Our research found that Costa Dorada, a stretch of golden sand south of Barcelona, is the cheapest place for a beach break if you’re booking now. The average price of a week on Spain’s ‘golden’ coast is £567pp – £450 less than a week in Lanzarote or Tenerife, where a half-term holiday will typically cost you around £1,000pp.
We compared the prices of 4,173 package holidays in seven southern European countries, and four out of the five cheapest destinations were in Spain; Menorca, Ibiza and Costa Blanca all offer cheap half-term holidays.
Dalaman on Turkey’s Turquoise coast – which typically gets eight hours of sun a day in October – also has cheap packages in the school holidays.
In the listings below, we’ve also identified the cheapest holidays we could find for half term for each destination – although these prices will change with demand.
What does cheapest destination mean?
Our price research compared the prices of package holidays still available with Jet2holidays and Tui – the UK’s biggest tour operators – for the week of 23 October, which is when most schools are off in England. Scottish schools are off the week before, from 16 October, and Welsh schools (as well as several English regions) on 30 October. It's likely that the same destinations will be comparatively cheaper across all dates.
Costa Dorada being the cheapest may reflect comparatively lower prices in that region, lower flight prices or that there are more budget properties available compared to other places. It’s likely a combination of those factors.
Our data doesn’t tell us about the quality of the accommodation on offer, but it does reveal where you’re most likely to find bargains, if you're still looking to book a half-term break.
October half-term’s cheap destinations: from Turkey’s Turquoise Coast to Baleriacs
Costa Dorada
October highAverage price of a 7-night holiday
Popular with Spanish families, Catalonia’s southern coast has mile upon mile of Blue Flag sandy beaches.
The biggest resort is Salou, which has eight beaches to choose from, along with a weekly market and a five-mile coast path offering sunset views. It’s best known as the home of the huge theme park PortAventura – Spain’s answer to Disney.
Up the road, in Tarragona, admire a Roman amphitheatre and tuck into tapas in traditional bars in its medieval quarter. Further north, the coastal town of Sitges has more upmarket hotels and great restaurants.
Menorca
October high Average price of a 7-night holiday
The second-largest of the Balearic islands is just nine miles wide and 32 miles long, but it’s blessed with 120 sandy beaches. Most of the popular resorts are scattered along Menorca’s sheltered south and west coasts. On the windswept north side, the beaches are more secluded and the landscape more dramatic.
The island’s capital, Mahón, is situated on the east coast and has grand houses, fortresses and quaint old-fashioned bars. Over on the west coast, the baroque city of Ciudadela has twisting cobbled streets and a restaurant-lined harbour.
Ibiza
October highAverage price of a 7-night holiday
There’s more to Ibiza than its lively nightlife. If you steer clear of San Antonio, Playa d’en Bossa, and nights in Ibiza Town, the majority of the island resembles a mini version of well-behaved Mallorca.
Ibiza Town – also known as Eivissa – has café-lined squares and an old quarter, Dalt Vila, with hilltop battlements offering superb views over the harbour.
Dalaman
October highAverage price of a 7-night holiday
This picturesque coastline is consistently the cheapest stretch of Turkey’s sun-soaked Turquoise Coast.
Most package deals are to the lively port of Marmaris or picture-perfect Oludeniz – a cerulean lagoon with a sandbar beach. The inland resort of Hisaronu is also good value.
Nearby Fethiye has a yacht-filled harbour and ancient rock tombs.
Costa Blanca
October highAverage price of a 7-night holiday
Spain’s 125-mile ‘white’ coast is famous for its talcum-powder beaches and as the home of Benidorm. Other popular spots include Alicante, which has a charming old town and ancient castle; and Calpe, which has a dramatic rocky headland and pink flamingos.
The craggy northern coastline is dotted with quaint fishing villages that are now upmarket resorts, such as Jávea, Moraira and Dénia.
Our research
We gathered the prices of 4,173 package holidays in seven countries – Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Malta – from Jet2holidays and Tui. The average price is for a seven-night holiday including flights, departing between 20 and 26 October, based on two people sharing a standard double or twin room. We’ve only included destinations with good availability.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/october-half-term-cheap-holiday-deals-aSxQd9v64lDd