The nation faces a cold, bleak winter as energy prices skyrocket and the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. So we spoke with our travel experts at Idle Travel, because they have a very exciting solution!
Tony Mann, of family-owned Idle Travel told us, “A long-stay winter break somewhere warmer in Europe or beyond could be a real alternative. With lots of options and some really great prices available, going away for a Long Stay holiday it could save you a fortune on your energy bills. Meaning you will save money and soak up the sun this winter.”
From self-catering stays in sunny Egypt to The Canary Islands and The Algarve, to a luxurious Caribbean cruise – there’s plenty on offer and we agree that this sounds very appealing.
“Long stay holidays are definitely seeing a resurgence with stays between one and three months. Enquiries for both long-stay holidays and long-stay working trips have increased in recent weeks. We expect bookings to further increase over the winter as people weigh up the higher cost of fuel to heat their homes against the cost of a holiday.
In the past, it was common for six-to-eight-week holidays to be cheaper per day than staying at home and rising UK fuel prices seem to have led to a resurgence in demand. Long stay holidays were always popular with retired people, but now there’s new demand from much younger people too as they can now work from anywhere, so why not work from somewhere warm and cheaper!”
Here are a few of Tony’s suggestions for a break abroad that could help you to save money by bringing you to sunnier climes and avoid high fuel bills at home.
Portugal
Pretty Portugal boasts an endless list of things to see and do, so you’ll never get bored on a long stay here, it’s all about Blue Flag beaches, relaxed resorts and top-ranked golf courses. In Portugal you can find a unique cultural and religious heritage, where tradition and modern day combine in harmony. There’s 3000 hours of sunshine per year, 850 kms of beautiful beaches, an amazing range of different landscapes, lots of leisure activities and fresh fish on tap.
The Canary Islands
In the Canary Islands, you can enjoy long hours of sunshine with barely any clouds all year round. Virgin nature, paradise beaches, volcanic scenery, villages brimming with history, local gastronomy, and eight islands for discovering the true meaning of diversity.
From wild sub-tropical forests in Garajonay Natural Park on La Gomera, or Los Tilos laurel forest on La Palma, to desert landscapes by the sea in Dunas de Corralejo Nature Reserve on Fuerteventura, or the iconic Maspalomas beach on Gran Canaria. The natural diversity of the Canary Islands is unrivalled.
Cycling, hiking, windsurf, scuba diving, this is the place where you can balance relaxation and fun.
Spain
Winter, (which in Spain officially starts around 21 December and ends around 21 March), is a great time to travel to Spain for many reasons. For one thing, you can enjoy everything you love about winter, but in the sun, with milder temperatures than most of Europe and not much rain.
The Costa Blanca, due to its southeast position, has a particularly mild and sunny microclimate, and is a perfect destination in Spain to visit during the winter season, thanks to its average temperature of 18 °C and its more than 300 days of sunshine per year.
It is undoubtably a perfect climate to enjoy its landscapes and activities as well as its popular Christmas traditions.
You can book walking tours and bike tours in Torrevieja, Alicante, Benidorm and many locations in between. There are some great museums on the Costa Blanca with something for everyone, whether you’re interested in history, archaeology, dinosaurs, art or even chocolate! As well as plenty of fantastic restaurants and cafes, there are also lots of fun activities and excursions for any budding foodies.
So what do you think? We are loving this way to save money through the winter months.
If you want to know more get in touch and speak with Tony, Jodie or one of their team of specialists. They are Idle Travel and they sell the world!
Call Idle Travel today on 01274 619141 and follow them on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all the latest travel hot spots and news.
Images courtesy of unsplash.com
