Where is hot in February? Top destinations for half-term holidays in the sun and the best flights to book

When is February half term?

The dates of school holidays can vary according to what area of the UK you live in and which school your child goes to, so before you book any flights it’s advisable to check with your youngster’s school exactly what dates they are on their break from school.

Most schools across England, Scotland and Wales will have their half term holiday between February 14 and 18 or February 21 and 25.

In Ireland, pupils will enjoy a long weekend in February and will be on holiday from school on February 17 and 18.

Where are the best places to go for a February half term family holiday, and how much will it cost to fly there?

There are a number of destinations you can visit for some winter warmth and sun. Here are some of our suggestions.

Canary Islands

In the Canary Islands in February, you can enjoy average temperatures of 18°c during the day, with highs of 21°c and lows of 14°c at night. It’s these mild temperatures that gives them the nickname ‘Islands of Eternal Spring’.

Lanzarote is the best island for families due to the child-friendly theme parks, familiar cuisine and pretty coastline, but there’s also Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria to consider too.

We’ve found the following flights:

• Edinburgh to Lanzarote (February 19 to February 26) - Priced at £25 for infants aged up to 2, £69 for a child aged 2 to 15 and £82.99 per adult for the outbound flight. It’s slightly cheaper for the return flight - £25 for infants and £81.99 for children and adults. The flight times are child-friendly for this one too - 11.45am for the outbound flight and 5.05pm for the return flight.
• Manchester to Tenerife (February 13 to February 20) - Priced at £25 for infants aged up to 2, £42.32 for a child aged 2 to 15 and £55.32 per adult for the outbound flight. The return flight is a little more expensive, but is still good value for money at £25 for infants and £63.32 for children and adults. It will be an early start for the outbond flight at 7.05am, but you will save over £100 for an adult versus travelling at lunch time the day before so it’s well worth getting out of bed a bit earlier. The return flight will land back in Manchester at 5.05pm so there will still be plenty of time to get the kids ready for school again.
• London Gatwick to Fuerteventura (February 20 to February 25) - The price of flights out of London varies, depending on which airport you fly from and what time and day you are flying. The cheapest option is to fly on Sunday February 20 and return on Friday Februay 25, which costs £67.99 for an adult on the outbound flight and £60.99 for the return flight. The price jumps by £80 to £100 per adult if you want to fly Saturday 19 February to Saturday 26 February, so it’s up to you to decide how much you are willing to pay for your flight and how long you want to be away for.

Portugal

You have lots of choice when it comes to Portugal, where you can expect average temperatures of 16°c . At night the temperature can drop to 9°c so you may need to take clothing which can easily be layered, like tops and cardigans or hoodies, just in case the weather does take a chilly turn.

The Algarve is the most popular location for families and most visitors stay within the western region between Albufeira and Lagos, which includes Praia da Rocha, Carvoeiro and Praia da Luz.

You could also visit Maderia where there’s plenty of family friendly beaches, a waterpark and an aquarium.

We’ve found the following flights:

• London Heathrow to Faro (February 19 to February 26) - Prices for this flight start at £271 per adult, based on an economy flight, but economy plus and business flight options, plus additional baggage options are available.
• London Heathrow to Funchal, Maderia (February 12 to 19) - Prices for this flight start at £320 per adult based on an economy flight, but economy plus and business flight options, plus additional baggage options are available.

Malta

Malta enjoys some of Europe’s best weather because of its position in the Mediterranean between Sicily and the north coast of Africa. February brings warmer spring-like temperatures. The average high temperature in February is 16ºC, so there will be plenty of opportunities to relax on the beach. Like Portugal though, it can get a little chilly in the evenings so don’t forget to pack some warmer clothes.

It’s a great place for family. There’s plenty to keep children of all ages entertained, including beaches, water parks and theme parks. There’s also plenty of family-friendly places to stay too.

We’ve found the following flights:

• Manchester to Malta (February 12 to February 19) - The price of this flight is quite a lot more expensive for the outbound flight when compared to the return flight, but it’s still a good price overall. It costs £116.99 for an adult flying outbound and £47.99 for the return flight. The return flight is later in the day, not landing until 10.45pm - however, as it’s on the Saturday night there will be time to adjust back in to home life on the Sunday before back to school.
• London Gatwick to Malta (February 13 to February 18) - No flights are available for the Saturday to Saturday on this route, but it’s still possible to have a great five day break by flying from London. The price of the outbound flight costs £153.99 per adult and the return flight costs £101.99 - with prices varying for children and infants.

Cyprus

Cyprus is one of the warmest destinations due to its location close to southwest Asia, just off the south coast of Turkey and north of Egypt. You’ll get a good amount of sunshine if you visit Cyprus during February, and although it’s one of the coolest months of the year in their calendar, us Brits will feel like it’s similar to an enjoyable spring day. The average temperature there for during the day is 16°c or 17°c.

Paphos is the most popular destination for families. There’s plenty to keep children and adults alike entertained, including beaches, a harbour and port, a water park and a zoo.

We’ve found the following flights:

• London Gatwick to Paphos, Cyprus starting at £14 for an adult, one way, via EasyJet
• Manchester to Paphos, Cyprus starting at £45 for an adult, one way, via Easyjet

Is it safe for book travel in 2022?

British Airways Book with Confidence policy offers fee-free changes, or a voucher exchange, for bookings made during the January sale, as long as their initial travel dates are before the 31 August 2022.

That means you can book in the knowledge that you can change your flights or holiday should further Covid restrictions come into place. However, you will not get a refund unless the holiday itself can not be fulfilled - in which case you will receive a full refund back within 14 days, according to British Airways.

The airline continues to incorporate protective measures on the ground and in the sky to keep customers safe.

Easyket also have a Protection Promise which means if your trip is impacted by a lockdown travel ban or mandatory hotel quarantine, you can transfer your flight for free to a later date, anytime up to 2 hours before departure, or opt for a voucher or refund, even if your flight is still operating. Applies to flights up to and including 31 December 2022.

You wil also be able to transfer your flight fee free, up to 2 hours before your departure to any flight and to any destination. This policy applies to changes made up to and including 31 March 2022. If the new fare is higher will you be asked to pay the difference.

If your flight is cancelled, Easyjet assure customers they can easily request a cash refund or voucher.

The airline also still has a number of key safety measures still in place.

What will the entry requirements for UK visitors be during February?

Covid-19 testing for travellers arriving in England who are fully vaccinated will be axed from February 11, so if you’ve had your coronavirus jabs you won’t need to have a test when you return after your holiday.

Eligible fully-vaccinated passengers arriving in the UK will “no longer have to take a post-arrival lateral flow test” from 4am on that date, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs earlier this week.

Passengers who are not fully vaccinated will no longer need to do a day eight test or self isolate, though they must still show proof of a negative test ahead of travel and take a PCR after arrival.

The change has been been welcomed by travel experts, and will also mean that families will pay less for their half term breaks.