Cheap Sun Holidays: Where and When to Go

For a cheap sun holiday, aim for the Mediterranean (Greece, Malta, Turkey, Portugal) in May-June and September-October, then the Canary Islands, Morocco, Egypt or Cape Verde in winter. Farther afield, Thailand and the Dominican Republic have their best season in winter, with a pricier flight but a stay that pays off over its length.

The cheapest sun is the sun you find just before or just after high season. This guide shows where to find cheap sun in each month of the year, in Europe and beyond, drawing on the verdicts of our « when to go » pages, built from the official normals of national weather services. For the general method, see cheap travel.

The sun calendar, month by month

The table below gives, for nine sunny destinations, the monthly verdict from our « when to go » guides: ✅ recommended period, ⚠️ possible with reservations (heat, rain, cool sea, crowds), ❌ not recommended. Click a destination to read the details (temperatures, rain, crowds).

Month	Canary Islands	Morocco	Egypt	Cape Verde	Malta	Greece	Turkey	Thailand	Dominican Rep.
January	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	✅	✅
February	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	✅	✅
March	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	✅
April	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅
May	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️
June	✅	⚠️	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️
July	⚠️	❌	❌	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️
August	⚠️	❌	❌	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️
September	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
October	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	❌
November	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️	✅	⚠️
December	⚠️	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌	✅	✅

Worth remembering: from December to March, reliable sun is found in the Canary Islands, Morocco, Egypt, Cape Verde, Thailand and the Dominican Republic. From April to June and in September-October, the Mediterranean takes over. In July-August, Mediterranean destinations stay sunny but become very hot and pricier, hence their reservations in our guides.

Cheap winter sun in Europe

Without leaving Europe, the choice narrows from December to March. According to our « when to go » guides, only the Canary Islands are recommended in January and February for sun and mild weather. Other Southern European destinations stay mild by day but get a reserved verdict in January: rain, cool nights, cold sea.

Destination	Average January high	January verdict	March verdict
Madeira (Funchal)	20.0 °C (68 °F)	⚠️ showers	⚠️ still showers
Andalusia (Seville)	16.3 °C (61 °F)	⚠️ cool nights	✅ spring
Cyprus	16.8 °C (62 °F)	⚠️ rainy, cool sea	⚠️ good for walking
Malta	see the guide	⚠️	⚠️

These destinations are interesting for a low-cost sightseeing or walking trip: crowds and prices are low there in January according to our guides. For swimming, aim for the Canary Islands or go farther south (Egypt, Cape Verde). Outside Europe but close, Tunisia follows the same pattern: mild but cool in winter, recommended from April.

Cheap sun for Christmas and New Year

In December, our guides recommend Morocco, Egypt, Cape Verde, Thailand and the Dominican Republic; the Canary Islands get a reserved verdict. The year-end holidays are, however, one of the most in-demand periods: to pay less, leave in early December or just after January 1, book early and compare departure airports. A last-minute deal can also work if your dates are flexible.

Where to find cheap sun, season by season

In winter (December to February)

Recommended in January according to our guides: Canary Islands, Morocco, Egypt, Cape Verde, Thailand, Dominican Rep. Nearby sun is found mainly to the south: the Canary Islands stay mild all year, Agadir in Morocco is sunny, Egypt is in its best season (October to April) and Cape Verde (November to June) offers steady sun. These destinations are in high demand over the Christmas and February holidays: going in January or early December often lowers the bill. Farther afield, Thailand (November to February) and the Dominican Republic (December to April) offset a pricier ticket with a better guaranteed season.

In spring (March to May)

Recommended in May according to our guides: Canary Islands, Morocco, Cape Verde, Malta, Greece, Turkey. March and April are still good months for Morocco, Egypt and the Canary Islands. In May, the Mediterranean becomes pleasant: Greece, Malta, Turkey, Portugal or Spain. The sea is still cool early in the season, but prices and crowds are moderate. Beware of holiday long weekends and spring break periods, which cost more.

In summer (June to August)

Recommended in June according to our guides: Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Malta, Greece, Turkey. June is often the best month of summer: long days, a warming sea, prices still reasonable before July. In July-August, sun is everywhere in Southern Europe but prices are at their highest. To limit the bill: book early, choose destinations where life stays cheaper (Albania), aim for lesser-known islands and resorts, and favor camping or shared rentals.

In fall (September to November)

Recommended in September according to our guides: Canary Islands, Malta, Greece, Turkey. September and October are often the best sun-for-money ratio of the year in the Mediterranean: the sea is warm after summer, families have gone home and rates drop. In November, the sun moves back south: Canary Islands, Morocco, Egypt, Cape Verde and Thailand are recommended that month in our guides.

A cheap island: our ideas

Islands often combine a pricier flight with limited accommodation. A few rules to pay less:

• Choose a well-served island: the Canary Islands, Madeira, Malta or Crete have many connections, hence more price competition.
• Aim for the shoulder season: in the Mediterranean, June and September; in the Canary Islands, outside school holidays. For Madeira, our guide recommends April to September.
• Avoid the most publicized islands in high season, often the most expensive.
• For distant islands (Guadeloupe, Réunion, Bali), the flight weighs heavily: a longer stay spreads the ticket cost better.
• Combine flight and accommodation: on islands, packages can be better value than booking separately; compare both.

Cheap sun: tips to cut the bill

Play with the dates

For the same destination, a week outside school holidays often costs much less. The first and last days of a holiday period are also more affordable than the middle. Use the price calendars on comparison sites to spot the cheapest days (see our tips for finding a cheap flight).

Choose the right area

Within one destination, prices vary a lot from one resort to another. Lesser-known areas, a little away from the most famous beaches, often offer better value. Just check transport access.

Compare the total price

Baggage, transfers, car rental, tourist tax: add everything up before comparing two destinations. An island that is cheap on paper can cost more once the essential rental car is counted.

Profile	Ideas	Points to watch
Family, winter school holidays	Canary Islands, Morocco (Agadir), Egypt (Red Sea)	The most expensive holiday periods: book early
Family, spring holidays	Morocco, Canary Islands, southern Spain	Mediterranean sea still cool in April
Couple or friends, outside holidays	Greece, Malta, Turkey, Portugal in May-June or September-October	The best sun-for-money ratio of the year
Small budget, summer	Albania, lesser-known coasts of Greece or Croatia	July-August very hot: stick to the coast
Long winter stay	Thailand, Dominican Republic, Cape Verde	The flight weighs heavily: a long stay spreads the cost

Whatever the profile, the same rule applies: shifting your departure by a week to avoid school holidays often has more effect on the price than changing destination.

When the sun gets too hot

Sunny does not mean pleasant. In our guides, several destinations get a reserved verdict in midsummer not for lack of sun but because of the heat: this is the case for Egypt from June to August, inland Morocco (Marrakech) in July-August and inland Spain. For an active trip (sightseeing, hiking), aim instead for the spring and fall months. For a pure beach stay, summer remains possible on the coasts, where the sea and the breeze make the heat more bearable, but at a higher price.

Conversely, a sunny winter is not necessarily a winter for swimming: the air can be mild while the sea stays cool. If swimming is your priority from December to February, check the temperatures and the month’s verdict in each « when to go » guide before booking.

How to read our verdicts

Each verdict in our « when to go » guides combines three criteria: the official climate normals (maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall), crowds and price levels. A ✅ marks a month when the climate suits most travelers; a ⚠️, a month that is possible with a reservation (heat, rain, cool sea, crowds or high prices); a ❌, a month when at least one criterion is a real problem, such as a cyclone season or frequent rain. Normals describe an average over several decades: a given year can differ. For details, see our methodology page.

To pay less, the best strategy is often to aim for a ⚠️ month whose reservation does not bother you: a slightly cool sea if you mostly come to walk and sightsee, or marked heat if you stay by the water. These transitional months are generally less in demand, so cheaper, than the ✅ high-season months.

All-inclusive or independent stay?

For a week of sun with the family, an all-inclusive package outside school holidays can be economical and reassuring for the budget. For a couple or friends on the move, a flight and accommodation booked separately leave more freedom. Our guide to cheap all-inclusive vacations explains how to compare, destination by destination.

Before you go in search of sun

Check the entry requirements on travel.state.gov (US citizens) or GOV.UK (UK citizens), especially outside the European Union. In hot countries, plan suitable sun protection and stay hydrated, particularly in summer in the Mediterranean and all year in the tropics. Outside Europe, travel insurance covering medical costs and repatriation is recommended.

Frequently asked questions

Our sources

• Our « when to go » guides, based on the normals published by national weather services (see our methodology)

Updated October 2026.