Southern charms

Nearly 20 months after shuttering its borders to UK travellers, the US is firmly back on our holiday menu. So why not not celebrate with a near-fortnight in one of its richest cultural regions. Nashville, Memphis, Graceland and New Orleans are among the biggest draws on a Southern tour with Insight Vacations. Journey through the South’s musical fabric, from the Grand Ole Opry (which held its first concert in 1892) to street performers in the French Quarter. For a hassle-free reunion with the States (accommodation, transport via coach, an on-the-road team and airport transfers are included), you can save £901 per person. 

Insight Vacations (0800 533 5620; insightvacations.com) offers a 12-day ‘Country Roads of The Deep South’ tour for £3,604 per person on selected dates, down from £4,505 per person. This price is valid until November 30, or until stocks last.

Barn party

Plan a pre-Christmas, French Alps break in Val D’Isere. Consider a cosy chalet, which has been transformed from a 200-year-old farmhouse and sleeps up to 10 – ideal for a getaway with a small crowd of friends. The basement has been transformed into a spa suite, complete with a small pool and hammam, and you can also choose to tack on services such as welcome champagne and canapés, catering and beauty treatments. After a washout in 2020, why not add some sparkle to this December? You’ll be able to reach the slopes by foot, and ski hire is provided by Killy Sport, which is a five-minute walk from the property.

Skiline (020 8313 3999; skiline.co.uk) is offering seven nights at The Farmhouse from £800 per person, departure December 8, 2021, with transfers included. This deal runs until November 26. 

Cruise the Aegean

Some 46 sailings are included in Celestyal Cruises’ Black Friday sale, with discounts of up to 40 per cent, free places for children and no single supplements among its offers. It runs until November 30 and covers select all-inclusive voyages in 2022. Among the top picks is a week-long itinerary beginning in Athens and calling at Crete, Rhodes, Santorini, Milos, Mykonos and Kusadasi, as well as a maiden call at Thessaloniki. You could enjoy guided visits to the medieval Acropolis of Lindos and the archaeological site of Ephesus. 

Celestyal Cruises (0800 411 8038; celestyal.com) is offering an ‘Idyllic Aegean’ voyage from £689 per person, based on double occupancy, not including flights, for bookings made by November 30.