Price: from £219.

Description: one week, self-catering.

Operator: Budget Travel.

If it's a quick, cheap blast of sun you're looking for, Gran Canaria is probably the best bet. Temperatures consistently range between 17C and 23C during winter.

However, there is a large variety in standards of accommodation with basic self-catering package tours selling at up to a quarter of the price of hotel-based holidays. Eating out and entertainment on the island is relatively cheap. Flights with Budget Travel leave each Saturday from Cork and Dublin.