When Kate Jones, from Dulwich in south-east London, wrote in to ask where she could find another burst of summer heat in Europe for a week in mid to late October, the Daily Mail's Holiday Guru column pointed her toward the Mediterranean, where several popular destinations are still recording daily highs of between 25C and 27C.
Holiday Guru noted that while London and Manchester see average highs of just 14C in October, according to holiday-weather.com, Seville in Andalusia can expect 26C, while Torremolinos and Benidorm are typically around 24C.
For a longer trip, Holiday Guru suggested flying into Seville and spending a couple of nights taking in sights such as the Moorish Royal Alcazar palace and the city's cathedral, along with its tapas bars, before catching a two-hour-40-minute train to Granada, home of the Alhambra fortress, for two further nights. That train ticket costs £43 through Trainline.
From Granada, Holiday Guru recommended a four-hour train to Ronda, priced at £20, to see the town's bridge spanning a deep ravine, visit its historic bullring and take in a flamenco show. Travellers can then catch a four-hour-30-minute train back to Seville, costing £40, for a final night before flying home. Return flights were listed at £62 in mid-October through Ryanair.
For those who prefer to stay in one place, Holiday Guru highlighted seven nights at the Hotel Riu Costa Del Sol in Torremolinos, from £781 per person all-inclusive, departing Stansted on October 20. The beachside hotel has four pools, a spa and a gym, and the deal is available through Tui.
Malta, Cyprus and Turkey options
Malta was also named as a warm-weather choice, with daily highs typically around 25C in October. Return flights from Stansted start at £76 through Ryanair, and Holiday Guru pointed to Airbnb listings in the capital, Valletta, including a small house in the city centre from £635 for a week.
Cyprus, where temperatures can touch 27C in October, was flagged as another option, with flights from £205 return through Skyscanner. A sea-view apartment in Peyia, near Paphos, was listed from £629 a week on Airbnb, while a week's all-inclusive stay at the Atlantica Bay hotel near Paphos was priced from £878 per person including Stansted flights, through Tui.
Holiday Guru also suggested an all-inclusive package to Antalya in Turkey, where daily highs reach 26C in October, from £1,074 per person. That deal covers a stay at the beachside, adults-only White City Beach Hotel near Alanya, booked through Jet2Holidays.
Finding a big birthday venue
A second reader, Judith Gluyas, wrote in seeking either a friendly hotel or a self-catering house for 12 adults and two children over the February half-term, somewhere between the Cotswolds, London and Hampshire, ideally with a pool, to celebrate a big birthday.
Holiday Guru suggested searching Airbnb using the filters for a pool and the half-term dates. When Holiday Guru checked, 43 options came up, ranging from £3,572 for a week in Wiltshire from February 13 to £17,133 for a home in Sandford St Martin, seven miles east of Chipping Norton.
Readers with their own travel questions can email Holiday Guru at [email protected].
