Autumn gold

Fall in New England conjures up images of golden leaves, white picket fences and the open road. Several operators now offer "dynamic packages" to the six states, allowing you to book flights, hotels, car hire and excursions all in one go, like visiting a department store instead of lots of individual boutiques. By buying everything together you can often save on the deal.

To taste the autumnal delights of New England, go to Expedia.co.uk and click on the icon for "flight + hotel + car". After the page has automatically refreshed, select your dates (after mid-October is cheapest) and choose "London airports", "Boston" and then click on the "find me a holiday" button. Wait until a list of accommodation is generated. Dodge the cheapest deals that stick you out by Logan airport, and opt for the grander Boston Plaza. For £853.51pp, you get a downtown hotel highly rated by the independent igougo.com, return flights from Gatwick, insurance and car hire. You can opt out of accommodation if the road beckons. That's dynamic packaging.

Book ahead

Visit the Fete de Livre, France's answer to The Guardian's Hay literary festival, in mid-October. Book now and a return flight with Ryanair (ryanair.com) from Stansted to St Etienne is £29.36. Prices accurate at time of going to press.