British Isles

The historic Suffolk wool town of Lavenham, with many half-timbered buildings, is always worth a visit — but from November 20 to 22, there are added incentives. A literary festival is taking place with Ronald Blythe, Rose Tremain and Alison Weir among the speakers — and the 15th-century Swan Hotel has a special weekend offer from £225. It includes two nights’ B&B, tickets to a literary dinner on the Friday, festival events and dinner on Saturday. 01787 247477

La Fête dé Noué is the main pre-Christmas event in Jersey and Modern Hotels has a three-night break from December 4 taking in the Christmas Market and candlelight procession in St Helier the next day. It costs from £135 with half-board at the Mayfair Hotel and a FastCat crossing from Weymouth. 01534 759529

Make your own entertainment, trying your hand at pottery, painting and drawing with a little help from the owners, when staying on a farm near Port Isaac, Cornwall. The Carriage House sleeps four and costs £274 a week from the next two Saturdays with Classic Cottages. 01326 555555

Get in some sightseeing and early Christmas shopping by staying in a new and contemporary flat in the Broughton area of Edinburgh. It sleeps four, costs £350 a week this month with holidaylettings.co.uk and is a 15-minute walk or short bus ride from Princes Street. Short breaks are also available.
01865 312000

Linthwaite House Hotel, on a hilltop above Windermere, has a “retail therapy” offer this month, with dinner, B&B from £99 a night, excluding Saturdays, and vouchers for the best local shops. 015394 88600

Beat the traffic delays that engulf Twickenham whenever it stages a rugby international by staying in the London Marriott Hotel, recently opened in the South Stand. Rooms for two with breakfast are from £199 a night, including the next three weekends when England host Australia, Argentina and New Zealand. Guests have free use of the health and fitness club.
020-8891 8200

Short haul

Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and Directline Citybreaks has a trip to coincide with the festivities, which include an open air concert, collapse of a wall of giant foam dominos, and fireworks. Three nights’ B&B at the four-star Gates Hotel and a flight from Gatwick on Sunday cost from £283. 020-8239 3399

A week’s holiday in Lanzarote for single travellers is on offer for £469, a £120 saving, with Friendship Travel. The holiday starts with a flight from Gatwick on November 19 and includes transfers to the three-star Lanzarote Gardens hotel at Costa Teguise, to stay in a double room, with breakfast and three dinners.
0871 2002035

Packages to the Canary Isles with lowcostholidays.com range from a week’s self-catering in Golf del Sur, Tenerife, from £138, based on four sharing and with a flight from Gatwick on November 19, to an all-inclusive week on Fuerteventura from £308. This holiday in Corralejo starts with a flight from Stansted on November 18. 0800 1116271

A week in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada is available at half-price with Olympic Holidays. Fly from Gatwick on December 4 for half-board at the Hor Palace Hotel, a budget property beside the beach and with a large pool, and pay £259.
0844 5762386

Marrakesh for four nights for £279 is a good deal with Holiday Jewels. It includes a flight from Gatwick on November 27 and B&B at the Oudaya Hotel, close to Djemaa el Fna, the central square that leads to the medina. The three-star hotel has a pool, sauna and traditional Hammam. 01293 533338

See the winter stars and hopefully the Northern Lights at their brightest on a week’s cruise up the coast of Norway and into the Arctic Circle. Available with Iglucruise.com, the trip costs £795 with a flight from Gatwick to Bergen on November 19 to join MS Nordlys for calls at Trondheim, Bodo, Tromso and Kirkenes. Full board and transfers included. 020-8544 6447

Long haul

Take yourself on a pre-Christmas cruise to the Caribbean with Tropical Sky. Fly from Gatwick to Savona, Italy, on December 5 for a 13-night voyage via Madeira, to Barbados, Grenada and St Lucia, and then enjoy four nights’ all-inclusive at Almond Smugglers Cove. Price, including return flight: £1,099.
0870 9079600

A week in San Francisco for £434 is on offer with Expedia.co.uk. The package includes a BA flight from Heathrow on November 18 and a room in the three-star Hotel Whitcomb in the theatre district and within a mile of the Museum of Modern Art.
0871 2260808

Prices are per person, based on two sharing a room unless stated otherwise.

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