With the long Easter weekend arriving early this year (29 March-1 April) there's more chance of snow on the slopes and less of sun on the beach. There is little availability in popular hotspots such as the Canary Islands and southern Spain, which get booked for Easter as much as a year in advance, and cities such as Dublin, Paris and New York are filling up fast. You are more likely to get a deal if you head for somewhere a little less obvious.
Here are some ideas for an interesting Easter (all holiday prices are per person based on two sharing unless otherwise stated).
Short hops
Cologne, Germany
Get in the Easter mood with a visit to Cologne's Chocolate Museum, complete with a flowing chocolate fountain. Cologne, Germany's oldest city, has more pubs and top-class restaurants per head than any other (plus a great deal of art and music). German Travel Centre (020 8429 2900) offers a two-night, room-only stay from 29-31 March at the four-star Maritim Hotel from £195 pp, including return flights from Heathrow to Cologne.
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is definitely cool at Easter; 2-3C with hip nightclubs and chic bars. Also, in Sweden, Easter has a darker theme, involving witches, broomsticks and the devil - locals light firecrackers and bonfires to ward off evilspirits. Scantours (020 7839 2927) offers a two-night city break for £310, departing Good Friday (29 March), including return flights from Heathrow, Manchester or Birmingham and two nights' accommodation with breakfast at the city centre Hotel Esplanade.
Jersey
Follow the Easter weekend with a couple of days on the Channel Island's sandy beaches. Travelsmith (0870 748 1000) offers two nights' B&B accommodation at the Merton Hotel on the outskirts of St Helier for £185. Available from 1 April onwards, this holiday includes free parking at Southampton airport, return flights and car hire.
Get active
Gozo, Malta
Go diving off Gozo where the coastline drops sheer into the sea. You can also enjoy the festas ( Easter celebrations) on this Catholic island. Regaldive (0870 220 1 777) offers a four-day break, departing Friday 29 March, for £409. This includes return flights, four nights' B&B accommodation at the Divers Lodge, Xewkija, and transfers. Dive packs start at £73. A seven-night break departing 29 March is available for £429.
Mont Tremblant, Canada
A week's skiing in the Quebec mountain resort (voted best in eastern North America) is a great way to unwind. Club Pavilion (0870 241 0427) offers seven nights' five-star self-catering accommodation at the Hotel Club, flights and transfers for £699 (based on four sharing). Departures available 23 and 30 March.
Auvergne, France
Spend a week cycling in the remote, flower-covered hills of the Auvergne. Each day's cycling is between eight and 25 miles and luggage is transferred seperately, so the cycling is gentle enough to allow enjoyment of the scenery and time over lunch. Belle France (01797 223 777) offers seven nights' half-board accommodation, channel crossing with car, cycle hire, route guide and maps for £505, departing Wednesday 3 or Friday 5 April. Travel by air from London City Airport to Clermont-Ferrand is also available for an extra £130.
Sun seekers
Muscat, Oman
Head to Dubai's sultry neighbour Oman, with a daily average temperature of 27C and 10 hours of sun at this time of year. The 'hermit' of the Arabian peninsula, with its stunning beaches and markets, is fast opening up to the tourist. A luxury seven-night break to Muscat, the coastal capital city, includes two nights free with Arabian Odyssey (01242 224482) and costs £765. They offer a week's B&B accommodation at either the Al Bustan Palace, Crowne Plaza, The Intercontinental or the Grand Hyatt, and the price includes return flights with Gulf Air from Heathrow, tax and transfers.
Egyptian Nile
Cruise down the Nile from Luxor to Aswan and back, taking in all the major temples, including the Valley of the Kings and the temples at Carnac. Luxor averages 11 hours of 23C sun per day at this time. Discover Egypt (020 7407 2111) offers seven night Nile cruises for just £669, departing from Gatwick or Manchester on the 25 March. The price includes return flights, taxes, transfers, seven nights' luxury full-board accommodation, 10 excursions to historical sites and the services of a qualified Egyptologist.
Mediterranean cruise
Chase the sun round the Mediterranean on this cut-price cruise, sailing from Genoa on 27 March calling at Naples (12C, on average), Malta (14.5C), Tunis (17.5C), Barcelona (13.5C - with an overnight stay), Marseille (12C) and Genoa (12C). Mediterranean Shipping Cruises (020 7637 2525) offers a seven-night Easter Cruise on board the MV Rhapsody. Prices start at £399 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin. Includes return flights from London or Manchester to Italy, port and airport taxes, transfers, on-board meals and entertainment.
Family fun
Dartmoor, Devon
Take a break in wild Dartmoor National Park but hedge your bets with a heated pool. Activities available close by include walking the numerous guided trails, cycling on designated routes, horse riding, golf and fishing. The picturesque South Hams coast with its sandy beaches, delightful coves and the coastal path are all within a half-hour drive. Classic Cottages (01326 555 555) offers Seashores, an apartment in the wing of the Victorian manor house Didworthy, for a week from Saturday 30 March for £373. The spacious three-bedroomed self-catering apartment sleeps six and shares a heated pool with the other apartments in the house.
French Alps
Hunt easter eggs while skiing on the slopes of La Marouille, Puy St Vincent. This small, modern ski resort on the fringe of the Ecrins Massif has a good range of skiing and relatively low prices. Family specialist Esprit Ski (01252 618300) offers a weeks' skiing from 31 March to 7 April, including flights from Gatwick, six nights' dinner, wine and bed in three-star accommodation for £269 per adult and £162 per child (aged 2-12). A week of morning ski activities for the kids costs £100, and of afternoon non-ski activities costs £100.
Charente, France
The warm, wide, sluggish, green River Charente is magic to dive into, canoe around, fish and cycle alongside. Stay in a cottage 300m from the river, in the picturesque farmed Cognac region, near Ambérac. VFB Holidays (01242 240 340) offers a detached converted nineteenth-century farm building to rent, which sleeps six and includes table tennis, table football and toys. Canoes can be provided. A one-week stay from 30 March-6 April, including return Hoverspeed crossing from Dover to Calais and insurance, costs £530 for the whole family.
Le Touquet, France
Head to the chic 'Paris by the sea', Le Touquet, just an hour's drive from Calais, for the 10-day International Kite Meeting which takes place on the nearby beach of Berck-sur-Mer. Great beaches, golf and boutiques should complement on-site free facilities like the outdoor pool and children's play area; and paid ones such as tennis, horse-riding and sand-yachting lessons - not forgetting the kites. Leisure Direction (020 8324 3030) offers seven nights' self-catering three-star accommodation for four at £364 total. The price includes a channel crossing for car and four passengers departing either on 23 or 30 March.
San Diego, California
A hot, stable climate (the average daily temperature stays between 18C and 27C all year round) means the San Diego lifestyle centres around outdoor activities. There are 70 miles of beaches, it's a sailing mecca and the area boasts some 80 golf courses. Attractions include Legoland California, Sea World, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Bon Voyage (0800 316 0194) offers a seven-night holiday - departing between 21 and 30 March - from £725 per adult and £285 per child (aged two to 11) including non-stop BA flights from Heathrow, room-only accommodation at the Best Western Seven Seas Hotel and one week's car hire.
Large groups
Santa Bárbara de Nexe, Portugal
Rent a luxury self-catering villa with pool, landscaped gardens and views across the rolling countryside of the Algarve stretching as far as the sea at Olhão. Quinta Pé do Cerro sleeps 16, is 15 minutes' drive from the beach, and sits just outside the small village of Santa Bárbara de Nexe, which has a few bars, one restaurant and a shop. The Villa Agency (01392 424400) offers seven nights' self-catering accommodation from 28 March for £1,527 (£96 pp based on full occupancy). Flights extra.
St Tropez, France
Rent a traditional villa, with activity holiday attached, on a hillside between St Tropez and Ramatuelle on the Côte d'Azur. The house has numerous terraces, a lawned courtyard, a large pool, a sun terrace, a fountain, a tennis court and a boules court. International Chapters (020 7722 0722) offers Mas de l'Oumede, which sleeps 13, from 28 March to 4 April for £2,500 (£193 pp based on full occupancy). Flights cost extra.
