Abroad (warm) in October half term and not £5000 for 2

[LaurieFairyCake]

And non terroristy. Foreign office advice rules out Egypt, Middle East, cautions Morocco/Turkey.

I've looked into the Caribbean but it's £3,500 for really badly reviewed 3 stars (bad food/diarrhoea/rats) and at least 5-8000 for naice places.

I'm not paying 4 grand for rats and I can't pay 8 grand for a week away.

We haven't been abroad for 14 years so don't want to make a horrible and expensive mistake. Any ideas?

Canaries

Is that Lazarote and Tenerife? Dh has been there and didn't like it

I haven't, bet it's nice

Cyprus will still be warm then

Canaries. Though it will be full of kids and teachers on their hols and therefore more expensive.

Cape Verde

Marsa Alam is Egypt but very safe- small airport, very remote. About £1500 AI
But flights only in weds so possibly not suitable.

Egypt is not ruled out by the FO - only Sharm airport. I have been to Egypt 3 times since the sharm ban (twice to marsa Alam and once to Hurghada and am going to hurghada for Xmas). Weather will still be in the 30's in October and they have some great hotels. Let me know if you want recommendations.

You may be lucky with the weather in Cyprus (although pools are cold in October.

Canaries.

Maderia/Gozo, Croatia, Scillies?

These are all fabulous suggestions, I'm frantically googling Thanks so much

Now I remember why I don't go on holiday abroad

Is it still true you have to be at the airport 3 hours before flying. The flight I'm looking at is 6am. We're an hour from Gatwick so I'd be leaving at 2am, meaning I'd get up at 1am. I may have been asleep 2 hrs by then. So that'd ruin the first day of my holiday for me as I'd just go to bed.

If you are going to Europe and have checked in on line, 2 hours is plenty. 1.5 hours is plenty, but then you need to leave contingency time for road hold ups etc.

Try Malta. We went for October half term last year and it was still around 25-27 degrees in the day and warm at night.

It's 2 hours before you fly. You could stay at the airport? What kind of holiday do you like op?

@LaurieFairyCake Is it still true you have to be at the airport 3 hours before flying. The flight I'm looking at is 6am. We're an hour from Gatwick so I'd be leaving at 2am, meaning I'd get up at 1am. I may have been asleep 2 hrs by then. So that'd ruin the first day of my holiday for me as I'd just go to bed.

"Ruin" is a bit much! If I was in your shoes...

• Day before (as asap online check in opens): check in and print boarding passes or get app and have them on your phone.
• Night before, get everything loaded into car/by door for prebooked taxi. Check for planned road closures and works.
• Go to bed 9-10ish. If you can't sleep, just read or listen to talk radio.
• Wake up 2.30, be out the door by 3
• Get to airport for 4, bag drop if luggage and then straight to departures and the gate
• Snooze on the flight
• Arrive on holiday and you'll be excited and that will keep you awake, plus there'll be a 1-2hr time diff, so let's call it lunchtime, get a nice meal.
• Afternoon siesta by the pool if required; or go and find your bearings (as per your preferences)
• Dinner and then bed when you want to.

I regularly fly long haul across 8-9 timezone and I've always been able to stay up till 9-10pm on my first day there and also on my first day home again. Your body does what it needs to.

La Gomera, Canaries - one of the smallest islands, ferry from Tenerife. Unspoilt and lovely. Rainforest in the middle, beaches around.

Cape Verde has already been suggested. Gambia is an option if you would like to be more adventurous, but might be too far for only one week.

I wouldn't recommend the first flights out. They are always packed and it's feels horribly stressful waking in the early hours. You feel terrible and it's freezing cold. Gatwick security is very busy first thing.

I fly about lunchtime. Lots of time to avoid rush hour and the suns up.( if you are lucky in October). . Drink and snack in Gatwick. Land a couple of hours later plus an hour. Get to hotel and have a look round it. Out for dinner, stay up late like the locals.

Greece, especially southern. Crete, Rhodes anywhere in that area. Glorious.

We went to The Gambia for a week just before Christmas and it was lovely and warm!

Hurghada in Egypt was really hot in August but probably perfect in October and the sea life there was stunning.

If your DH hasn't been to lanzarote for over 14 years then ask him to rethink. It's had a massive clean up and is such a lovely place to go now.

I have booked Santorini

I ended up booking the flights (easyJet ) and the hotel separately and bought travel insurance. BA stop flying there directly the month earlier so I had no choice but to go EasyJet. I've paid extra for seats together with extra legroom.

And I'm flying in the afternoon and not first thing in the morning. I've actually booked a hotel a Mumsnetter recommended on another thread.

I'm excited already after not being abroad for 14 plus years. Now just need to renew my passport.

Thank you all for your suggestions

Enjoy Laurie.
I love your user name.
I was going to suggest Fuertaventura , one of the Canary Islands.
Santorini is beautiful.