Where is it still warm in October? 10 sunny spots with a direct flight

The shortlist: temperature, flight time and indicative price

Daytime temperature is the average October maximum, sea temperature is the monthly average. Flight time is the usual duration of a non-stop flight. The indicative price is a guide per person for seven nights including flight and a simple hotel, not a fixed offer.

Red Sea and Cyprus: the safest sunshine

If you want to be sure of shorts and a daily swim in October, Egypt and Cyprus are the safest picks. In Hurghada the average daytime maximum is around 30 degrees, some measurements reach 32, and the Red Sea stays at roughly 26 to 28 degrees. The non-stop flight from Amsterdam takes about five hours and fifteen minutes. The same numbers apply to Sharm el Sheikh, which is often even drier.

Cyprus is a close second. Around Larnaca 28 degrees by day is normal and the sea holds at 25 to 26 degrees, warmer than the Mediterranean average in October. On the west side sits Paphos, quieter and a short drive from empty bays. The flight takes about four hours and fifteen minutes, so the sunshine is a lot closer than a long-haul escape.

Turkish coast: long season, low prices

Antalya is one of the best value picks on this list in October. Daytime highs average 27 degrees, the sea stays around 25 degrees and the non-stop flight from Amsterdam takes about three hours and fifty minutes.

Because peak season is over, hotel rates drop visibly while the weather barely does. Further along the coast you find Alanya and Bodrum, with the same mild late summer and often even sharper room rates.

A practical bonus: in Turkey and Egypt all-inclusive hotels are relatively cheap. For a family that often matters more than a cheap ticket, because food and drinks are the biggest variable cost of a beach holiday.

Canary Islands: around 25 degrees all year

The Canary Islands lie at the latitude of the Sahara, which gives them a subtropical climate without a real low season. On Tenerife October averages 25 to 26 degrees by day, with roughly seven to eight hours of sunshine and a sea of about 23 degrees. The north of the island is greener but cloudier; the south is drier and sunnier, and that is where most beaches and hotels are.

If you mainly want beach and wind, look at Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, both served non-stop from Eindhoven and Amsterdam. Las Palmas on Gran Canaria combines city and beach in one. The big advantage of these islands: the direct links continue after late October, so you are not tied to the summer schedule.

Greek islands and Malta: swimming is still fine, but be early

On Crete October averages 23 to 24 degrees by day and the sea sits at roughly 22 to 23 degrees. Rhodes does slightly better, with about 24 to 25 degrees by day, a sea of around 24 degrees and one of the lowest humidity levels of the year. Kos and Corfu are still good swimming islands in early October too, although Corfu is the wettest of the group.

Malta is the steady one here: around 24 to 25 degrees by day, a sea of about 24 degrees and an average of nine hours of sunshine. October does bring more rain than summer, usually in short showers.

Important for planning: most Greek island routes are summer routes and stop at the end of the summer schedule, in late October. If you book the final week of the month, check first whether your non-stop service still operates.

Southern Spain and Morocco: warm days, cooler water

On the Costa del Sol October averages around 24 degrees by day with about seven hours of sunshine, but the sea is cool at roughly 20 to 22 degrees. Malaga and Almeria are therefore strongest if you want to spend the days outside: sitting outdoors, walking, exploring a city, the occasional quick dip. Flights are short and cheap, which often makes the total price the lowest on this list.

Morocco looks similar. Agadir averages a little over 25 degrees by day, but the Atlantic stays around 20 to 21 degrees, so swimming is for the determined. If sunshine matters more to you than the water, Marrakech also works: dry, warm and about four hours away.

How to book this cheaply yourself

• Avoid the Dutch autumn school breakThat one week in late October is the most expensive of the month. A week earlier or later easily saves tens of euros per person on the same trip.
• Leave midweekTuesday and Wednesday are usually the cheapest departure days, Saturday the priciest. Shift your dates by a day and compare the difference.
• Compare airportsYou can fly to the sun from Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rotterdam and often from Weeze or Brussels. Read flying from Eindhoven for the routes and the time it takes to reach the airport.
• Book at the right momentFor short and medium-haul routes the best fare usually sits a few weeks before departure. Our guide on when to book flights lists the rules of thumb per trip type.
• Travel with cabin baggage onlyA week of sunshine needs very little. That saves baggage fees and waiting time; see the cabin baggage guide per airline.
• Do the all-inclusive mathsIn Egypt and Turkey all-inclusive is often cheaper than paying per meal. In Spain and the Canary Islands an apartment with a kitchenette usually pays off more.

If you would rather not compare twenty browser tabs yourself, enter your departure airport, your dates and your budget in the planner. You get a complete proposal with flight, hotel and a total price per person, so you can see at a glance which October option fits your budget. Every place in this article also has its own page on the destination overview.

Plan your October trip in the sun