Your must read travel round up 🏖️
Hiya 👋
This week we’re talking winter sun, following my recent trip to Antalya in Turkey.
But here’s the big question… what even counts as a winter sun holiday?
Traditionally, it meant somewhere you could pretty much rely on 20°C+ in the winter months but in recent years I feel like the definition has widened a little…
Hello from Antalya!
Why? Well, the truth is that if you want proper guaranteed heat, you’re usually looking at longer flights - with bigger price tags to match.
So, due to budget constraints (and honestly, not wanting to travel that far), a lot of us are sticking closer to home and praying the weather gods are in a good mood. Because even winter sun heavyweights like the Canary Islands can have a dodgy spell that sends the temperature down into the low teens.
Overall, I don’t mind these closer destinations being listed as winter sun, but I do take anything under five hours’ flight from the UK with a pinch of salt. It might not get me a tan, but 9 times out of 10 it still beats the weather back home!
What do you think? Let me know in the poll at the bottom!
Coming up in this newsletter:
Cheap 5 star winter sun holidays ☀️
Destinations in the same time zone as the UK 🕰️
The best affordable winter sun spots 💸
My fave packing hacks for your hand luggage 🎒
Guess how much Molly Mae paid for her summer getaway… 🌊
The top 10 cheapest 5 star winter sun destinations are…
We’ve worked with TravelSupermarket to reveal the top 10 for those of you like a bit of luxury without paying for it.
Stay on UK time with these holiday destinations
Seeking warm weather doesn’t have to mean a silly time difference. I think some of these places may surprise you!
Viral Vacay📲
Where we track down travel videos that have gone viral, find out how much it actually costs and if needs be, suggest a cheaper alternative 🕵️♀️
What is it? Molly Mae’s Ultra All Inclusive holiday to the luxury suites-only Regnum The Crown in Turkey.
How viral? James and I talked about it last year on our podcast, Passports Please! and it got millions of views!
How much? Flying in the peak period, we priced up Molly Mae’s trip at a minimum of £3,246pp - ouch! But I have found a much cheaper price in my weekly deals below if you’re dead set on visiting!
What are the options? Don’t panic, there are other 5 star spots in Antalya where you can stay for a much less eye-watering price…
Seen a viral video you want me to do this for? Reply with it to this email! 📧
Affordable winter sun destinations
Not set on 5 star? No worries. Here’s our 5 top choices for last minute winter sun breaks which includes a long haul option as well 👀
Packing hacks for hand luggage
Calling all overpackers - I think that 2026 is the year that you do a trip with just a carry on bag. And here’s how you should do it!
My deal of the week
My Weekly Deals - 5 Star Edition
As part of my work with TravelSupermarket, I choose 3 weekly deals and this week it’s all 5 star stays where you can save up to 73% versus going in the summer! And yep, that Molly Mae hotel is one of them…
Family Ski Deals
If snow is more your thing, check out these family ski holiday deals. I’ve found offers for stays in France, Andorra, Poland and more - and they all come in at less than £500pp!
The Best Hotels in Edinburgh
In honour of Burns Night on Sunday, we’ve picked the best Edinburgh hotels for every budget, and asked our Chief Scottish Officer (unofficial title) Anna for some recommendations.
You can also browse even more package holiday deals over on the Holiday Expert website!
What the team’s been loving this week!
When we’ve not been working really hard - ahem - here’s some of the things that we’ve been enjoying over on socials.
Anna: I’m just gonna take a backpack on my next trip…
Jack: This guy’s haircut takes me right back to watching Brazilian footie in the noughties.
Katie: I’m hooked on this series of capital cities as wedding cakes…
James: This actually makes me want to go skiing.
Chelsea: How CUTE is this painted boarding pass as a gift for a travel lover??!
(P.S. We actually compete every week on who gets those most clicks on these 😆)
More from Holiday Expert
Passports Please! podcast
James and I are doing the podcast from Turkey this week! Listen to how James got scammed within minutes and the moment we found out the absolutely absurd price of a Big Mac in the airport.
Fast track vs. normal security
James and I set out to test whether an extra £6.99 for fast track is really worth it - can you guess which of us got through security first?!
Catch up on YouTube
We filmed 2 YouTube videos whilst in Turkey which will be out soon, but for now are you all caught up? Our latest video is about my cheap £200 skip trip!
And that’s a wrap!
That’s all for this week – thanks if you made it this far and why not let me know you did so by answering the poll below ⬇️
If you have a mate or family member who loves to travel and could do with a helping hand from us here at Holiday Expert, just hit the button below and share the link!
What temperature do you think counts as winter sun?
Speak to you soon!
Chelsea x
It’s all about the 5 star breakfast buffet… amiright?
Adventure outside the ordinary
Trusted specialty outdoor retailer, REI Co-op, has teamed up with the world’s largest adventure travel company, Intrepid Travel, to create a collection of active trips. From farm stays in Costa Rica to sunrise summits on Kilimanjaro, each trip is led by a local expert with small group sizes capped at 16.
For T&Cs and to view the full collection of trips in 85+ destinations, visit rei.com/travel.
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