A ‘super shoulder' season holiday will save you 60pc – but there's a catch

Telegraph

14 hours ago

British holidaymakers are taking a gamble on the Mediterranean in November, as tour operators and airlines extend their seasonal offerings into late autumn.
According to the European Travel Commission, nine per cent of European travellers have shifted their travel months this year due to the rise of extreme weather events, including heatwaves and wildfires.
Travel companies are responding to this demand. Tui now offers year-round holidays to Antalya in Turkey. EasyJet has extended its services to destinations such as Dubrovnik into November, while Ryanair continues to offer twice-weekly flights throughout the winter.
Wyndham Hotels has expanded its Greek operations from March–October to February–November. In Sicily, Verdura Resort last year extended its traditional closing date from October 31 to November 10, and has pushed it further to November 15 this year.
Ludo Bennett-Jones, founder of tour operator Love to Explore, told The Telegraph: 'We are receiving an increasing number of enquiries for European travel later in the season. With increasing awareness of local concerns around crowds and over-tourism, clients are looking to visit outside of peak travel season.'
Tour operator Red Savannah says that autumn travel (September to November) now accounts for almost a third of its Greece bookings, up from 10 per cent in 2022. Luxury tour operator Scott Dunn reports that searches for Italy and Cyprus from mid-October to the end of November jumped by 45 and 46 per cent respectively, year on year.
The savings can be considerable. For example, advertised by Tui: a family suite at Iberostar Selection Playa de Palma departing on August 23 costs £1,610 per person, while the same suite on November 9 costs £649, a 60 per cent saving.
There are other perks, too. Fewer guests mean more personalised service at hotels, and depending on how far south you go, the sun can set an hour or two later than in Britain.
But key questions remain: will the weather be good? And will the restaurants and bars actually be open when you arrive? We asked our destination experts to give their honest take on visiting their turf in November.
Greece
'I've always been mystified by the lack of winter tourism'
As someone who once owned a house in the all-year-round Briton magnet of Andalucía, I've always been mystified by the lack of winter tourism in Greece.
Granted, up north near Ioannina or Grevena it gets pretty nippy later in the year, while the glitzy, celebrity-loved resort of Arachova and Boris Johnson's dad's hideout in the Pelion both boast thriving ski scenes.
Head further south to islands like Rhodes, Lesvos, or my home island of Crete, however, and, on the coast at least, the weather in November is nearly as good as Andalucía, only without the crowds. Water temperatures start to drop in mid-October, but in the more southerly climes the sun generally shines from cerulean skies until December.
Evenings can be chilly, so bring a jumper if you want to sit out with locals in seafront kafenions, sipping the 'raki nouveau' brewed in copper stills from leftover fruits of the grape harvest, made during this season.
Unlike many smaller islands, Crete, Rhodes, and Lesvos all have universities and sizeable populations, so tavernas and shops stay open, in the main towns at least, while touristy resorts like Malia in Crete or Faliraki in Rhodes are blissfully deserted.
Heidi Fuller-Love
Croatia
'I'd recommend packing waterproofs and wellies'
Lying in Croatia's southernmost corner, Dubrovnik enjoys a mild autumn, with average daytime temperatures between 12C and 17C in November. You could be comfortable in a T-shirt at midday, but a jumper and jacket will be needed in the evening. Sea temperatures hover around 17C, so hardy swimmers might manage a dip, though sailing can be tricky due to occasional gusty winds and heavy rain, and most things on the islands will be closed. Waterproofs and wellies are definitely recommended.
On the plus side, several top hotels, including the Excelsior, the Dubrovnik Palace and Villa Dubrovnik, offer lavish spas with sea-view indoor pools, jacuzzis, saunas and indulgent beauty treatments, perfect for escaping inclement weather. While touristy restaurants in the old town may have shut, the better-loved spots frequented by locals remain open, as do rustic agrotourism restaurants in rural Konavle, where you might even get involved in the olive harvest.
From November 1, tickets for walking Dubrovnik's city walls drop dramatically, last year from €35 to €15. Another standout Croatian destination is upmarket Rovinj in Istria, which will be somewhat more autumnal, but where hotels such as the Grand Hotel Park, Hotel Lone, and Hotel Adriatic remain open through winter, offering spa treatments, gourmet dining and tours of the rural interior for truffle hunting and wine tasting. The easiest way to get there is by flying to Zagreb or Venice.
Jane Foster
Turkey
'Plenty of flights, warm seas, and optimum hiking conditions'
With many seaside resorts enjoying November highs of over 20C, one of Britain's most dismal months is a great time to visit Turkey's stunningly beautiful Turquoise Coast.
Daytime temperatures in the region's biggest resort, Antalya, average 16C throughout the month, with seven hours of sunshine per day and, importantly, average sea temperatures a welcoming 21C. Rainfall can be quite high, around 180mm, but it usually falls on only eight days. Weather conditions in other resorts such as Kaş, Fethiye and Bodrum are similarly appealing.
In picturesque Kaş, around half of tourist-related businesses close for winter at the end of October, but at least one dive school remains open, along with the ferry to the nearby Greek island of Meis. According to more than one local, all the best bars and restaurants stay open.
Fethiye and Bodrum experience a similar proportion of closures, while Antalya's lively old town remains unaffected by November. Sunny days and warm seas, quieter streets, open bars and restaurants, and weather at the optimum temperature for hiking and exploring the region's ancient sites make it an ideal time to visit.
The gateway airports of Bodrum, Dalaman, and Antalya remain well served by direct flights from the UK with SunExpress, EasyJet, and Pegasus. Packages are great value as well. For example, a seven-night all-inclusive in Antalya with Tui costs just £377 per person, including flights.
Terry Richardson
Spain
'The best restaurants stay open through winter'
When I was living in Barcelona, one of the things I loved most was being able to wander around in short sleeves well into November and December, basking in the warmth of the sun.
Barcelona is not the hottest part of Spain in November, of course. In Málaga and along the Costa del Sol, as well as on the Balearic islands of Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, temperatures hover between a pleasantly mild 15C and a delightfully warm 20C, sometimes higher, right up until early December.
You can usually expect five to six hours of sunshine per day in most of these places. Rain does start to appear around this time of year, but downpours are generally short and sharp, over before you know it.
What about hotels and restaurants, will they have closed for the winter? The answer is no. While many hotels do close between October and April, there are almost always some that stay open year-round.
This is also the time to bag a bargain, as rooms with the best views are often available at a fraction of the summer price. Similarly, the restaurants that remain open tend to be those frequented by locals, offering not only better prices but better food too.