ABTA is encouraging customers keen to get some winter sun or guaranteed snow over Christmas and New Year to book now as it estimates over 2.8 million will head overseas at what is traditionally one of the busiest times of year. With such great demand flights and hotel deals are at a premium and customers who haven’t done so already need to book now to ensure the best prices and widest choice.

For guaranteed sun Spain’s Canary Islands are still number one but competition from Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt is hotting up as they offer great hotels, lovely beaches and good temperatures. Further afield swap your turkey and mulled wine for a swordfish steak and rum punch on a beach in the Caribbean or a gorgeous fish curry and ice cold beer on a Goan beach in India.

For those who want a traditional “White Christmas”, a rarity in the UK, Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe can guarantee the snow, hearty food and carol singing that make for a classic Christmas experience. ABTA recommends a long break to one of the great European Christmas markets such as those in Cologne, Berlin and Brussels. For a truly magical experience head to the capital of the Czech Republic Prague and enjoy this gorgeous city with the locals and not the crowds.

Austria, France and Italy lead the way for ski breaks in chalets or hotels. Let someone else do the cooking and before dinner head off down the piste rather than down the pub.

Finally if you want to have well behaved children for the rest of the year, book a trip to Lapland to see Father Christmas. A trip on a reindeer pulled sled through a snowy pine forest ending up meeting the great man, guaranteed to charm the most hard to please child.