Revealed: The best winter holidays to book right now, from a £294 Christmas market break to a £977 Caribbean cruise – and they’re all from Which? Recommended Providers, so you’re GUARANTEED a great time

• The breaks offered by Which? Recommended Providers are ‘good value’  
• Scroll down to see the watchdog’s full ranking – including ‘bargain’ deals
• READ MORE: The UK’s best and worst hotel chains revealed by Which?

If you’re dreaming of a winter getaway, you’re in luck – Which? has revealed the best seasonal package holidays to book right now.

The watchdog has drawn up a list of seven winter holidays offered by Which? Recommended Providers – ‘highly rated’ travel companies that ‘offer great value for money’ – to choose from. 

This wanderlust-inducing list includes a ‘bargain’ Caribbean cruise, a trip to a European Christmas market and an all-inclusive break in sunny Cancun. 

Scroll down to see which getaway strikes your fancy… 

Krakow Christmas market – £294 per person

Which? has drawn up a list of the best seven winter holidays offered by Which? Recommended Providers. It includes a visit to the Christmas market in the Polish city of Krakow with Jet2 Holidays

Which? recommends visiting the ‘huge Christmas markets’ in Krakow, Poland, where you’ll discover ‘kielbasa (sausages) grzaniec (spiced mulled wine) and piles of gingerbread biscuits’.

The watchdog adds: ‘Nearly 100 traditional, timber-framed huts are set up on the cobblestones of the main square, while you’ll also find carol singing and Chopin concerts in the surrounding churches.’ 

Which? Recommended Provider Jet2 Holidays currently has a three-day holiday in Krakow departing on different dates in December from Manchester for £294 per person. 

Bargain last-minute Caribbean cruise – £977 per person

Explore the Caribbean with Marella Cruises this winter on a ‘bargain’ voyage. Above is Pebbles Beach, not far from Bridgetown, Barbados – one of the stops on the tour

Which? says: ‘It could cost close to £1,000 to even fly to the Caribbean so this 11-night cruise from Florida, through New Orleans, the Dominican Republic and Barbados for £977 is a bargain.’

The watchdog adds that the cruise with highly-rated Marella Cruises ‘is all-inclusive, and the price includes flights and transfers’. Which? says: ‘Marella Cruises was rated better than most of its pricier rivals in our survey of the best and worst cruise lines. That includes four stars for facilities on board and customer service.’

However, those hoping for some Caribbean sunshine better act fast – the holiday departs from Manchester on November 5, Which? reveals. The holiday can be booked through Marella Cruises, part of the TUI group. 

Lapland log cabins – £560 per person

Which? recommends a seven-day package holiday to Yllas log cabin from London Gatwick. Priced at £560 per person it offers ‘plenty’ of chances to see the Northern Lights

This seven-day stay in a log cabin in Yllas, Finnish Lapland, is priced at £560 per person and gives you ‘plenty of snow and chances to catch the Northern Lights’. 

Which? notes: ‘There’s skiing on the doorstep or Santa’s village down the road if you have kids in tow, once you pull yourself away from your own private cabin sauna.’ 

It’s offered by Inghams, a Which? Recommended Provider that ‘helped develop the idea of the package holiday’ and ‘still comes highly recommended by customers for its lake, mountain and ski holidays in spectacular settings’, Which? reveals. The trip departs from London Gatwick.  

All-inclusive family luxury in Cancun – £1,868 per person

Also featured on the list is a £1,868 per person all-inclusive holiday to Cancun in November provided by Club Med 

Which? says that this £1,868 per person holiday in Cancun, Mexico, makes ‘financial sense’ when you consider it’s all-inclusive, with the price covering all meals, an open bar, sports, activities and daily childcare. 

The holiday – offered by Club Med – departs in November, and while prices are lower if you wait until summertime to travel, the watchdog notes that the Mexican heat is optimum in winter. 

Which? says Club Med is one of two of its recommended family holiday providers, with guests giving it five stars for everything from customer service to accommodation and holiday reps in a Which? survey.

Guided walking tour to UK’s best seaside town – £509 per person

Trek along the Northumberland coast and take in sights such as Bamburgh Castle (above) on a walking holiday with HF Holidays 

This four-night walking tour in Northumberland ‘takes in some of the UK’s most spectacular coastline, including the UK’s best seaside town at Bamburgh and its five-star beach, as well as moorland, Grade I-listed castle at Alnwick, and a boat ride out to the monastery and puffins on Farne Island’, Which? reveals. 

It’s run by HF Holidays, a firm that ‘has been leading walking tour holidays across the UK since 1913’, Which? reveals. The watchdog notes that customers praise the company for its accommodation, ‘excellent’ tour guides and value for money.  

HF Holidays offers year-round departure dates for the trip – which is priced at £509 per person, Which? notes. 

Hike Europe’s newest volcano – £795 per person

Explore the volcanic landscape of La Palma (pictured) on a holiday with Which? Recommended Provider Inntravel 

The 2021 volcanic eruption in La Palma in the Canaries transformed the island’s volcanic landscape, Which? reveals, with the formation of a new volcano called Tajogaite. 

Which? notes: ‘With the eruption now complete, a handful of experienced local guides have started to take visitors on tours, including Inntravel, which has a long association with the island.’

The watchdog adds: ‘Inntravel topped our survey of the best self-guided tour operators, and its seven-day La Palma volcanic walking trails holiday takes you up to see views over the crater and the lava flows.’

The £795-per-person package includes accommodation, car hire and a guided tour of the new volcano – but not flights – the watchdog notes.  

Autumn warmth in Alentejo – £660 per person

Which? recommends booking a trip to Portugal’s Alentejo region (above) with family-run business Sunvil 

The family-run travel business Sunvil focuses on lesser-known holiday destinations, Which? reveals. 

It recommends booking a seven-day stay in Portugal’s Alentejo region through the travel firm, with accommodation on a ‘traditional B&B farm, which has been in the same family for 200 years’. 

Which? adds: ‘You can take up hiking trails from the door.’ The week-long stay is priced from £660 per person. 

Commenting on the list, Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘Travel disruption this year has brought into focus why the travel operator you book with is just as important as where you’re going. We’ve seen that while the best companies have made sure their passengers are well taken care of when delays, cancellations or even natural disasters strike, the worst have left them high and dry.

‘Our Which? Recommended Providers are all highly rated by travellers, offer great value for money, and have all guaranteed that they won’t hike the price of your holiday after you’ve booked – something other companies don’t rule out. So, whether you’re in the market for a last-minute Caribbean cruise, or want to spend the festive season sipping hot cocoa by a log fire in Lapland, our list of the best winter holidays is sure to check all the boxes.’

Read more about these getaways on Which.co.uk. 

THE 7 BEST WINTER PACKAGE HOLIDAYS TO BOOK REVEALED BY WHICH?

Krakow Christmas markets (£294 per person)

Last-minute Caribbean cruise (£977 per person)

Lapland log cabins in the arctic circle (£560 per person)

All-inclusive family luxury in Cancun (£1,851 per person)

Guided walking tour to Bamburgh, Northumberland (£509 per person)

La Palma volcanic walking trails (£795 per person)

Alentejo, Portugal (£660 per person)

Source: Which?  

Source: Read Full Article