What’s my best bet to escape the gloomiest month of the year?

Simon Calder answers your queries on early winter sun breaks, exchanging money for a Turkey trip, and dealing with the impending Air Canada pilots’ strike

Med to measure: Hyeres, on the French Riviera, is within reach of Marseille (Simon Calder)

Q I need a holiday with at least some warmth. November is the best month for me but I am not sure where to go or when to book.

Sanj L

A A shrewd choice of month. I find November in the UK the most dismal month of the year – but conveniently, it also offers the very best value. The benefit of some Mediterranean sunshine is at its most valuable in the 11th month of the year and with no school holidays to drive up demand, you can expect cheap packages (or, if you prefer to arrange accommodation yourself, bargain-basement flights).

The corollary is that the supply of holidays and flights is not as high as at other times of the year. Yet there is still a good amount of choice. This is my top three.

For a break you organise yourself, I suggest the French Riviera. You can fly cheaply (by which I mean as little as £30 return) into Nice or Marseille. Make your way to a small, beautiful and historic town: Villefranche if you fly into Nice, Hyeres if you are heading to Marseille. Both offer an abundance of charm, history and great places to eat and drink.

If you prefer a standard package holiday, you can’t go wrong with Benidorm: the classic Spanish resort, with the added benefit of a tram link to the fine city of Alicante. Expect to pay around £300 for a week, including flights, transfer and accommodation.

For not much more, you could reach the Turkish Riviera. I have seen all-inclusive packages (with easyJet Holidays) for as little as £353 for a week from Luton in November.

Whichever you choose, there is no need to book far in advance. Personally, I would start looking about six weeks ahead but unless there was something that looked outstanding value, I would happily wait and see. Those trips are not going to sell out.

Anutz Lake on Vancouver Island: those who can’t switch their travel date will be affected by the planned strike on 18 September (Getty)

Q My sister and I are taking our mother on a trip to Vancouver Island, leaving on 20 September from London Heathrow. We’ve just found out about the Air Canada strike possibility and have no room for movement on that date. If our flight is cancelled, will Air Canada put us on any other airline that would get us to Vancouver even if it connects in the US?

Matt S

A Air Canada’s pilots are threatening to strike from 18 September, in a bitter pay dispute with management. The airline says: “Air Canada is in negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association. Currently, our operations are not affected, and our flights are operating as scheduled.” But passengers like you, booked to travel between 15 and 23 September can prepone (move forward) or postpone their journey on Air Canada.

Neither of these options works for you. So let me address your issue. In aviation, I have seen far more pilots’ strikes not happen than actually go ahead. From the point of view of a pilots’ union, merely threatening to walk out is a valuable bargaining position. It means prospective passengers will immediately start booking with other carriers, so they can get some certainty about travel. That damages the earnings of the airline. So there is a strong incentive to settle well before the strike takes place. Having said that, the fact that Air Canada is allowing passengers to switch flights suggests it may be prepared to countenance a stoppage.

If the strike goes ahead, you can expect to be told of a cancellation a few days in advance of travel. Air passengers’ rights rules entitle you to be flown as close to the original timings as possible. The obvious replacements would be on Air Canada’s alliance partner, United, via the US. This would be a pain because of the need to go through the onerous business of getting an Esta permit and clearing the US frontier for the hour or two you will be spending there between flights.

The Civil Aviation Authority has made it clear that if you are not offered a same-day replacement you can take it into your own hands and buy another ticket, subsequently claiming the cost back from the cancelling carrier. I hope in your case none of this is necessary and your trip goes ahead as planned.

Simon recommends using a bureau de change in Marmaris (Simon Calder)

Q My wife and I are heading to a hotel near Marmaris in Turkey at the end of this month for an 11-night all-inclusive holiday. I have read that it is currently best to exchange currency once there – and right now they prefer euros to pounds when changing for Turkish lira. Should I therefore bring, say, €300 with me, or would £300 be just as good? Alternatively, I have a credit card that doesn’t add a fee for withdrawals at overseas ATMs. So would it even be better to just withdraw cash when we get there?

Mark L

A Some people might imagine an all-inclusive means you’ve already paid upfront for everything. But in my experience, you will need cash for tips for the usually excellent staff (particularly if, like me, you enjoy a drink). More importantly, this stretch of the Turkish coast is a joy, with much to see and do. I hope you will escape the resort to enjoy the Old Town of Marmaris, and perhaps venture as far as the Dalyan rock tombs. All of which will require some cash.

Certainly don’t obtain Turkish lira while in the UK. It is a volatile currency that seems set on a long-term decline in value, and so you are guaranteed a lousy rate.

Once in Turkey, don’t bank on using your card without encountering local charges for using ATMs – which can add an extra £5 or more to each withdrawal. I prefer to stick to cash. I take clean sterling notes in a mix of denominations (£5s, £10s and £20s). I then shop around the various bureau de change that are located in tourist towns like Marmaris and seek out the best rate.

Agreed, the rates of exchange are not as keen for sterling as they are for euros (the technical term is that there is a “wider spread” for pounds). If you happen to have hundreds of euros sitting around, do take them; some prices are quoted in euros rather than local currency. However, the benefits are not sufficient to make it worthwhile changing sterling for the European currency before another exchange for Turkish lira.

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