You know it has to be tackled at some point and it might even become enjoyable if you take a special break in which to do it.
Under £100
Rare special cross channel deal for motor cyclists with Norfolkline Shipping (0870 870 10 20) who are introducing an offer of £50 return for a motor cycle and rider on the five-day return popular Dover-Dunkerque route which provides direct access to the main continental motorway networks. Available now until 18 December but must be booked by 15 November. There's even a bank of custom-made lashings with cushions to pamper your precious machine if the crossing should prove rough.
Cheaper than even the current London hotel deals the Youth Hostels Association hostel in Rotherhithe on the banks of the Thames (020 7232 2114) can accommodate you for two nights full board for half board prices - just £28.40 adults (or £24.80 Under 18s), or stay for two nights half board and pay bed and breakfast prices of £23.50 adults (£19.90 under 18s) in shared, but not mixed, dormitories of 6-10 people. There are family facilities, Southwark Water Sports Centre and the Tower of London on the doorstep and the many attractions of Greenwich within 15 minutes They even have internet access and a new menu in the restaurant to entice you. Offer available until 20 December.
For £79 you could stay three nights at the mid range Mayfair Hotel in St Helier, Jersey. It's a good place to do some shopping without the usual high street hassles and you are spoilt for good places to eat. Departing 9 November the price includes return catamaran crossing from Weymouth, transfers and breakfast and the company to contact is Modern Hotels (01534 759529).
Budget airline Buzz (0870 240 7070) has great flight deals to eight European cities holding colourful Christmas markets. Example fares from Stansted are Helsinki £90, Berlin £70 and Milan £80.
For civilised trolley trawling in Boulogne and Calais, Leisure Direction (020 8324 3030) is offering deals as low as £34, and £44 per person if travelling by car in a party of four. This covers one night in a two-star hotel and a midweek ferry crossing from Dover.
Under £200
Elegant shops, atmospheric riverside cafes and bridges linking opposite banks of The Danube has to be the historic Hungarian capital of Budapest. Travellers Cities (01959 540 700) has a three night break for a mere £199, a saving of £115 on the usual price, from l November to March 31 (Christmas and New Year £18 extra). The price includes bed and breakfast at the three-star Hotel Ventura, a 12 minute tram ride from the city centre and scheduled BA flights from Heathrow or Gatwick (supplements of £40 from Manchester and £70 Edinburgh and Glasgow).
Shoppers can take their pick in comfort from 10 covered malls in Hamburg. DFDS Seaways (08705 333222) has a three-night trip for £114 from Harwich on 28 October.
Paris's Marne La Vallee Designer Village, where designer clothes are available with reductions of up to 60 per cent. Two nights at the two-star Hotel Le Hameau de Passy in the 16th arrondissement, travelling on Eurostar, costs £123 through Eurotours (0870 380 7380).
Under £400
Spa specialists Erna Low (020 7584 2841) could sort you out with a two night stay at the stunning four star Hotel Regina et du Golf in Biarritz which is newly renovated and boasts dramatic views across the bay. This 'thalassotherapy' break for £360 also includes breakfast, evening meals, three daily treatments on each of the two days, use of the extensive other facilities and direct flights with Ryanair from Stansted. Only fly in the ointment is that it is only available until 10 November so it would have to be a quick decision on this one.
Lakes and Mountains Holidays (01329 844405) suggests Vienna's Christkindlmarkt, which takes place from 17 November to 24 December in the city's Town Hall Square. Two nights at the four-star Hotel Regina, including breakfast, transfers and flights from Heathrow, is on offer for £317 (for Friday and Saturday departures add £25).
For transatlantic ideas and bargains in Boston try Bon Voyage (0800 316 0194) for £324, including BA flights from Heathrow and two nights at the four-star Boston Swisshotel. Or perhaps San Francisco, four nights room only at the three-star Clarion Bedford Hotel in Union Square for £387. Book by 31 October for travel 1 November to 19 December.
Under £1,000
Knockout once in a lifetime treat for fight fans of a California cruise plus four nights in Las Vegas with tickets for the Lennox Lewis/Hasim Rahman rematch. Depart Heathrow on 11 November for Los Angeles and overnight in city before joining the cruise ship Viking Serenade for four nights sailing along the California coast. Disembark and fly to Las Vegas for four nights in the three-star Stratosphere Hotel to experience the wind up atmosphere before the fight. Total cost £941 including return flight, transfers, full board on cruise, room only hotel accommodation in LA and Las Vegas plus fight tickets. Bookable with Lennox Lewis Travel/Cruise Direct (020 8515 4789).
· Prices are per person based on two sharing.
