Expectations of New Year’s Eve often far exceed reality. It is arguably the most expensive time of year to travel, and if you do get away, you are either battling your way through streets packed with drunken revellers, or paying over the odds for dinner in a hotel.
You can also find yourself forking out exorbitant sums for, or missing out on, ticketed events, not to mention spiking flight prices and scant hotel availability – and that’s before you factor in inflation and the slide of the pound.
Yet it is still possible to enjoy a New Year’s Eve holiday if you plan creatively and seek out destinations less obvious than Paris or New York.
“For those wanting a deal,” suggests Olivier Ponti, vice president of insights at travel trend forecaster ForwardKeys, “I would advise picking a country with a currency that has been very weak relative to the pound, such as Turkey or Egypt, so it will feel like good value when you are there.”
Celebrate for less and welcome 2023 on the historic streets of Bologna (Photo: Getty)
Skyscanner’s top flight searches for 30 December departures are Dubai, Bangkok, Amsterdam, Paris and Prague – but its “everywhere” search facility reveals Bologna, Vienna, Copenhagen, Porto and Bordeaux as the cheapest options.
According to Nicky Kelvin of The Points Guy UK, one of the most cost-effective destinations at the moment is Athens: “Prices have fallen by up to 15 per cent since 2021, making it cheaper than the usual money-saving front runners, such as Krakow and Budapest.”
Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner’s global travel expert, says: “Mixing the airlines you choose can also seriously cut costs; tickets don’t have to be booked as returns.”
Spontaneous long-haul travel tends to be expensive, as many popular routes to Thailand, Australia and South America are booked up months in advance. Kelvin advocates searching for flights departing from other European cities as a way to save.
So this year you could still find yourself enjoying a New Year’s Day walk on a deserted Irish beach, toasting 2023 with a natural wine down an Athenian backstreet or soaking up some winter sun – just start a new tradition and celebrate New Year on your own terms.
Balmy nights in Lisbon
Portugal’s capital city can offer good value for a New Year’s Eve celebration (Photo: Getty)
Lisbon is a perfect choice for New Year: skies above the Portuguese capital are often cloudless, it is generally warm enough to sit outside, and it tends to be less crowded than at other times of the year. Plus, there are countless restaurants and bars for which you don’t have to book a table.
Get your evening off to a good start at landmark temple to seafood Cervejaria Ramiro (cervejariaramiro.com) for sautéed clams, garlic prawns, and its celebrated steak sandwich. Or browse the Time Out Market Lisbon (timeoutmarket.com) in the Mercado de Ribeira.
Lisbon’s main celebrations take place near the waterfront at the Praça do Comércio, where people gather to watch fireworks over the River Tagus.
Stay at the Art Nouveau 1908 Hotel (1908lisboahotel.com), which has doubles from about €290 (£251) a night B&B.
Feast like an Italian in Bologna
New Year’s Eve in Bologna, Italy (Photo: Awakening/Getty)
Italians know how to celebrate, and Bologna has an interesting spin on festivities. The capital of a region that gave us Parmesan, Parma ham, tortelloni and bolognese – and is known as “La Grassa” (the fat one) – the city is one of the country’s finest places to eat.
Since the 19th century, its main New Year’s event has centred around the Piazza Maggiore, where crowds watch the setting alight of a giant puppet called “Rogo del Vecchione” (Burning of the Old One), a symbolic conflagration of the bad things that happened in the old year before welcoming in the new.
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Even if the weather does not co-operate, the party can continue under Bologna’s impressive Unesco World Heritage-listed covered porticoes that line the streets and stretch for about 38 miles.
Stay at The Hotel Metropolitan (hotelmetropolitan.com), which has rooms from £130 a night B&B. See emiliaromagnaturismo.it.
Beaches and bands in Dingle
Cumenoole Beach, Slea Head, Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland (Photo: DeAgostini/Getty)
Ireland’s cities fall quiet post-Christmas when residents scatter across the country to see friends and family. Follow their lead and visit one of the rural extremities of Ireland’s four provinces.
Dingle, with its pubs and live music, is a festive spot in which to welcome 2023. There is a marching band down the main street and fireworks at 10pm over Dingle Marina. Ryanair offers flights from Stansted and Luton to Kerry, which is an hour’s drive from Dingle.
On New Year’s Day, take a walk on one of the Dingle Peninsula’s spectacular beaches, such as Wine or Inch Strand. Or join a swim in the Atlantic Ocean (wildatlanticway.com). The Dingle Skellig Hotel (dingleskellig.com) has rooms from £272 per night B&B over New Year, based on two sharing.
Midnight delights in Athens
New Year’s Eve in Athens (Photo: Ayhan Mehmet/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Greece’s largest city is more than just a gateway to the islands. Not only is there the undeniable draw of its antiquities, but also Athens is an up-and-coming creative centre thanks to its affordable cost of living.
Syntagma Square is at the centre of its New Year’s celebrations with a fireworks display at midnight. The Renzo Piano-designed Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (snfcc.org) is also worth a peek, with lots of festive events, including its own fireworks display and a New Year’s Day jog.
Greek souvlaki is the perfect morning-after food and every local has their favourite stall, but the second central branch of Lefteris O Politis at Romvis 18 (+30 21 0522 5676) is one of the best.
AthensWas (athenswas.gr) is located between the Royal Gardens and the Acropolis and has a rooftop bar. Doubles from £179 a night over New Year.
Sea, sun and snorkelling in Egypt
If you would rather spend New Year’s Day on a sun lounger or snorkelling amid colourful marine life than in a city, Egypt represents good value.
For departures on 29 December, Olympic Holidays (olympicholidays.com) has a seven-night, all-inclusive holiday at the five-star Labranda Royal Makadi overlooking Makadi Bay in Hurghada. The price of £1,245pp, based on two sharing, includes all meals, flights and transfers.
Twice the celebration in Vietnam
Bach Suites, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Photo: hoachledinh)
Bamboo Airways (bambooairways.com) has launched direct flights between Gatwick and Vietnam; services alternate between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. Return fares start at about £1,000 with some availability between Christmas and the New Year. What’s more, Vietnam is relatively cheap once you arrive
Ho Chi Minh is a popular place to celebrate, with an impressive fireworks display. Stay at the Bach Suites Saigon (designhotels.com), a new boutique hotel that has doubles over New Year from £107 B&B. Add on a beach stay at the new Mövenpick Phan Thiet (all.accor.com) on Vietnaman’s south-east coast; doubles from £95 a night B&B. The train from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet takes just over three hours and costs about £7pp, one way (baolau.com/en/transportation/vietnam/trains/vr-vietnam-railways/). Get a taxi or book a hotel transfer for the final eight miles.
After party in Ljubljana
Fireworks explode above Ljubljana castle during New Year’s celebrations just after midnight in Ljubljana, Slovenia on New Year’s Eve (Photo: Getty Images)
Ljubljana’s quaint streets, parks and riverbank lined with bars and restaurants transform into an open-air venue for New Year’s Eve. There are street food stalls and performances, and at midnight, fireworks light up the sky above Ljubljana Castle Hill.
Extend your stay with a trip to Slovenia’s Kranjska Gora ski resort, which is about an hour’s drive (or two hours’ bus ride) from the capital.
EasyJet (easyJet.com) offers a two-night break at Ljubljana’s Grand Hotel Union, an architectural landmark, over New Year from £529pp, based on two sharing, including return flights from Gatwick.
