Winter Your Way: Discover winter 2026/27 destinations from London Southend Airport
Winter
Some people prefer the snow, others like sand between their toes. Some are in it to hit the slopes, others for mulled wine and market stalls.
When you fly from London Southend Airport, you can do winter your way.
Our flights open up all sorts of possibilities for 2026/27, from city breaks to winter sun. You could be warming up in Budapest’s thermal baths, heading for the Austrian Alps, or swapping your scarf for snorkelling gear in the Red Sea.
Let’s take a look at where your winter could take you.
Key takeaways
- Explore our winter destinations: Choose from city breaks, winter sun, ski escapes, and Christmas markets.
- City breaks: Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, and Budapest.
- Winter sun: Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Malta, and Sharm El Sheikh.
- Ski escapes: Salzburg, Geneva, and Lyon.
- Christmas markets: Edinburgh, Belfast, Berlin, and Munich.
- Plan around the season: Routes operate on different dates, with Sharm El Sheikh flights starting in January 2027.
Explore our winter destinations and book your flight from London Southend Airport.
City breaks: make a few days count
Winter brings out a different side of every city. Cooler days make exploring more comfortable, while seasonal events, cosy food and drink, and a packed cultural calendar give you plenty of reasons to visit outside the summer months.
Barcelona
Barcelona is just as beautiful in winter, without the summer crowds. Explore the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, and the Gothic Quarter in cooler walking weather, then grab a table for evening tapas and seasonal favourites like calçots – chargrilled spring onions dipped in a rich romesco sauce.
In December, the Fira de Santa Llúcia Christmas market fills the square in front of Barcelona Cathedral. January brings the Three Kings parade, with floats, music, and performers throughout the city, while February has Santa Eulàlia – Barcelona’s main winter festival – with human towers, traditional dancing, and correfocs, where costumed performers parade through the streets with fireworks and sparklers.
Paris
Paris is perfectly suited to winter: cosy, romantic, and packed with places to escape the cold. Walk along the Seine as the Eiffel Tower lights up, spend an afternoon with the Monets and Van Goghs at the Musée d’Orsay, then warm up with hot chocolate at Angelina or explore the glass-roofed Galerie Vivienne and Passage des Panoramas.
December brings Christmas lights, festive markets, and elaborate window displays at Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. The new year kicks off winter sales across the city, making it a great time to combine museums and landmarks with browsing the boutiques and grands magasins.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is made for winter exploring. Visit the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum, browse the Nine Streets, then stop at a traditional bruin café for bitterballen and a local beer. Around New Year, you’ll also find oliebollen – Dutch doughnuts dusted with icing sugar – at stalls across the city.
In December and January, the Amsterdam Light Festival fills the canals with illuminated artworks you can see on foot or from the water. January also brings National Tulip Day, when thousands of tulips take over Museumplein.
Budapest
Pack your swimsuit for Budapest. Not for the beach, but for the warm outdoor pools at Széchenyi Thermal Baths – the perfect place to spend part of a chilly day.
Between dips, explore the Castle District and take in the Danube views from Fisherman’s Bastion. After dark, head to the Jewish Quarter for the city’s ruin bars, where former buildings and courtyards have become characterful places to spend an evening.
Winter sun: take a break from the big coat
Winter sun is about swapping short days and grey skies for warm weather and the great outdoors. These destinations give you a proper change of pace – and temperature.
Tenerife
Tenerife gives you plenty of ways to mix relaxation with exploration. Settle into Costa Adeje for beach days and seafront dining, or choose Playa de las Américas for a holiday with livelier evenings.
Away from the resorts, Mount Teide and its surrounding volcanic landscapes show a completely different side of the island. You can make room for a day of dramatic scenery – without turning the whole holiday into an expedition.
Lanzarote
Lanzarote is for travellers who like their beach with something unexpected on the side. Explore the volcanic scenery of Timanfaya, discover the island’s creative side through César Manrique’s attractions, or visit La Geria’s vineyards to see vines growing in volcanic soil.
There are plenty of places to kick back, and lots to tempt you away from the sunlounger.
Gran Canaria
Start with the dunes of Maspalomas, then see where Gran Canaria takes you. Puerto de Mogán offers a colourful harbour setting for an unhurried lunch, while Las Palmas combines an old town with a lively beachfront.
For evenings with a little more energy, head to Playa del Inglés. It’s an island that gives the dedicated beachgoer and the restless explorer plenty to agree on.
Book your flight to Gran Canaria
Sharm El Sheikh
With flights starting on 4 January 2027, Sharm El Sheikh offers Red Sea resort living to the middle of winter, right when you need it most.
Spend time snorkelling above colourful reefs, take a trip to Ras Mohammed National Park, or simply choose a beachfront base and settle into holiday mode. Naama Bay adds shops, restaurants, and nightlife when you’re ready for an evening out.
Book your flight to Sharm El Sheikh
Malta
Choose Malta for a winter break that puts exploring first. Its mild winters make it a good option for sightseeing and coastal walks.
Wander through Valletta, take in the Grand Harbour from the Upper Barrakka Gardens, or explore the walled streets of Mdina. There’s plenty indoors, too, including the richly decorated St John’s Co-Cathedral and the Malta National Aquarium for a family day out.
Ski escapes: head for the mountains
For some travellers, winter holidays are all about the slopes. Whether you’re booking your first lesson or counting down to another ski season, Salzburg, Geneva, and Lyon give you three gateways to the Alps.
Salzburg
For an Austrian ski holiday, start with Salzburg. Onward transfers connect the airport with destinations including Zell am See, Kaprun, and Saalbach-Hinterglemm, giving you a range of resorts to consider.
Think about what matters most to your group: somewhere to learn together, plenty of skiing for different abilities, or a base where non-skiers will enjoy themselves too. London Southend Airport’s Salzburg flights begin in December 2026.
Geneva
Geneva also provides access to resorts across the border in the French Alps, with coach and transfer options for onward journeys.
Take Morzine, which combines an Alpine village base with access to the Portes du Soleil ski area. It’s worth comparing resorts and transport options together, rather than picking a flight first and working out the rest afterwards.
Lyon
Lyon opens up more possibilities in the French Alps, with onward travel options to resorts including Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes.
It also gives you a reason to add a city stop to your ski holiday. Spend time exploring Vieux Lyon, ride the funicular up to Fourvière, or book a meal at a traditional bouchon restaurant before heading for the mountains. A holiday with skiing and a proper food itinerary? There’s no need to choose just one.
Christmas markets: get into the festive spirit
These cities are home to some of Europe’s most famous Christmas markets, where historic squares fill with traditional stalls, seasonal food and festive lights.
Berlin
Berlin gives you more than one way to do Christmas markets. Start at Gendarmenmarkt for crafts, food, and performances, or head to Charlottenburg Palace for stalls with an especially striking backdrop.
Pick a couple of markets rather than trying to race around them all. That leaves time to browse properly, find a gift you actually want to give, and stop for something warm along the way.
Munich
Make Marienplatz’s Christkindlmarkt your starting point for a traditional Munich Christmas break, then explore more of the city’s festive markets. Between visits, there are museums to discover, including the BMW Museum and FC Bayern Museum.
Seasonal London Southend Airport flights run from 23 November 2026 to 1 January 2027, but the main Marienplatz market finishes on 24 December. Choose your dates around the experience you’re going for.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s Christmas brings traditional market stalls to East Princes Street Gardens, with festive food, gifts, and lights in the heart of the city.
The wider festival adds fairground attractions, including the Big Wheel, giving families and groups of friends more to do between browsing and snacking. Combine it with the Old Town for a break that balances Christmas festivities with classic Edinburgh sightseeing.
Belfast
Belfast’s Christmas Market makes City Hall the centre of your festive plans. Browse the stalls for gifts and food, then carry on into the city for dinner or an evening of live music.
For 2026, the market runs from 14 November to 22 December, so plan a pre-Christmas visit rather than saving it for the days between Christmas and New Year.
Start your winter at London Southend Airport
Once you know the kind of winter you want, it’s time to get the journey sorted.
London Southend Airport has its own railway station just steps from the terminal, with direct connections to London Liverpool Street and Stratford. Check the train timetable for your travel dates, or explore our on-site parking options when planning your arrival.
Explore our winter destinations and book your flight from London Southend Airport.
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