AS September begins, here are seven great places to jet off to from Manchester Airport this autumn.
Here's a chance for people with some free time and families with children below school age to escape on a bargain break.
Prices for flights, hotels, restaurant meals and activities tend to drop once the summer school holidays are over.
Manchester Airport offers more than 200 destinations across four continents, so you’re spoilt for choice if you’re planning a last minute getaway.
Whether you’re looking for sun, sea and sand, or something a little more active, you’re sure to find something that tickles your fancy.
There are some fantastic spots in the UK and Europe for a leafy autumnal walk, but nothing that quite matches the awesome spectacle of New England and southeastern Canada in the Fall.
Vast swathes of the region are covered in broadleaf forests, which explode into an array of reds, oranges and golds in late September and early October.
New England spans six states, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and it makes for a fantastic autumnal road trip, starting and ending in New York.
You can fly to the Big Apple with both Virgin Atlantic and Aer Lingus, directly from Manchester.
Visitors to the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario can expect the same splendid scenery and can combine it with trips to natural wonders like Lake Ontario and the Niagara Falls.
You can reach Toronto with Airtransat on a direct flight from Manchester for as little as £436 return.
If you want to soak up the last of the summer sunshine on a white sand beach, there are few better places to go than Cape Verde.
The island nation, just to the south of Spain’s Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa, is at its best in late October and November.
The rainy season has finished, the island is at its greenest, and temperatures hit a daily average of 28C.
The islands’ beaches and cuisine are reminiscent of the Caribbean, and direct flights from Manchester to two Cape Verde airports ,Sal and Boa Vista, are available with TUI. Return fares to Sel start from £276.
Italy’s Amalfi Coast is iconic and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997.
Autumn is often the best time to enjoy it as temperatures cool and you can take on its scenic coastal hiking trails and explore the winding streets of its ancient towns perched on mountain slopes.
It’s also a great time to see Naples and explore the archaeological wonder of Pompeii without the bustling crowds.
Four airlines fly from Manchester to Naples, so you should have no trouble finding a flight.
If you enjoy wine tasting, northern Spain hosts the Rioja Wine Harvest Festival.
This annual event takes place in the town of Logroño on the Feast of San Mateo, September 21.
Colourful parades, musical performances, winemaking demonstrations and street parties promise plenty of fun.
Logroño is only two hours by bus from Bilbao, and easyJet offers a direct service from Manchester with return flights in the week of the festival at just £137 per person.
Norwegians offer ‘koselig’, a feeling of cosiness, relaxation and living in the moment, while doing things at your own pace.
Nothing epitomises this more than snuggling up to the fire in a log cabin, with spectacular views over icy lakes, snow-capped mountains and pine forests, perhaps after taking a hike through those same woods, or a dip in your private jacuzzi.
The stunning countryside around Bergen is the perfect spot for this kind of laid-back break, and you can reach the city’s airport in under two hours from Manchester with Norwegian, from as little as £78 return in October.
Dubbed the city ‘where east meets west’, Istanbul has the distinction of being the only major city to straddle two continents.
Three major bridges, a tunnel, and countless ferry crossings connect the city, and there’s plenty to explore – from the renowned Hagia Sofia mosque, which has stood for almost 1,500 years, to the opulent Topkapi Palace.
That’s not to mention incredible food, a distinct café culture, and haggling opportunities aplenty at the colourful Grand Bazaar. Temperatures can soar here in the summer but by October they average out at a pleasant 20C.
easyJet, Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines all fly to Istanbul from Manchester.
In the autumn in Iceland the crowds have gone, but the dramatic landscapes it is famous for are still easily accessible, with daylight hours long enough and weather conditions good enough to allow for glacier hikes and excursions.
You may also be lucky enough to catch the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights.
You can fly from Manchester to Reykjavik with four different airlines.
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