Not sure whether your ideal winter involves sipping cocktails in 22°C sunshine, glühwein-fuelled Christmas market wandering or hurtling down a mountain on two planks of wood? Good news: East Midlands Airport has you covered.
The airport, which sits conveniently next to the M1, is making escaping the East Midlands this winter ridiculously easy. With 98 per cent of passengers getting through security in under 15 minutes, you could spend less time queueing and more time deciding whether you’re a Tenerife beach person or a Prague Christmas market person.
For everyone already mentally checked out and dreaming of sunshine
If the thought of another grey British winter fills you with dread, there are plenty of options. Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI are all flying to perennial winter-sun favourites including Tenerife, Alicante, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Faro.
Think beaches, warm weather, sea views and the kind of outdoor dining that feels impossible when you’re currently scraping ice off your windscreen.
Jet2 is also serving up flights to Heraklion in Crete, Antalya in Turkey and Agadir in Morocco, while TUI has expanded its winter offering with routes to Antalya and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. Basically, if your goal is to swap a puffer coat for a swimsuit, you’ve got options.
If your Pinterest board is just Christmas markets
Not everyone wants winter sun. Some people want giant Christmas trees, festive lights and enough mulled wine to forget how much they’ve spent on presents.
Jet2 has added Gdansk to its Christmas market lineup this year, with flights running between late November and late December. It joins festive favourites including Berlin, Budapest, Krakow, Prague and Vienna.
Expect cobbled streets, fairy lights, festive food and the sort of scenery that makes you take 47 photos of the same building.
For peak Christmas magic, there’s even a special flight to Swedish Lapland on December 23. The trip includes husky sledding, sleigh rides and meeting Santa himself, which frankly beats another awkward family game of Monopoly.
For people who think holidays should involve slight danger
If sitting still on a beach sounds boring, ski season is calling.
TUI is flying winter sports fans to Salzburg and Chambéry, while Jet2 offers flights to Geneva, putting some of Europe’s best ski resorts within easy reach.
There are alternatives too. TUI’s Turin route opens the door to Italy’s Susa Valley ski region, while Ryanair flights to Málaga, Krakow and Prague can connect travellers to Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountains, budget-friendly Polish ski resorts and the Czech Republic’s Giant Mountains.
The hardest part? Choosing
Whether you’re chasing sunshine, snow or festive vibes, East Midlands Airport’s winter schedule makes it surprisingly easy to swap a cold weekend in the East Midlands for pretty much anything else.
The only real challenge is deciding whether your winter personality is “Christmas market aesthetic”, “beach cocktails in December” or “falling over repeatedly on a ski slope”.
