Holiday destinations from the UK: where to go and when

The best holiday destinations from the UK change with the month: the Canary Islands for winter sun, Europe's Christmas markets from mid-November to early January, city breaks by train all year, and southern Spain once spring warms up. Our guides take one idea each, with dates and official figures.

This page is the starting point of our holiday guides for British travellers. It does not sell trips. It shows when each idea works, what official weather records say, which bank holidays give you a long weekend, and what a British passport holder needs before leaving. Pick a month or a type of trip in the table, then open the guide that matches it.

The Canary Islands are the warmest of the classic winter-sun destinations near the UK: the average daily high at Tenerife Sur airport is 21.7°C in January, against 16.8°C at Málaga airport on the Spanish mainland, according to AEMET, Spain's national weather agency.

The table compares four Spanish airport stations over the winter months. The islands lie off the coast of Africa but belong to Spain, so the Schengen entry rules further down this page apply to them as to Madrid or Barcelona.

Read these as averages over 30 years, not as a promise for your week: a given week can be cooler, windier or wetter. They also come from airports close to sea level. Higher ground is cooler: AEMET records an average January high of 16.0°C at Tenerife Norte airport, 632 metres up, nearly six degrees below the south of the same island.

Our guide to winter sun destinations compares more places, and the month guides cover where is hot in December, January and February.

For a short winter trip, the Christmas markets come first in the calendar: Vienna's market on Rathausplatz and the Vörösmarty Classic Xmas market in Budapest both open on 13 November 2026, according to their organisers. Cologne follows on 16 November, and by 28 November, when Prague's Old Town Square opens, all eleven markets in our guide are open.

Our guide to the best Christmas markets in Europe gives the 2026 dates of eleven markets, the ones that stay open after Christmas, and the train, ferry and flight options from the UK.

Skiing and the northern lights are trips that depend on conditions nobody can book: snow on the slopes for one, a dark and clear sky for the other. The aurora is only visible at night, which is why the long nights of winter are its season. Our guides to ski resorts in Europe and to where to see the northern lights set out where and when to go.

Eurostar runs direct trains from London St Pancras International to Brussels in under 2 hours, to Paris in 2 hours 16 minutes and to Amsterdam in 4 hours 19 minutes, according to its own route pages. That puts three capitals within a morning of central London, without an airport.

Border checks are done before you board. GOV.UK says that if you enter the Schengen area through Eurostar at St Pancras International, the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel at Folkestone, the EU's Entry/Exit System takes your details at the border before you leave the UK.

Our guides to European city breaks and to weekend breaks in Europe go city by city. If you would rather drive, our guide to driving in Europe covers the licence, the UK sticker and the country rules.

In spring and autumn the Spanish mainland catches up with the islands: Málaga airport averages a daily high of 21.4°C in April, 24.3°C in May and 24.1°C in October, while Tenerife Sur averages 23.1°C in March and April and 26.8°C in October, AEMET's records show.

In the Canaries, October is the warmest of these five months, which makes autumn half-term a good slot for sun. Easter comes early in 2027: Good Friday is on 26 March and Easter Monday on 29 March in England and Wales, so the Easter break falls in the March window.

Month by month, see where is hot in March, April, May, October and November.

The next bank holidays in England and Wales are Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026, Boxing Day moved to Monday 28 December, and New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027, according to GOV.UK's bank holidays page. With a weekend in between, that gives a four-day Christmas break and a three-day New Year weekend.

Two Mondays in May 2027 make two long weekends a month apart, a natural slot for a city break. In Scotland the summer bank holiday comes four weeks earlier than in England and Wales, on 2 August.

For a holiday in the Schengen area, a British passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive and must expire at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave, and your visits must add up to no more than 90 days in any 180, GOV.UK says. Within those limits, a tourist trip needs no visa.

Allow extra time at the border on your first trip after the EES started: GOV.UK warns that the checks can take each passenger longer, and that at airports they may happen before you reach the gate. Outside the Schengen area, rules differ by country: check the GOV.UK entry requirements for your destination before you book.

• What are the best holiday destinations from the UK in winter?

  For warmth, the Canary Islands: Tenerife Sur airport averages a daily high of 21.7°C in January (AEMET). For a festive trip, Europe’s Christmas markets, open from 13 November 2026 in Vienna and Budapest. Skiing and the northern lights are the other winter classics.

• Where is warm in January for a holiday from the UK?

  Among the nearby options, the Canary Islands: AEMET records average January highs of 21.7°C at Tenerife Sur, 20.8°C at Gran Canaria and 20.7°C at Lanzarote airport, against 16.8°C at Málaga airport.

• When do the Christmas markets open in 2026?

  Vienna (Rathausplatz) and Budapest (Vörösmarty Classic Xmas) open on 13 November 2026, Cologne Cathedral’s market on 16 November, Strasbourg and Nuremberg on 27 November and Prague’s Old Town Square on 28 November, according to their official sites.

• Do I need a visa for a holiday in Europe with a British passport?

  Not for a tourist trip of up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area, GOV.UK says. Your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you arrive and valid for at least 3 months after you leave.

• How long can I stay in Europe on holiday?

  Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, counting every Schengen country together. Days spent in Cyprus, which is outside the Schengen area, are counted separately.

• What is the EES and does it affect UK holidaymakers?

  The Entry/Exit System is the EU’s digital border record, which replaces passport stamps. On your first trip you may give fingerprints and a photo; it is free and the record lasts 3 years. At Dover, Folkestone and St Pancras it is done before you leave the UK.

• When are the next bank holidays in England?

  Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026, Boxing Day on Monday 28 December 2026 and New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027, then Good Friday on 26 March and Easter Monday on 29 March 2027, according to GOV.UK.

• Can I get to Europe by train for a city break?

  Yes. Eurostar runs direct trains from London St Pancras to Brussels in under 2 hours, to Paris in 2 hours 16 minutes and to Amsterdam in 4 hours 19 minutes, according to its route pages.

• Are the Canary Islands in the Schengen area?

  Yes. The Canary Islands are part of Spain, which is on GOV.UK’s list of Schengen countries, so the passport rules and the 90-day limit apply there too.