Winter 2026–27, sorted

Quick answer: Winter 2026–27 from the UK comes down to five decisions: fly south for sun, fly for snow, fly to Lapland for the aurora, stay in Britain, or take a no-fly cruise from Southampton. Each section below has the real costs, the dates and the airports, and every price is checked on the partner site before you book.

Cite this page: Atravel.uk, “Winter 2026–27, sorted”, updated 12 November 2026. https://atravel.uk/winter/

How we put this together

We do not sell trips. We compare what UK partners are offering, write down what a trip typically costs, and send you to the partner to check the live price and book. If a price on this site and a price on the partner site disagree, the partner is right.

Every page here says when it was checked. Where we cannot verify something — a cruise fare that moves daily, a market date an organiser has not confirmed — we say so instead of guessing.

Dates worth knowing for winter 2026–27

• Christmas markets: most open between 5 and 28 November 2026 and close between 22 December and 6 January 2027.
• Half term: 15–19 February 2027 in most English schools — the most expensive ski week of the season.
• Aurora season: September to March, best in January and February.
• Canaries: 21–23°C in the daytime all winter; the sea is 19–20°C.

Read the Christmas markets guide for exact dates market by market, or start with winter sun if you have had enough of the cold.

As an affiliate we may earn commission when you book through a partner link, at no extra cost to you. We do not sell, operate or price any of these trips, and commission never changes what we recommend.

Before you pay: the five deal guides

• Pay monthly deals — deposit plus balance versus credit, and what to check before you sign.
• Deals under £200 — what a sub-£200 winter trip actually buys, and which weeks make it possible.
• Family winter deals — half-term Canaries, Lapland with children, ski school and UK lodges.
• Last-minute winter deals — what gets cheaper inside two weeks and what only gets more expensive.
• Deals by airport — every UK airport with a winter-sun programme, including the ones that need a connection.

Read next

• Northern Lights in 2026–27: the two bases worth booking, the months that work and what it costs.
• Prague Christmas market: 28 November to 6 January, and the cheapest of the big four.
• Krakow Christmas market: smaller, colder and the best value two-night break.
• Stockholm Christmas market: the most atmospheric, with the shortest season.

Keep planning

• Compare flights
• Find a hotel
• Tours and tickets
• All destination guides

Guide

What to pack for a winter trip

Three trips, three different bags. The mistake people make is packing for the temperature they read on the forecast rather than for the hours they will spend outside.

City break, three nights

• One warm coat that covers your backside, not a padded jacket that stops at the waist.
• Two pairs of shoes: waterproof boots for the day and something you can wear to dinner.
• Layers, not jumpers: a thermal base, a mid-layer and the coat is warmer than one thick knit.
• Gloves and a hat. December in Krakow and Stockholm is not a scarf-only situation.

Ski trip

• Boots in the cabin bag if you own them. Hire boots are the one rental that ruins a week.
• Goggles, not sunglasses. Flat light is more common than sun.
• Two pairs of gloves and a spare neck warmer. They get wet on day one.
• Check the airline's ski bag rules before you pack: a ski bag is often a separate allowance with its own weight.

Lapland and the aurora

• Thermal base layers, top and bottom. The thermal suit operators lend you does not include them.
• Two pairs of socks and boots with room to move your toes. Tight boots are cold boots.
• A power bank kept inside your jacket. Phone batteries die in minutes at −15°C.
• The thing people forget: a thin pair of gloves you can wear while using a camera, under the big ones.

Checked before the 2026–27 season. Airline baggage rules change; check the carrier's page for the allowance on your fare.

Guide

What the weather actually does

Long-term averages for January and February, day and night, in the places we write about most. Numbers, not adjectives.

Place	January	February	What it feels like
London	8 / 3°C	9 / 3°C	Grey, damp, dark by 16:30
Tenerife	21 / 14°C	21 / 14°C	Warm in the sun, chilly in the shade
Lanzarote	20 / 13°C	21 / 13°C	Windy; a jacket for the evening
Malta	16 / 10°C	16 / 10°C	Mild, bright, sea too cold to swim
Benidorm	17 / 8°C	18 / 9°C	Sunny afternoons, cold nights
Prague	2 / −3°C	4 / −2°C	Dry cold, sharp in the wind
Krakow	0 / −6°C	2 / −5°C	Properly cold; boots with grip
Stockholm	−1 / −5°C	0 / −5°C	Light until 15:00, snow most years
Tromsø	−4 / −10°C	−4 / −10°C	Dry, dark, clear nights
Reykjavik	2 / −3°C	3 / −2°C	Wind and rain more than snow

Long-term climate averages, not a forecast for your week. Check the forecast five days out before you pack.