Gale force winds, floods, icy roads, sleet, snow – but not the good type you can actually ski on – and endless freezing cold twilight. Aside from Christmas, what has winter really got going for it?

If you’re more of a beaches and sunshine type of person, you might want to consider escaping from the shackles of your central heating for a week or two. Take a look at some of the surprisingly affordable deals around at this time of year for hotels in Turkey and pack your suitcase – this winter, you might even get a suntan.

Hundreds of holidaymakers are hitting the airports during the colder months to avoid the darker skies, and one in 20 of us are looking to escape SAD, a type of depression triggered in people with high sensitivity to sunlight (or the lack of it). Turkey is a fantastic destination for winter sun, thanks to its year-round warm and sunny climate and due to the fact that it’s only a four hour flight away so there’s no jet lag to contend with.

Holidays to Malta will also give you a great amount of sun for your money, with winter temperatures remaining on the warm side of 15 degrees centigrade and the skies staying clear and blue. A beautiful location to spend your winter holidays, Malta offers gorgeous Mediterranean cuisine, beautiful beaches, historical landmarks and towns steeped in the riches of hundreds of years of Maltese tradition as well as extensive occupation by the Roman and Ottoman empires.

Flights to Malta depart from most larger airports in the UK, and with flight times starting from only two hours, you could be in the sun quicker than the daily commute to work. How tempting is that?

This time of year, cheap holidays are readily available thanks to most travellers taking time off during the summer months. The lull between summer holidays and the skiing rush in late January to March makes late November through to December one of the best times to pick up a bargain.

Depending on your flexibility with flight times and destination, you may be pleasantly surprised with how little it could cost you to get away this Christmas time.

Not everybody likes to be stuck inside while the rain pours down. Take your loved ones away to somewhere warm and enjoy Christmas in one of Europe’s most popular winter sun destinations. Combining tradition and festivities with a break from the norm and some beautiful Mediterranean sunshine might just become your family’s favourite way to celebrate. It’s certainly different, not to mention a world away from broken boilers, burnt roast potatoes and falling asleep in front of the TV.

Just think – if you stay in one of Turkey or Malta’s fabulously luxurious new hotel complexes, you won’t even need to worry about the washing up. Surely that’s reason enough to get away this winter?