ASK AN EXPERT: Why booking your winter vacation now is a good idea

Summer might not be over yet, but it's already time to start thinking about where to warm up for winter. 

We asked Coral Travel – an agency that specializes in booking packages from Czechia to several holiday destinations and is part of Coral Travel Group, which has organized tours for more than 28 million clients worldwide – for tips. 

Coral Travel experts offer the best reasons to head to the seashore in the winter months and map out where to go.

This one needs no lengthy explanation –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ off-season trips are much more affordable. If you’re patient enough and wait for a Last Minute winter offer to an exotic destination, you can score a truly unique and unforgettable Christmas gift.

The range of holiday offers is always tailored to the season, focusing mainly on destinations where you can swim even in winter. The selection is ample, partly because there’s less competition for the best hotels than in summer. The atmosphere in towns and on beaches is also much more relaxed, as they are far less crowded.

If you long for the beauty of faraway lands or an exciting adventure in the desert, you’ll simply love taking a winter season trip. For example, the desert climate of Egypt or the United Arab Emirates is much more pleasant and inviting during this time of year.

If you want to avoid the pre-Christmas stress or brighten up the dark days of the winter months, escaping to a warmer climate is ideal. Popular winter destinations include Egypt and the Canary Islands. If you are open to journeying farther afield, give in to the exotic charm of Vietnam or Thailand, or discover the sumptuous beauty of Dubai.

“In our GDS flights for winter 2024/2025, we offer trips with departures from Prague to Turkey, Egypt, Dubai, Thailand and the Canary Islands, including Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria. To further expand our offer and cater to more clients, we've added departures from Polish airports in Katowice and Warsaw, using charter flights to the Dominican Republic and the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc,” says traveler and adventurer Pavel Raus, an advisor and content creator at Coral Travel CZ.

Why are the Canary Islands so popular and sought after as an all year-round destination? Even in winter, temperatures here hover around 20°C, and when it’s sunny, it may at times feel as if it’s July. The only difference is that the water is a bit colder in the winter months than in the summer, and the days are shorter.

“The choice of the location is the key. In different parts of the same island, the temperature can vary, and cool trade winds can make it feel as if it is colder than what you can read on the thermometer,” says Raus.

Turkey is a beautiful country, not only for families with children who love its clear blue sea, sandy beaches and well-equipped resorts often with water parks. 

Are you familiar with the Turkish mosaic lamp inlaid with colorful glass? It’s no coincidence that these lamps are one of Turkey’s symbols. Similarly, all of Turkey is a great mosaic of unforgettable experiences, offering a perfect destination for your active vacation full of sports and exploring both the historical and the natural beauty of this amazing country. 

Whether you choose cycling on numerous local cycling paths, a jeep ride far into the wilderness or adrenaline-filled paragliding, you can admire the glimmer of the beautiful sea or hike all the way up to the Taurus mountains and discover its magical canyons and the ruins of many ancient cities hidden among the peaks.

It’s not possible to talk about Turkey without mentioning its famous golf courses, which are sought after by golfers from around the world. Even some of the participants of this year’s Olympics Games were preparing here. It’s way more pleasant to walk these green fields during the cooler winter months than in the searing summer heat.

For adrenaline sports, hikes or trips to cities like Side or Ephesus, which are full of ancient monuments, autumn is the ideal period to travel. There may be slightly more rain, but temperatures still easily reach up to 25°C. In winter, Turkey is cold even on the coastline, where the temperatures only reach around 18°C, so it’s best to engage in physical activities to keep yourself warm.

On the other hand, the ancient monuments of Egypt combined with exciting desert expeditions are definitely recommended during the winter months, as summer temperatures can easily reach up to 50°C or more.

If you truly want to escape the winter cold, there are few faraway countries that are a sure bet. They offer year-round swimming, an explosion of lush oriental beauty and a keen desire to fulfill your every holiday wish. Whether it's Dubai, where luxurious hotels and futuristic buildings tower alongside pristine beaches, or Thailand, which retains its fairy-tale oriental charm of a tropical paradise.

In the United Arab Emirates, there are almost 300 sunny days a year, with stable sea temperatures between 23 and 32 degrees C. If you want to avoid the scorching summer heat, the best time to visit the UAE is from October to May. The autumn months are still very warm, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 degrees C. December and January bring some chill, but the peak season starts in February and March when temperatures rise again. Like everywhere, however, occasional rain can be expected in the winter months.

On the other hand, there is a good chance of avoiding rain in Thailand or Vietnam and on their surrounding islands. From December to March, it's the high season, also known as the dry season, characterized by dry, sunny weather with temperatures ranging from 25 to 32°C, water temperatures around 28°C, and almost no rainfall. You’ll get to enjoy the best holiday weather typically in January. The rainy season starts almost at the same time as the high season in most Mediterranean destinations.

That's why, for example, Thailand is a clear choice for a truly memorable winter vacation. “The Malay Peninsula or the island of Phuket, with its long pristine beaches, stable warm weather and bustling social life, are especially popular but nowhere near as sultry as in vibrant Bangkok, where the greenhouse effect is intensified by smog,” says Raus.