Simon Calder’s pick of last-minute Christmas and winter travel bargains

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Bleak in the midwinter? Improve your mood by getting away. Whether you are taken with an urge to leave the UK and avoid Christmas at home, or you are seeking some January sunshine to restore your spirits, there are some amazing deals around. I have spent the day seeking options from across Britain that will take you away for less than you could imagine.

All of these prices are per person based on two sharing, and – with the exception of the Glasgow adventure and the Boxing Day-to-New Year’s Eve city breaks – including 23kg of checked luggage.

The best antidote to Christmas overload is to leave home before 25 December. There is no doubt about the cheapest week’s away including a flight: on easyJet Holidays from Birmingham to, er, Glasgow – travelling out on Christmas Eve, back on New Year’s Eve and staying at the Doubletree by Hilton on the northern edge of the city centre. The price per person is only £180 including flights and accommodation.

Some say the gorgeous city of Nice is even more appealing than Glasgow during the last week of December. If you are one of them, British Airways Holidays can offer a break on the Côte d’Azur on the same dates for £368 per person. This includes flights from London Heathrow to Nice and a week at the three-star So’Co boutique property: “a subtle blend of vintage and contemporary” (the hotel, not me).

Best airfare bargain for the last five days of the year: Jet2 from Edinburgh to Lanzarote, £84 return. One reason that this 3,900-mile round trip is so cheap is because accommodation is the Canary Islands is in short supply.

Through Jet2 Holidays, a five-night stay at the four-star Hotel Lanzarote Village near beautiful Puerto del Carmen costs £625 per person including breakfast – as well as baggage and transfers. This implies a nightly double room rate of around £200, which is in line with the extremely strong demand over Christmas and New Year.

On the same dates, you can find a real bargain basement city break by heading for eastern Europe, where the Christmas markets will still be in full flow. In addition there should be plenty of reasonably priced accommodation.

Ryanair wants only £64 return from Manchester to Prague departing on 26 December, returning on New Year’s Eve. The Christmas market in Wenceslas Square is one of Europe’s most entertaining.

As an alternative, Wizz Air will fly you from Luton to Krakow in Poland for £91 – with surely the most attractive main square in Europe.

Ryanair pops up again at Birmingham with an Italian connection to Turin for £72 return from 26 to 31 December; choose between exploring this fascinating city or heading to the Alps for some end-of-year skiing.

The best deal: easyJet Holidays offers a New Year’s Eve escape from Liverpool to Malta, with a week room-only at the Gillieru Harbour Hotel in St Paul’s Bay for £253 per person.

If you prefer Spain’s Costa del Sol, particularly because of the proximity of the wonderful city of Malaga, then try this deal with Jet2 Holidays from Birmingham. Fly to Malaga followed by the very short transfer to the Sol Timor in Torremolinos, £276 including flights with baggage, transfers and room-only accommodation.

You can fly from Bristol to Portugal’s Algarve, staying at the four-star Muthu Clube Praia da Oura, self-catering, £264, with easyJet Holidays.

For the very best deals, wait until all the festive fairy dust has settled. Tui will take you from London Gatwick to Agadir on the Moroccan coast, just 30 sunny degrees from the Equator for a ridiculous £258 per person all inclusive. The location: the Tui Suneo Kenzi Europa. That works out at £1.50 per hour.

For the same price, with the same company, you can travel from Manchester to Benidorm, staying at the Hotel Rio Park, full board (ie all meals but not drinks). But Africa looks far more tempting treat with which to start a new year of travels.

All prices checked online direct with the airlines and holiday companies on Wednesday 18 December.

Source: independent.co.uk