Heraklion, Crete
Long weekends in Crete become a possibility with the launch of British Airways' (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) new summer flights to the capital Herak lion on 3 May. The flights, the first direct scheduled service to Crete, are from Gatwick every Tuesday and Friday until 9 October.
While Crete has much to offer away from the capital, a short break is great to explore Heraklion, the fifth largest city in Greece, which has a growing selection of chic cafes and hip bars and is a must for anyone with an interest in archaeology.
The city boasts the world's most important museum of Minoan civilisation and the ruins of Knossos, site of the famous labyrinth that imprisoned the mythical Minotaur, is just 5km away.
For boutique interiors the only place to head is the recently renovated Lato Hotel (00 30 281 0334 955), a small three-star hotel with views of the Venetian Fortress at the old harbour. You enter the lobby via a wooden bridge, there's a steam room, gym, roof garden and stylish restaurant. Doubles from £46 a night.
Olbia, Sardinia
This busy industrial town in the north of Sardinia may be rather unattractive, but it is the gateway to all that glistens: 20km to the north-east lies one of the most fantastically glamorous destinations on the planet - the Costa Smeralda. A new EasyJet (0871 750 0100; www.easyjet.com) route starting on 24 May will take the first low-cost flights into Olbia. While it's unlikely regulars Elton John, Naomi Campbell et al will take advantage, it makes the glitzy destination a much more viable option for those on a budget. Returns from Gatwick cost from £50.98, around half the price of those with Meridiana, the only other carrier into the city. The Costa Smerelda is known for extortionate prices, but the Hotel Le Ginestre has reasonable room rates while enjoying an enviable position a mile and half from glamorous Porto Cervo, the main village on the coast. It is surrounded by pine woods with a path winding down from the pool to a private beach. Costa Smeralda Holidays (020 7493 8303; www.costasmeralda-holidays.com) has rooms from £72pp per night.
Bastia, Corsica
A lovely port on the north east coast of Corsica, Bastia is a bustling town with pretty coves and access to the grassland of Cap Corse which is perfect for walkers. British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) relaunches its weekly Sunday flight from Gatwick on 8 May, along with a brand new Thursday flight from 12 May - making a short break to the town possible for the first time.
The Hôtel Ostella (00 33 4 9530 9770; www.hotel-ostella.com) looks like somewhere Malibu Barbie would stay. It's cutely kitsch and has recently been renovated to offer great facilities including a hammam, spa, gastronomic restaurant and spa baths in some of the rooms, which cost from £43 a night. The beaches are five minutes away. Head to Plage de l'Arinella or walk down to the Vieux port to find a selection of lively cafes, then check out San Giovanni Battiste church. Flights run until 9 October with return fares from £99.
Bourgas, Bulgaria
Although it's Bulgaria's biggest port, the industrial town of Bourgas has little fame here - but that could change with the launch of flights by Malev Hungarian Airlines (0870 909 0577; www.malev.com) on 6 June. The Monday and Saturday flights, from Heathrow or Stansted via Budapest, will make short breaks to the nearby Black Sea beaches a viable option. Fares are from £180 return. While there are a number of grotty resorts to be avoided (such as Sunny Beach, the country's high-rise answer to Torremolinos) you may soon start hearing a lot about Duni, a classy, tranquil resort further up the coast. Its Alepou and Arkoutino beaches are ruggedly beautiful, the coast is dotted with quiet coves and the nearby Vodna Lilia and Velyov Vir Via Pontica natural reserves are a stop off for thousands of migrating storks, pelicans and birds of prey at the end of the summer. Stay at the four-star Gamartata Hotel (00 359 5502 2219; www.gamartata.com) 10 minutes from the beach, which has rooms from £11.50pp per night, a pool and tennis courts, plus a traditional restaurant serving fresh fish and spit-roasts.
Granada, Spain
The city's extraordinarily well preserved Moorish palace, the Alhambra, draws thousands of visitors to Granada, mostly on day trips from other parts of Andalucia, but two new no-frills flights should make the city an even more attractive getaway destination in its own right. Excellent beaches are about an hour's drive south.
Iberia and British Airways already fly there and Ryanair launched a Stansted flight in February. The Irish low-cost carrier will add another route from Liverpool on 3 May, from £27 return. On 17 May, Monarch Scheduled (08700 406300; www.flymonarch.com) will start a Gatwick flight with fares from £76 return.
Make time to visit the Aljibe San Miguel (00 34 95 8522 867) mosaic-tiled hammam, then head up to the Sacromonte hills overlooking the city to witness a flamenco performance in one of the hillside cave homes.
Use the money you save on a cheap flight splashing out on a fabulous hotel, such as the Palacio de los Patos (www.epoquehotels.com) in the city centre. It's a 19th-century mansion with rooms from £122 a night.
