The best cheap holidays deals for 2024: How to reach the sun for less

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get Simon Calder’s Travel email

It’s time to escape the shackles of British winter and plan a trip for those who dare to look ahead to balmy summer days and poolside lounging under pinstriped parasols.

Whether a post-Christmas gift from you to you or a pick-me-up in the build-up to the doom and gloom of Blue Monday, it’s never too early to book ahead for a 2024 holiday.

We expect to see big travel discounts this winter to secure a steal on price-slashed package holidays, discounted flights and hotel stays. If last year is any indication, great discount codes from Tui, Expedia and Club Med saved budget travellers hundreds on last-minute cruises and exotic all-inclusives.

With offers available now and amping up for beloved Boxing Day discounts on 26 December and the January sales come New Year’s Day, we’ll be keeping this guide updated during the sale season built for bargains in 2024.

Here is what we know about the top winter travel deals that have landed so far – and keep coming back to check as we add more.

Read more from Independent Travel:

Prepare to jet set for less with the British Airways annual sale. Not only are there two-night city breaks up to grabs from just £149pp, but discounted flights to over 80 destinations and holiday packages to European beach hotspots from £249pp. Think of long weekends in Lisbon, Munich and Madrid, flights to New York from £356pp and savings on far-flung sun until 30 January 2024.

Right now you can save up to £250 in Tui’s Live Happy sale on summer holidays departing between May and October 2024 using code “SALE”. The package discount for holidaymakers is valid until 29 February 2024 with £0 deposits and free kid’s places also available on select Tui getaways. There’s also a £300 discount on select long-haul Marella Cruises with code “SAIL300” and an additional app-exclusive price slash.

Loveholidays winter promotion is live until 4 February 2024 for budget-savvy travellers to basket savings of up to 25 per cent on selected hotels including five-star winter sun haunts in Egypt and all-inclusive resorts in Turkey for less than £350pp. The online travel agent’s top deals from the promotion feature a week at the Hotel Rosa Beach Monastir in Tunisia for just £221pp and seven nights in Albufeira for £205pp.

Lovebirds planning to fly away for Valentine’s Day, look no further. Jet2Holidays pre-sale on winter getaways includes just £60pp deposits to the likes of Tenerife, Lanzarote and the Algarve. MyJet2 account members have even more incentive to book now, with discounts for parties of two up to £120 off full-price holiday packages when departing before 31 March 2024.

With city breaks from just £39.99 this winter, Eurostar promises budget journeys to iconic capitals including Paris, Lille, Brussels and Amsterdam less than two hours from London St Pancras International – and there are 75,000 discounted seats up for grabs. 

Wallet-friendly airline easyJet is kicking off its Big Orange Sale event with up to 20 per cent off flights in 2024. With flights from just £22.99 each way in December and January Innsbruck, Milan, Pisa and Antalya are at your fingertips for less than £50 this winter. There’s also an impressive £300 off select package holidays taken before 31 October 2025 to dreamy destinations worldwide when code “BIGSALE” is applied at checkout.

Last-minute travellers can save 15 per cent on selected “Late Escape” deals with Booking.com. The offer on hotel holidays to Istanbul, Rome, Dubai and Paris is valid for travel between now and 3 January 2024 for those looking to escape “Twixmas” days for sunnier shores.

To jet set for even less, Ryanair has 10 per cent off winter sun flights departing between 1 January 2024 and 31 March 2024. Book before 22 December with code “WNSUN10P” to benefit from the budget airline’s fare discount to destinations including Alicante, Malta and Cyprus. There are also bargain flights to bag in the New Year from £20.24 to European hotspots such as Krakow, Milan and Barcelona.

There are big savings on great adventures with G Adventures this December. Intrepid explorers can save up to 25 per cent per person on small group tours for select dates departing before 30 June 2024. Alaskan adventures, Galápagos expeditions and Costa Rican hiking treks to discover the continents must be booked before 31 January 2024 to benefit from the adventure travel group’s generous discount.

Lastminute.com’s official Boxing Day and January sale promotion launched on 20 December for holidaymakers to secure a steal on half-term holidays, Easter long weekends and summer getaways from as little as £28.50pp per night. Destinations including Barcelona, Costa Brava and Ibiza will all cost under £350pp in the sale and seven luxury all-inclusive nights in Crete in June will set travellers back just £399pp.

For £250 off your next holiday, First Choice has discounted deals until 29 February for trips departing between 1 May 2024 and 31 October 2024. Picture Palma for less, saving on stays on the French Riviera and indulging in New York’s iconic cityscape without splashing the cash this winter on the holiday providers’ select sun, sea and adventure getaways.

Seafaring travellers can save up to £120 on Anthem of the Seas European journeys departing in summer 2024 with Royal Caribbean this week. This penny-saving promotion also offers a third and fourth guest to sail for only £129 on Parisian, Spanish and Norweigan adventures at sea between May and October next year.

Hundreds of new horizons have holiday discounts for 2024 on Thomas Cook right now. With deals from £189pp to Egypt’s Red Sea coast, the year-round sun of the Canary Islands and the golden Costa del Sol, your summer holiday is sorted. Can’t wait that long to fly away? Last-minute winter sun beach holidays to destinations including Morocco and Mexico currently start from just £199pp.

There’s a chance to set sail for 30 per cent less with Princess Cruises’ sale on all-inclusive holiday packages to the likes of the Mediterranean, Alaska and Mexico. Selected 2025 departures benefit from the generous offer and low deposits from £50pp mean securing your dream floating holiday has never been more budget-friendly.

Virgin Atlantic’s end-of-year deals have landed with huge savings on flights, city breaks and winter getaways from just £359 this December. Whether jetting to the thrills of Florida, white sands in the Caribbean or the skyscrapers of Dubai, travellers can also save up to £100 on selected flights per person until 31 January 2024.

Discounts up to 25 per cent have landed at participating Fairmont Hotels and Resorts including Canadian château’s, Bermuda beach clubs and Kenyan safari stays. The deal is live to book until 29 March 2024 for stays through 30 April 2024 and members can enjoy an additional price cut of 10 per cent as part of Accor’s loyalty programme.

Ambassador Cruise Line has dropped its Turn of Year promotion with savings of up to 63 per cent on select sailings and 50 per cent off deals on drinks packages for the 2024/25 season. Itineraries feature Iceland, North Africa and Norway and kids on multi-generational cruises can also travel for just £99 onboard Ambience and Ambition voyages departing the UK.

Read more of our great escape tours