We all know the feeling. The days are getting colder, a scarf becomes a permanent staple of your wardrobe, and it feels that you wake up and go to bed in the dark. That is the British winter for you. But worse of all, your holiday abroad, that you had back in the spring has faded into a distant memory. So what can you do? Well some people may say that wrapping yourself in your duvet and eating chocolate is the answer, but is there an alternative, if you can afford it of course – booking a winter holiday instead and chasing that summer sun!

So where are the popular places for a Winter 2010 holiday? Well here are some Winter Sun Spot suggestions from the BBC  Travel Notebook and Travelio.net 

• Spain: Winters are usually mild, warm and dry, with temperatures ranging from 14-23°C. Occasionally there will be severe weather, with gales and heavy rain, as there were in early November 2001 – so those would be the times you would wish you hadn’t bothered booking a winter sun holiday!
• USA: Temperatures in Florida stay within the 18-26°C range, with 6 hours of sunshine. This area is prone to very changeable weather though – check about hurricanes (link to hurricane blog)
• Caribbean: The winter months are dry, with temperatures around 24-27°C and 9 hours of sunshine every day
• Cyprus: Temperatures range from 16-23°C, and although winters are usually mild and sunny, the island can experience its heaviest rainfalls at this time.
• Portugal: The Algarve and the island of Madeira are popular year round destinations.
• Asia: In Thailand, temperatures stay at 30-34°C all year round, but with less rainfall from November to April.  Equatorial Malaysia has hot and wet weather all year round, with temperatures in the 30s°C. The Indonesian islands, like Bali, have a similar climate to Malaysia. It stays hot and humid all year round, with temperatures averaging out at 29-31°C.
• Australia: Imagine relaxing on the famous Bondi beach in Sydney while your friends struggle with the drizzle and gloom back home.
• Brazil: What about checking out Rio de Janeiro, especially during the annual February Carnival.
• South Africa: A mini-tourism boom is anticipated for South Africa in 2011, following on from the success of the World Cup and the intense media coverage.

So what does this information mean for you as you plan your holiday? Well, the key thing I notice from the list is that other than a few places in Europe, the majority of places are quite far away, and you know what that means – yes, that’s it – cramped long haul flights (unless of course you have the time and inclination to go on a long cruise to book your holiday).

So I thought I would provide you with some top tips for those long haul flights. Ultimately, as this article in the Telegraph details, you need to decide the balance between comfort and a lower fare, and obviously that will differ for everyone. Thanks to Backpacking Matt for some of the tips too.

These first tips are all for while you preparing your holiday, and actually travelling to your destination.

• Compare prices: Find out the cheapest economy fare to your destination – this will give you a reference price. Compare this price with the national carrier for each route and main UK airlines such as BA and Virgin.
• Compare flight times: The cheapest fares usually involve a detour or change of plane. While you don’t want to increase your journey time unnecessarily, a chance to stretch your legs might not be a bad thing if it means you’re also saving some money. But by paying a bit more, it could be a 45-minute stop rather than a 12-hour wait.
• Compare ticket types: If you are travelling to New Zealand or Australia, you may find that a round-the-world (RTW) ticket is cheaper than a simple return.
• Compare the small print: Ticket restrictions vary considerably and it’s worth checking the terms and conditions before you buy. Often you are unable to change outbound flights: when you can, it could be free or cost anything between £50 and £100.
• Travel Insurance: You will have paid a lot of money for your long haul flights, so make sure that you get comprehensive travel insurance to cover you in case of any problem with the airline or your destination etc
• Compare airline seats: You could try www.seatguru.com to compare different airlines. Reserve a window seat if you can
• Exercise the day before you fly:  Get lots of exercise the day you fly out. Exercising releases chemicals in your brain that helps to reduce stress so you will feel more relaxed about the upcoming hours in the air. Exercise will make you feel tired so you will be more likely to be able to sleep on the plane, no matter how cramped the airline seat is!
• Drink lots of fluid:  Spending hours confined to an airplane will result in you getting dehydrated. That airplane air is not only cold, it’s also extremely dry. Most long-haul flight operators make a point of bringing water and juice around – so make sure you do drink it!

 But what about once you arrive at your beautiful, sunny destination – Florida perhaps? Or Malaysia? All you want to do is enjoy your holiday, but at the same time the flight is catching up with you. Here are some tips that may help….

•  Avoid a post-flight nap: Regardless of when you arrive at your destination, do everything you can to avoid taking that quick ‘one hour’ snooze – chances are you’ll feel worse when you wake up. Power on through the day and go to bed at a normal hour. You’ll feel much better the next morning.
  

  How can you beat the time zone changes when chasing winter sun?

• Get lots of sunlight and fresh air when you arrive:

  Stay active and do some exploring. This will result in you getting exercise, fresh air, and increased vitamin D from being out in the sunshine. This will help keep you alert and allow you to make it to bedtime.

I must say though that overall I agree with backpacker Matt, the travelling part of a long haul holiday might not be the best part – but surely that is a small price to pay once you are luxuriating in that winter sun destination, and have left behind (for a while) the cold Britain!

If you have any more tips for a long haul flight, I’m sure that I haven’t covered them all, please feel free to share them below.