Somewhere reasonable sunny in December?
Discussion
Hi All,
I need to book a Christmas getaway for my and the Ice family over Christmas.
We want to fly out on the 23rd or 24th for 5-7 nights.
The criteria is:
Must be sunny
Reasonable temperature 16+
5 hours maximum flight time.
Budget £700 each.
Kids are 11 & 14.
Mrs Ice prefers hot but it might be too far to go for 5-7 nights?
Help appreciated.
IceBoy
I need to book a Christmas getaway for my and the Ice family over Christmas.
We want to fly out on the 23rd or 24th for 5-7 nights.
The criteria is:
Must be sunny
Reasonable temperature 16+
5 hours maximum flight time.
Budget £700 each.
Kids are 11 & 14.
Mrs Ice prefers hot but it might be too far to go for 5-7 nights?
Help appreciated.
IceBoy
Truth be told, you'll be struggling with a 5 hour flight time - best bet is North Africa, with all the problems it brings.
4 hours to Canary Islands isn't a bad shout but winter weather can be hit/miss
6 hours to Cape Verde
7 hours to Dubai
8/9 hours direct flights to Carribean
9/10 hours to Florida
11/12 hours (direct), but negligible time difference, to South Africa, where it is summer.
4 hours to Canary Islands isn't a bad shout but winter weather can be hit/miss
6 hours to Cape Verde
7 hours to Dubai
8/9 hours direct flights to Carribean
9/10 hours to Florida
11/12 hours (direct), but negligible time difference, to South Africa, where it is summer.
Canaries. 4 hour flight from the south of UK. Very cheap car hire compared with rest of Europe.
Furteventura. Absolutely epic mostly naturist beaches, barren and rocky inland, very quiet, not much for kids to do unless you rely on hotel entertainment. Corralejo in north probably choice resort for best weather as it shares micro climate with south Lanzarote. Lots of self catering villas in nearby villages and very good choice of restaurants in Corralejo.
Lanzarote. Very "British". Modest often rammed beaches, barren in south, lush and green in north. Otherworldly volcanic scenery and interesting geology and artistic scene. Often quite busy everywhere. Theme parks and zoos for kids. Upmarket marinas. Mainly big chain 4* hotels offering deals in Playa Blanca elsewhere more self catering. Playa Blanca probably best choice resort as it has better micro climate than rest of the island.
Gran Canaria. Very busy resorts running along the east and south coasts. Nothing special beaches with exception of Maspalomas sand dunes. Popular with Gayers and nudists doing stuff to each other you might not want to explain to your kids just yet. Fantastic inland scenery and really epic driving roads up in the mountains. Best resort IMO is Playa Mogon.
Expect daily sunshine with temps around low to mid 20's. That time of year you'll probably get a couple of dull windy days with possibility of rain showers in a fortnight and it'll be chilly at night. Sea is bloody freezing and away from sheltered beaches and coves will try to kill you.
Becoming expensive over last few years as demand is up because of political/terrorist activity in other winter destinations and fall in £/Euro not helping. Avoid any resorts near airports. Avoid any all inclusive or suspiciously cheap accomadation deals and choose resort and accommodation very carefully to avoid hordes of beer and chips in the sunshine Chavs 'aaaavin it faaaking large. There's a lot of it about and it isn't pretty.
Furteventura. Absolutely epic mostly naturist beaches, barren and rocky inland, very quiet, not much for kids to do unless you rely on hotel entertainment. Corralejo in north probably choice resort for best weather as it shares micro climate with south Lanzarote. Lots of self catering villas in nearby villages and very good choice of restaurants in Corralejo.
Lanzarote. Very "British". Modest often rammed beaches, barren in south, lush and green in north. Otherworldly volcanic scenery and interesting geology and artistic scene. Often quite busy everywhere. Theme parks and zoos for kids. Upmarket marinas. Mainly big chain 4* hotels offering deals in Playa Blanca elsewhere more self catering. Playa Blanca probably best choice resort as it has better micro climate than rest of the island.
Gran Canaria. Very busy resorts running along the east and south coasts. Nothing special beaches with exception of Maspalomas sand dunes. Popular with Gayers and nudists doing stuff to each other you might not want to explain to your kids just yet. Fantastic inland scenery and really epic driving roads up in the mountains. Best resort IMO is Playa Mogon.
Expect daily sunshine with temps around low to mid 20's. That time of year you'll probably get a couple of dull windy days with possibility of rain showers in a fortnight and it'll be chilly at night. Sea is bloody freezing and away from sheltered beaches and coves will try to kill you.
Becoming expensive over last few years as demand is up because of political/terrorist activity in other winter destinations and fall in £/Euro not helping. Avoid any resorts near airports. Avoid any all inclusive or suspiciously cheap accomadation deals and choose resort and accommodation very carefully to avoid hordes of beer and chips in the sunshine Chavs 'aaaavin it faaaking large. There's a lot of it about and it isn't pretty.
marcosgt said:
Canaries or, maybe, Cape Verde (not been here myself).
Madeira would be OK too, not sure about budget.
Maybe Cyprus or somewhere in Egypt? Sharm's hard to get to (but not impossible) still, but there are other, mainland, resorts.
M
Canaries is probably best, given the criteria. Egypt will have better weather but restricted destinations. You'll end up stuck in or very close to the hotel which may bore the kids. Madeira would be OK too, not sure about budget.
Maybe Cyprus or somewhere in Egypt? Sharm's hard to get to (but not impossible) still, but there are other, mainland, resorts.
M
Edited by marcosgt on Thursday 29th September 10:36
Canaries would get my vote, playa blanca is nice, car hire use plus car, very cheap no insurance companies excess or fuel policy, they can be a bit battered sometimes.
Southern Spain isn't bad, we go to torromolinos in December, it's very quite and the weather is either hot or pissing down. I would hate to go there in the summertime though.
Southern Spain isn't bad, we go to torromolinos in December, it's very quite and the weather is either hot or pissing down. I would hate to go there in the summertime though.
Certainly the Canaries.
JaguarSteve has it largely right.
Tenerife - OK but tacky mostly in the big resorts.
My choice would be Los Gigantes or, if you like it quiet, apartments opposite La Tejita by El Medano which now has a small development of shops. That location has the bonus of being minutes from the main road up into the El Teide national park which is epic. Unusually, last year in February, the centre of the island was 10-20 feet under snow and impassible (it's been very sunny the years before) and I would suggest it is the best reason for going.
Quieter parts are Callao Salvaje and that area.
WARNING: Lots of thieves in Tenerife - pickpockets, car thieves and muggers, one reason I am less keen on it. Only experienced this on Tenerife (twice) thus far.
The north of the island is cooler and greener and far less commercial, bar the zoo.
Gran Canaria
Limited choice of locations (Maspalomas/Playa del Ingles and Meloneras (more upmarket). Though flights are cheap, apartments and accommodation tend to be expensive and the "greeters" operate in packs trying to get you into pubs for their "Buy one for twice the price, get one "free" scams. Tend to be full of sad drag acts. The fringes of the dunes are OK but it's a long walk round. The nuddies in the middle are hairless and generally harmless. As pointed out, the island is Spanish tacky round the fringes but lovely scenery in the middle. While Puerto Mogan is nice, it and a lot of the other resorts are on hillsides. I stay in Maspalomas as it's largely flat.
Lanzarote
I have never really understood the popularity of Lanzarote. It is quite populated and apart from the coaches round the volcano part (open access on Tenerife), El Golfo and Jameos del Agua, I find it a little dull. Playa Blanca is OK but dull, Playa del Carmen is busier but very long and you need to choose your location carefully. Not bad beaches. Costa Teguise can be windy.
Fuerteventura
Easily my favourite and still largely undeveloped and sparsely populated. Though I myself have described it as the world's largest gravel car park, it has a phenomenal rugged beauty to it. It ranges from the basic appeal of the windswept beaches of El Cotillo and the back road round to Corralejo, to Corralejo itself which is a nice resort but expanding a bit too much. it has quite a cosmopolitan frontage and a nice beach but for me, it's a little too busy. I favour Caleta de Fuste because it's halfway down the island and not too big and nothing is far from the beach (great for kids), it's minutes from the airport and there are a nice array of bars and restaurants. Just don't get accommodation too far up the hillside. Being halfway down the island, it is better for exploring what is quite a long island, from the dunes to the north to the national park and the majesty of Cofete in the south. Jandia is increasingly popular with a stonking beach but it doesn't do it for me, overall. they are improving the roads to make getting about a little quicker.
JaguarSteve has it largely right.
Tenerife - OK but tacky mostly in the big resorts.
My choice would be Los Gigantes or, if you like it quiet, apartments opposite La Tejita by El Medano which now has a small development of shops. That location has the bonus of being minutes from the main road up into the El Teide national park which is epic. Unusually, last year in February, the centre of the island was 10-20 feet under snow and impassible (it's been very sunny the years before) and I would suggest it is the best reason for going.
Quieter parts are Callao Salvaje and that area.
WARNING: Lots of thieves in Tenerife - pickpockets, car thieves and muggers, one reason I am less keen on it. Only experienced this on Tenerife (twice) thus far.
The north of the island is cooler and greener and far less commercial, bar the zoo.
Gran Canaria
Limited choice of locations (Maspalomas/Playa del Ingles and Meloneras (more upmarket). Though flights are cheap, apartments and accommodation tend to be expensive and the "greeters" operate in packs trying to get you into pubs for their "Buy one for twice the price, get one "free" scams. Tend to be full of sad drag acts. The fringes of the dunes are OK but it's a long walk round. The nuddies in the middle are hairless and generally harmless. As pointed out, the island is Spanish tacky round the fringes but lovely scenery in the middle. While Puerto Mogan is nice, it and a lot of the other resorts are on hillsides. I stay in Maspalomas as it's largely flat.
Lanzarote
I have never really understood the popularity of Lanzarote. It is quite populated and apart from the coaches round the volcano part (open access on Tenerife), El Golfo and Jameos del Agua, I find it a little dull. Playa Blanca is OK but dull, Playa del Carmen is busier but very long and you need to choose your location carefully. Not bad beaches. Costa Teguise can be windy.
Fuerteventura
Easily my favourite and still largely undeveloped and sparsely populated. Though I myself have described it as the world's largest gravel car park, it has a phenomenal rugged beauty to it. It ranges from the basic appeal of the windswept beaches of El Cotillo and the back road round to Corralejo, to Corralejo itself which is a nice resort but expanding a bit too much. it has quite a cosmopolitan frontage and a nice beach but for me, it's a little too busy. I favour Caleta de Fuste because it's halfway down the island and not too big and nothing is far from the beach (great for kids), it's minutes from the airport and there are a nice array of bars and restaurants. Just don't get accommodation too far up the hillside. Being halfway down the island, it is better for exploring what is quite a long island, from the dunes to the north to the national park and the majesty of Cofete in the south. Jandia is increasingly popular with a stonking beach but it doesn't do it for me, overall. they are improving the roads to make getting about a little quicker.
We've done Fuerteventura over Xmas twice in the last 3 years. Once for 3 weeks and once for 2 weeks. Honestly, we had less than 30 minutes rain over the entire 5 weeks. Had a handful if that of cloudy/really windy days, but mostly just lovely temperatures of low to mid 20's and some hotter days with plenty of sunshine. Spent a lot of the time on the beach and in the sea. We didn't go last year and really missed that mid-Winter break.
Sticky,
So there are things to go and see/do, good food? Weather looks reasonable, that time of year.....so Malta could be a contender.
Is food cheap?
Iceboy
So there are things to go and see/do, good food? Weather looks reasonable, that time of year.....so Malta could be a contender.
Is food cheap?
Iceboy
Stickyfinger said:
MALTA.....top Island, good weather (mostly) and great people.
A good collection of classics can also be spotted.
That would get my vote every time except for the relaxation you get in a Gite, off season, looking down on the Med from the hills above the Riviera.
A good collection of classics can also be spotted.
That would get my vote every time except for the relaxation you get in a Gite, off season, looking down on the Med from the hills above the Riviera.
battered said:
Malaga area has decent weather, as does Alicante area. I've been in the sea on more than one New Year's Day to clear a dull head.
If this doesn't suit then Canaries.
The last time we landed they had a mini tornado take the roof off a beach hut. When we left it was showing 24 deg, it always makes me chuckle when the locals have hats,scarfs and gloves on and we walk around in shorts.If this doesn't suit then Canaries.
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