Save money and have fun with February holidays
After a long dark winter the days are becoming noticeably longer in February. From fewer than eight hours daylight in the UK in mid-winter by the middle of February the days are up to ten hours long and nearly eleven by the month’s end . The daylight hours are extended even further if you head to destinations in Spain or Portugal where you will be getting close to an extra hour of wonderful daylight in comparison to the UK.
Whilst the temperatures across Europe will still be quite chilly the number of sunny days are often increasing noticeably – and that welcome sunlight is just beginning to warm the air for the start of spring. However because it is still the low-season for holidays in Europe there are often money-saving offers available and some of those deals can make half-term breaks in February something special to look forward to.
The weather will dictate that February holidays are built around mainly indoor activities. Museums and galleries are welcome retreats when it is particularly cold or wet and the kids will be more enthusiastic when they are not being tempted outside with balmy summer temperatures. Just ensure that you have plenty of warm clothes and you can still have great fun at the main attractions of your chosen destination.
February is also a good time to book day trips by coach to nearby attractions. The roads are normally far less congested without all that summer holiday traffic. So you can enjoy your coach trips with reasonable confidence that you won’t have to think of ways to occupy the kids for hours as you crawl along with local traffic coming home from the seaside.
To add a little colour and sparkle to your February holiday look for local festivals and parades. The Venice Carnival runs in February as does the Sitges Carnival. Many of the major theme parks like Disneyland Paris are open all year through although some of the rides and water-parks will still be closed in February. As an alternative look for indoor amusement parks like the Robinson Crusoe themed L’Ile de Robinson on the outskirts of Paris.
You do need to do your homework to find the best February holiday deals. If you head to Paris around Saint Valentine’s Day air fares are likely to be quite high and eating out in the city is also likely to be more expensive. You should also keep in mind that whilst there are excellent deals to be found for holidays in February the air fares element from the UK during half-term can be up to 40% higher than in the weeks before. Nevertheless the cost of flights in February is generally lower than in the high-season and if you have the flexibility to book flights late you can make significant savings with carriers keen to fill empty seats. You can also consider travelling to your destination by rail coach or ferry to save money because whilst these operators’ prices do vary seasonally special low cost offers are more frequently available from them.
