10 Last Minute Travel Ideas For October Half Term

The summer holidays have just wrapped up – and it’s already time to start planning for the next school hiatus. Your mind might venture to hotter climes for October half term, but super soft sand beaches and ocean frolics can be found on home shores, too. (Health warning: an autumn dip is not for the faint hearted.) Here are eight half term escapes we’re dreaming of.

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October Half Term Holiday Ideas 2024

Four Seasons Fairways

Family is at the heart of Quinto do Lago’s Four Seasons Fairways – so it’s the perfect choice for a half term escape. A gated community tucked away in the Algarve, choose between 132 traditional villas and apartments, featuring all the luxury you can expect from a hotel with an added dollop of privacy. For little ones, there’s the ‘Upside Down’ Kids Club, but everyone regardless of age will be entertained by the Clubhouse with its indoor and outdoor heated pools, jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish bath, gym, tennis courts and snooker room. Fuel up with family BBQs, wholesome lunches and wood-fired pizzas poolside after exploring everything the estate has to offer, and you’ll never want to leave.

Details: Prices from £1,270 per week for a two-bedroom apartment or villa. fourseasonsfairways.com

Tenby (Visit Wales)

Pembrokeshire, Wales

Halloween falls right in the midst of half term this year, so why not thrill little ones with a spooky half term escape? Close to Tenby is Carew Castle & Tidal Mill for family-friendly ghost hunts, a haunted house experience, and live interactive adventures with The Sorcerer’s Quest and Room on The Broom Storytelling Workshop. Or hop across Pembrokeshire for some outdoor fun: play hide and seek amid the hay bales at Pembrokeshire Pumpkin Farm, and traverse the wildflower meadow’s creepy trail before heading home with your very own pumpkin in tow.

Details: Visit our guide to Wales staycations here, and discover more October half term ideas at visitwales.co.uk

Cheetahs in Mokolwane

Safari In Botswana

Have you caught the Big Cats 24/7 bug? Walk in the film crew’s footsteps in Botswana this October half term – or plan ahead for a winter sun escape. The series follows majestic creatives across the Okavango Delta, based at Mokolwane Camp, and Yellow Zebra is giving guests the opportunity to stay in this very camp for themselves. Mokolwane is the only camp in its 180,000 ha area, so any stay here is the height of exclusivity, and is perfectly paired with Meno a Kwena on the Boteti River in Makgadikgadi Pans.

Details: Yellow Zebra are offering 6 nights in Botswana with Natural Selection’s camps, including 2 nights at Meno-a-Kwena and 4 nights at Mokolwane, including international flights, internal flights and transfers, all meals, selected alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, scheduled safari activities and daily laundry. From price of £5,302 per person, based on two adults sharing. To enquire about this itinerary, visit yellowzebrasafaris.com/botswana

Finland

Leaf peeping gathers steam every autumn, but it’s Finland (aka the happiest country in the world) on our radar in 2024. Over there, the explosion of fiery colours in the forests is known as ruska (from the Inari Sámi word, ruške), beginning in Lapland in September and spreading south in just a few weeks. Hiking, foraging and camping have never looked better, awash with red, orange and yellow hues. And if you missed the northern lights painting British skies this summer, you might just catch a glimpse in Finland this half term.

Details: Plan your adventure at visitfinland.com

CGI

As the green morphs into autumnal hues, a hop across the Irish sea has never been more tempting. Immerse the kids in the wonders of woodland with The Montenotte’s brand new Woodland Suite Experience: nine elegantly finished suites perch on a hilltop with stunning views of the rolling Irish landscape and River Lee, and Cork Harbour and Cork City in the distance. It’s the the ultimate in luxurious comfort – and a great base from which to dig beneath the surface of Cork.

Details: Book at themontenottehotel.com

One Bedroom Residence Grand Balcony Beach Front

Sani Resort, Greece

If you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to the sun, venture to Greece this October half term and make the most of Sani Resort’s new Sani Asterias Beachfront Residential Suites which opened in June. Expect seamless indoor-outdoor living with direct beach access, natural stone interiors, private infinity pools and views over the Aegean. With upgrades spinning wine fridges to home cinemas, and with some of the resort’s most intimate suites, guests can expect a tranquil escape immersed in luxury.

Details: Book at sani-resort.com

Calcot & Spa, Cotswolds

If a staycation is what the doctor ordered, the Cotswolds are top of the pile. And leaf peeping doesn’t get better than at Westonbirt Arboretum, where guests can support a conservation project while indulging in a spot of forest bathing. To continue that nature immersion, check into the rewilded Calcot & Spa, featuring honey hued cottages across 220 sprawling acres, an indulgent spa and 50,000 bees to boot.

Details: Book at pobhotels.com

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Haven’t you heard? The cool kids travel off season these days – and the Amalfi Coast, with its crystal clear waters and dramatic cliffside vistas, is stunning whatever the season. Check into one of Treville Positano’s 16 suites – all scattered across only six villas connected by a network of stone passageways and flower-lined trails – for a tranquil autumnal escape with fewer crowds and gentler weather for youthful skin.

Details: Book at villatreville.com

Isle of Sky, Scotland

Foodies have been flocking to the Isle of Skye for years now – but it’s also a lovely spot for stargazing. Check into The Three Chimneys for a dreamy Skye escape, featuring gourmet goodness and the darkest of skies come nightfall, perfect for some serendipitous aurora sights.

Details: Book at threechimneys.co.uk

The Chedi, Montenegro

Montenegro is a trending destination, stealing sun-seeking travellers from its neighbour Croatia in droves. With milder temperatures and quieter beaches, October is the best time to visit this Balkan nation – and seaside town Luštica Bay is an idyllic spot to settle in and enjoy a spot of slow living. For an eco-edge, check in to The Chedi to experience the Balkan’s greenest hotel first hand, complete with two restaurants, two bars, an Asian inspired spa and an idyllic infinity pool peering across the Adriatic.

Details: Book at chedilusticabay.com

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