As travellers make the last-minute decision to fly away for Christmas, some airfares are soaring. British Airways still has economy seats from London to Sydney on 20 December, returning two weeks later – but the fare is £3,640.
On the same dates from Heathrow to Barbados, Virgin Atlantic has only Upper Class available, with a fare of £10,227 return. And a Gatwick-Malaga trip with easyJet is £425 return, including a large cabin bag.
Yet for travellers who are happy with a swift escape – as short as flying out on Christmas Eve and back on Boxing Day – The Independent has found some bargain escapes.
To the Spanish island of Tenerife, fares are extremely low: from Prestwick in southwest Scotland to the Canary Island, Ryanair is charging £54 return going outbound any day from 21 to 24 December – and inbound every evening between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve. Average daily highs are around 22C, compared with around 7C in Glasgow.
One reason the fares are so low is because accommodation is scarce and expensive – rising to £500 or more in the south of the island. Hotels in Puerto de la Cruz on the northwest coast are significantly cheaper.
But flights to cities open up more possibilities for accommodation:
- The cheapest available flight for southern Europe is on Ryanair from Newcastle to the northern Italian city of Bergamo and back for £48 – out on Christmas Eve, back on Boxing Day
- From Manchester to Naples in southern Italy, a three-night stay is possible with a combination of easyJet outbound on Christmas Eve and Ryanair inbound on 27 December – costing £121 in total
- For a combination of beach and city, Tui has a deal to Alicante in Spain, flying out from Manchester to Alicante on 20 December for a week. The price is £336 per person based on two sharing
Package holidays provide flights with a generous baggage allowance. On 20 December, Jet2holidays has a week’s package holiday flying from London Stansted to the Algarve in Portugal, staying room-only in the Hotel Baltum in Albufeira, for £345 per person – remarkably low for a Christmas trip.
For an all-inclusive week departing on the same date, Tui is offering the Albir Garden Resort on Spain’s Costa Blanca for £513 per person from Manchester. Unlimited food and drink comes at a supplement of only £21 per person per day on top of the self-catering price.
Jet2 Holidays has an all-inclusive week in Benidorm, staying at the Gala Placidia, for £626 including flights from Liverpool.
Winter sports packages are available for under £400. Crystal has a departure from Birmingham on 20 December to Bansko in Bulgaria for £399, based on two sharing. Baggage, transfers from Sofia (taking three hours) and even breakfast are included in the price.
Long haul winter sun, however, is at a serious premium. The cheapest package from Expedia to South Africa, travelling out from London to Cape Town on 20 December for a fortnight, staying at the Waterstone Lodge, is almost £3,000 per person – including outbound non-stop flights on Virgin Atlantic, but returning on KLM via Amsterdam.
A flight-only deal from Manchester to Cape Town on the same dates is £1,822 on KLM via Amsterdam.
All prices researched direct with the providers on the afternoon of 12 December 2025
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