutterstock.comLondon calling
The January sales are a great time to head to London even if you don’t like shopping. The rest of the attractions will be relatively queue free.
For shopaholics, the trip will be the fix you need. www.travelodge.co.uk have a double room in their Covent Garden Hotel from €88 in January; Oxford Street is just a stone’s throw away. EasyJet will get you to Gatwick from around €40 each way in January.
Children will love meeting Mickey and other Disney characters.Do Disney
There are five enchanting lands in Disneyland, Paris, each with a touch of magic for the children.
The Disney characters will be in residence too and if you’re lucky, the rides will be quieter in the new year.
After a day with Mickey and pals, you can recover in the indoor pool and fitness centre.
Prices with www.rocsgrp.com start at €279 per person including flights, accommodation, breakfast and shuttle.