Top half-term destinations for families revealed

Families who missed out on their summer holidays should keep an eye out for great offers in travel this October half-term. You can still fly to sunny climes to places such as Paphos in Cyprus where temperatures can reach around 27°C and 29°C in Marrakech, Morocco.

According to a report by No1 Currency, booking last minute for a half term holiday offers good value holidays costing £385 per person, or £1540 for two adults and two children. Highlighted below are the ‘hottest’ locations, as well as those with the highest temperatures.

The cost of a package holiday, including flights and hotel for a family of four during the October half-term.

Marrakech is the hottest destination and has an abundance of family-friendly activities such as walking through botanical gardens of Jardin Majorelle, or touring round the dazzling Koutoubia Mosque and its nearby markets.

While Spain and Cyprus are firm British favourites, the best bargains to be had are in France, Italy and Croatia. Dubrovnik is architecturally stunning, and the city boasts plenty of free, outdoor sights. As a filming location for Game of Thrones, fans of the show will enjoy exploring King’s Landing.

For those on an even tighter budget, Nice in the classic French Riviera is the place to go. With package holidays costing £243pp, living la belle vie is certainly reasonably priced. Although average temperatures are around 18°C, top temperatures still reach a warm 22°C, a healthy 10°C higher than the average October temperature in the UK (12°C).

Simon Phillips, Retail Director at No1 Currency, comments: “It’s no secret that family holidays can cost a small fortune. With the average week-long holiday costing a whopping £2392 before expenses, peak season holidays can be costly, overcrowded and sometimes even too hot depending on location – which is why October holidays can be seen as a welcome break.”

Regarding the falling value of sterling he added: “Although the Pound has fallen significantly in the last few months there are some great package deals on the market so it’s not all doom and gloom for Brits wanting to get away.”

But he warns: “Don’t get ripped off by airport exchange rates. Although airport currency booths frequently advertise “0% commission” any benefit is lost by the huge mark-ups charged on their exchange rates. By changing your spending money at the airport you may get up to a third less than you would if you had pre-ordered your currency. So make sure to change your Sterling before you travel – ordering currency online can often result in the most competitive rates.”