Attend a special evening hosted by Mike Atherton
If you want to escape the commercial build-up to Christmas, head for Holy Island, off Northumberland. Country Holidays offers two-night weekend breaks for £109 in the Cuddy House, which has a woodburning stove and is tucked away in the corner of St Cuthbert’s Square in the centre of the island. The company also has properties available in Weardale and the Berwyn Mountains in Wales. 0870-072 3723
Remote cottages for couples, close to Dartmoor, are on offer with Toad Hall Cottages and include The Bothy near Crediton and Owl Cottage near Rattery. Prices start at £130 for three nights and £185 for a week. 0870-077 7345
Farmhouses offering B&B close to the newlyopened Squirrel Safari park, near Newport, Isle of Wight, are on offer with Red Funnel. Prices for two-night breaks start at £69, including a car-ferry crossing from Southampton to East Cowes. 0870-444 8890
Signs of Christmas will be evident in Jersey, but you don’t have to indulge in tax-free shopping. Modern Hotels offers three nights’ B&B in St Helier for £69, with FastCat crossings from Weymouth on December 6 and 13; One Step Holidays offers two-night breaks by ferry from £79 and by air from £115 for the next month. 01534735511/ 0870-1203091
Hotel Felix, Cambridge, a new townhouse hotel with 52 artistic, individually designed bedrooms opens next week with an introductory rate of £58 for B&B. The hotel has a high-class restaurant and café bar. 01223 277977
SHORT HAUL
Apartments in the centre of Les Deux Alpes, the high-altitude French resort which opens on November 30 and should be ready for early season skiing, are on offer with Peak Retreats. Prices start at £182 for a week, including a ski pass, entry to the pool and ice rink and a Channel crossing for car and passengers - but are based on four travelling together. 0870-770 0408
A week’s half-board in a three-star hotel on Tenerife is available for £255, a £100 saving, with Just Tenerife, including flights from Gatwick on November 26, December 3 and 10. 020-8515 4789
If you want to get away from it all for as long and cheaply as possible, Unijet offers three week’s self-catering at the four-star Eleni Holiday Village, Paphos, Cyprus, for £199, flying from Stansted on November 27. 0870-533 6336
Djerba is one of the most pleasant parts of Tunisia and Wigmore Holidays offers deals at a five-star hotel on the island with a wide range of health and fitness activities. Fly from Gatwick or Heathrow between December 3 and 16 and a week’s B&B costs £599. 020-7836 4999
LONG HAUL
Beat this if you can: a fortnight in the Dominican Republic, in two or three-star accommodation for £185, with a flight from Gatwick on November 28, available with www.cheapflights.co.uk
Another good bargain is a week in Vermont for £389, with flights from Heathrow, car hire and B&B at the Holiday Inn, Killington. There is the chance to ski on slopes within a 20-minute drive and to shop at the Manchester Outlet Mall. The deal with Virgin Holidays is available between December 1 and 19. 0870-990 4210
Two six-day dive packs for the price of one, £150, are on offer with holidays to Sharm el Sheikh on the Red Sea with Regaldive between November 24 and December 15. The holidays cost £189 for a week at the Amar Sina Hotel and flights from Gatwick. 0870-220 1777
All prices on this page are per person and based on two sharing a room unless stated otherwise.
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