Under £100

The Old Bell Hotel and Restaurant in the medieval Wiltshire town of Malmesbury has an offer for Sunday nights of £75 per couple including breakfast and dinner. Recline in a squashy sofa before the log fire with the complimentary Sunday (Observer if you're lucky). Contact hotel direct (01666 822344).

Under £200

'Summat for Nowt' claims three star Dunsley Hall Hotel, near Whitby in Yorkshire (01947 893 437). That is for a midweek (Sunday to Thursday) stay of two nights with half board at £150 where the free bit is chocolates, a bottle of wine with dinner, flowers on arrival and a pair of East Coast kippers on departure.

Under £300

Spend the New Year in Disneyland Paris. Leger Holidays (0845 130 7007) has a four-day holiday departing 30 December for £199 (with accommodation in a three-star hotel in the Paris outskirts) or on 28 December for £269 (Disney on-site accommodation). Ages 3-11 are charged £99 and ages 12-16 £115.

Less effort and you could all retreat to Bournemouth's seafront Marriott Hotel (01202 557702). Arrive on either 29 or 30 December for a two-night break (£290 adults, 5-15s £145 sharing room) or three nights (£390/£195) based on full board, including a Las Vegas themed gala dinner and dance, children's activities and a jazz brunch.

For a pre-Christmas weekend break the Northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela celebrates the national holiday of the 'Feast of the Immaculate Conception' with street processions and other events which you could catch if you depart on 7 December with Inntravel (01653 629021).For two nights B&B at the three star centrally located hotel La Virxe Da Cerca, and scheduled flights with Iberia, the cost is £268.

Under £400

See in 2002 in Sorrento, the enticing coastal town on Italy's south-west coast. Three nights B&B from 30 December at the five-star Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria (Freephone direct 0800 969765) is £375, including New Year's Eve gala dinner, NY Day brunch, and discount on car rental. Travel is not included.

Futuroscope, the thinking man's theme park near Poitiers in France, is offering a family package of three nights accommodation in the three star Novotel in a family room (for children up to 12) for £334. A Lapland Christmas is being recreated with Santa Claus, ice skating, children's workshops and fireworks between 15 December and 6 January. To book this call Bridge Travel (0870 727 5919). Flights to Poitiers with Buzz (0870 727 5919) are currently at bargain prices. For more information about Futuroscope (020 7499 8049).

You could be belle of the Kaiserball at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna on New Year's Eve for £105 (but much more if you want to dine). Park your frocks from 29 December for three nights B&B at the four-star Hotel Altstadt, including transfers and flights with BA or Austrian Airways direct to Vienna for £377. Austria Travel (01708 222000)

Under £500

Italy again but in the Northern Alps, 20 mins from Brescia airport. L'Albereta is a luxurious villa in Franciacorta, Lombardy, where you can do the gourmet experience. This can be taken any three days between 29 December and 2 January and costs £450. B&B, one evening meal plus NY Eve gala dinner and airport transfers included. Flights extra. Call hotel direct (00 39 030 77 60 550).

Under £600

Fancy besporting yourself on the Baywatch beaches or in the boutiques of Rodeo Drive? Then seven nights in Los Angeles is offered for £520 (departing between 1 and 14 December) or £550 (departing 1-31 January). Booking must be by 30 November with Funway Holidays (020 8466 0222). Flights are with Delta Air Lines from Gatwick and there is also seven days Alamo car rental and seven nights room only accommodation at the three star Roosevelt Hotel.

Under £700

Air New Zealand (020 8741 2299) has just released a set of special blues-beating fares from £662. Available for outbound travel 1-28 February and 16 April-30 June they must be booked prior to 10 December. Also flights to Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, the Cook Islands and Samoa. All fares include free optional stopovers in Los Angeles and taxes.

· Prices are per person based on two sharing. All flights are return.