Late Holiday deals in October... do they exist?

[ajax_andy 0]

Just wondering if anyone has come across good late deals for holidays towards the back end of the season in recent years, or is this a thing of the past now?

 

The missus and me are looking for a week away and it seems places like Turkey & Cyprus are already quite cheap for Oct, but better destinations like Marrakech and Sicily are still out of our price range.

 

So do late deals still exist, or is the price as is now probably going to still be the same a few weeks before?

[Happy Face 29]

I don't think the late deals tend to be much better than an early booking any more. Might save a little but given the cheapness of package holidays you're restricting your choices that late in the day for a negligible saving.

 

If you go somewhere like Icelolly you'll get a good deal whenever you book.

[ajax_andy 0]

I don't think the late deals tend to be much better than an early booking any more. Might save a little but given the cheapness of package holidays you're restricting your choices that late in the day for a negligible saving.

 

If you go somewhere like Icelolly you'll get a good deal whenever you book.

 

Yeah been looking on Ice Lolly tbh and there are some excellent deals on there... am just trying to find something a little more cultural than the week in Bodrum that seems to be within our price range.

 

Might have to plump for somewhere like this though and maybe hire a car to get around and see some of the less touristy sights

[JaMoUsE 0]

My lass used to work for a travel agent, apparently agents dont buy the rooms upfront from hotels anymore so they dont have a last minute sale to shift them. However u can get late hotel deals direct from th hotels but u wud need to sort ur flight/transfers out

[ajax_andy 0]

My lass used to work for a travel agent, apparently agents dont buy the rooms upfront from hotels anymore so they dont have a last minute sale to shift them. However u can get late hotel deals direct from th hotels but u wud need to sort ur flight/transfers out

 

Yeah that's definately an option... will look in to that should there be no decent packages going cheap

[ewerk 26343]

Have you looked at Portugal in October? I'm heading there for a wedding and found it very reasonable and the weather should be decent too.

[ajax_andy 0]

Have you looked at Portugal in October? I'm heading there for a wedding and found it very reasonable and the weather should be decent too.

 

I don't know why but Portugal has just never really appealed to me... isn't it just mainly golf courses and sunburnt brits?

[Alex 30408]

The Algarve can be like that but it's still nice in parts. Up Estoril way is meant to be lush but I haven't been that far. I'd say you're much safer weather-wise with the Eastern Med in October though (or North Africa as you've been looking at). Cyprus or Crete would fit the bill and would also have plenty cultural shit for you to do. Personally I think Crete is a lot nicer than Cyprus though. The latter's too British for me.

Edited July 19, 2012 by alex

[ajax_andy 0]

The Algarve can be like that but it's still nice in parts. Up Estoril way is meant to be lush but I haven't been that far. I'd say you're much safer weather-wise with the Eastern Med in October though (or North Africa as you've been looking at). Cyprus or Crete would fit the bill and would also have plenty cultural shit for you to do. Personally I think Crete is a lot nicer than Cyprus though. The latter's too British for me.

 

Yeah I've looked in to Cyprus as not been there before, but we've been to Greece a few times in recent years so whilst I haven't ruled it out I'm kind of thinking it's not really top of my list of places to visit.

 

I'm a bit bored of seeing Greek ruins too... so trying to think of somewhere that has something a little different, although where ever you go on hols like this they are usually just ruins of one kind or another

[Alex 30408]

Yeah I've looked in to Cyprus as not been there before, but we've been to Greece a few times in recent years so whilst I haven't ruled it out I'm kind of thinking it's not really top of my list of places to visit.

 

I'm a bit bored of seeing Greek ruins too... so trying to think of somewhere that has something a little different, although where ever you go on hols like this they are usually just ruins of one kind or another

I'd avoid Cyprus if you're looking for something different to Greece like. If you end up in Turkey Ephesus is worth checking out. It's technically Roman ruins rather than Greek as well

[Monkeys Fist 38757]

Go to Jerusalem. Three cultures in one city.

Take your own bacon though.

[ajax_andy 0]

I'd avoid Cyprus if you're looking for something different to Greece like. If you end up in Turkey Ephesus is worth checking out. It's technically Roman ruins rather than Greek as well

 

Haha aye I think this is my worry about Turkey... it's not really got much other than more ruins... oh and lots of hassle from shop owners / restaurants to go in even if you don't want to.

 

Still it's seriously cheap and hot so I guess you gotta take the rough with the smooth

[Alex 30408]

What about Seville-Cordoba-Granada? I've only been to Granada to see the Alhambra Palace but I'd highly recommend it. Should've cooled down by then but still be warm. Plenty culture, especially Moorish, obviously, which is a bit different to your Greek / Roman ruins. I think you can get the train between all 3 from Malaga and (iirc) EasyJet fly to Malaga from Newcastle every day of the year. You could drive as well as they aren't that far apart (especially if you're going for a week). You could even watch a football match if you time it right although I don't know what your lass would have to say about that

[ajax_andy 0]

What about Seville-Cordoba-Granada? I've only been to Granada to see the Alhambra Palace but I'd highly recommend it. Should've cooled down by then but still be warm. Plenty culture, especially Moorish, obviously, which is a bit different to your Greek / Roman ruins. I think you can get the train between all 3 from Malaga and (iirc) EasyJet fly to Malaga from Newcastle every day of the year. You could drive as well as they aren't that far apart (especially if you're going for a week). You could even watch a football match if you time it right although I don't know what your lass would have to say about that

 

That's kind of similar to what we planned on doing last year tbh before we ended up going to Kos... so it sounds like a good option, but checked the weather and can be a bit hit or miss around that time. It's still warm but can rain which after the summer we've had I'm desperately trying to avoid

 

Am thinking i might just bite the bullet and pay what it takes to go to Morocco... am really fancying maybe getting a package to a beach resort, but then jumping on a bus and staying somewhere cheap in Marrakech for a night or 2 before bussing it back to the beack resort for a couple more nights. That way I get culture but very different to what I've experienced before, but also the sun element too.