Cruise the Med or swap winter for summer: Travel deals

Deals of the week

Winter sun: Melbourne (Alamy)

Get me out of here

Now... Med cruise

Departing 15 October, P&O Cruises is offering a week in the Mediterranean aboard Ventura for £549 per person. The price includes flights from various UK airports out to Genoa and returning from Malaga. In between, the ship visits Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Palma. pocruises.com

Soon...Rail price war

Planning a pre-Christmas UK trip? Take advantage of the fares war raging between East Coast Trains and Grand Central, which has cut its cheapest one-way Advance fares to just £12.80 (Bradford-King's Cross), and £13.60 (London-York). grandcentralrail.com

Later... Business as usual

BA is throwing in cut-price hotel accommodation when you book a business-class-only flight from London City to New York in January. The cheapest return fare is £2,627, but adding three nights at the four-star Fitzpatrick Grand Central costs only £162 extra. Book by 31 October. ba.com/new-york

Deals of the week

Less than £200...On the Rhodes

If you can travel before the main autumn half-term (beginning 26 October) there are some excellent last-minute deals. Thomson is offering a week at Lindos in Rhodes for £170 per person, leaving Gatwick on 18 October and staying in the self-catering Lindos View Studios. thomson.co.uk

Less than £500...Northern skies

If you are prepared to risk cloudy skies or cosmic lulls, Icelandair's "Northern Lights and Hot Springs" break is a good winter option. From Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow it costs around £350 for three nights, including flights, hotel and breakfast. icelandair.co.uk

Less than £1,000... Swap winter for summer

Air fares to Australia in November are looking very competitive, even on the best airlines such as Cathay Pacific. Departing from Heathrow via Hong Kong to Melbourne on 5 or 6 November, returning on a range of dates, costs just £779 return. cathaypacific.com