Where to travel in April

Kefalonia | Greece

If you want reliable early-season sun without flying long-haul, you've got the Canaries, Madeira, the Azores, Cyprus, Turkey and Greece. And it seems to be Greece that's winning on our real-time destination leaderboard, or more specifically the Greek islands. While islands like Crete, Santorini and Kos are traditionally more popular in the summer, our data shows that travellers are heading there in the shoulder seasons when it's less crowded and the weather's warm but not too warm.

The island of choice that seems to regularly come out as our top-rising destination with our customers is Kefalonia. Good call, we say. The dazzling beaches, enchanting caves and laid-back vibe is pretty hard to beat – you'll love basking in the sun, exploring quaint villages, and tucking into fresh seafood.

Stay in Assos for colourful houses, traditional tavernas and a Venetian castle at your doorstep. The picturesque fishing village Fiskardo is great too, especially if you love fine dining. Or head to Sami if you're more interested in exploring the island's main archaeological sites, including the Ancient Acropolis. The nearby Antisamos beach is pretty stunning too.

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Thailand

April is the celebration of Songkran, or Thai New Year, which takes place from the 13th to 15th of the month. In Bangkok especially it's experienced by visitors as a city-wide, multi-day water fight when everyone throws water over everyone else.

April is the hottest part of the year so you'll usually be glad of the chance to cool down, and it's a chance to see Bangkok at its best. The city is always wonderfully noisy, riotous, friendly and chaotic and Songkran is a perfect example of this.

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Amsterdam | The Netherlands

April is a great time to go to the Netherlands, and that's because of the tulips. They start to come out in March, but are at their glorious technicolour best in April.

That means the gorgeous Keukenhof Gardens are open. You can head out from Amsterdam to the tulip fields for a visit, and the city holds its own tulip festival all through the month. Amsterdam is a great city break any time of year, but April sees it at its beautiful blooming best so if you're planning a trip, now's the time.

We visited Amsterdam a few years ago to make our video guide for visitors to the city. Take a look at the travel guide or watch our video tour of one of its most infamous attractions – the Red Light District.

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Banjul | Gambia

Banjul was introduced as a completely new package holiday destination last year. Capitalising on its success taking UK winter sun seekers to Dakar in Senegal the year before, TUI opened up Gambia to package holiday travellers in 2023 with regular flights to Banjul. And we'd still recommend it this year to Brits looking for some extremely reliable sun and sea in a much more interesting and exotic setting.

The long dry season in Gambia lasts from October to May, so April is a perfect time to go. It's the hottest part of the end of the dry season, so you can enjoy the sunshine without the rain.

The tiny West African nation, surrounded on three sides by Senegal and to the west by the warm Atlantic coast, runs on UK time so you can head there without any jetlag. And once there it's easy to explore. At 30 miles wide at its widest point, nothing is too far away.

The eponymous river Gambia flows through the whole country, giving you the chance to see African river wildlife like hippos, monkeys and crocodiles. And the Atlantic coast is pleasantly uncrowded, with remarkably affordable bars and restaurants to enjoy. Our top tip is to get here while it's still relatively empty to enjoy the peace and quiet.

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Nantes | France

Perched on France's glamorous Loire River, Nantes is a great option for families looking to get away for the Easter holidays. New Ryanair routes from the UK has made it easier, and cheaper, to take the little ones on the short hour-and-a-half flight to northern France.

But what will kids love about Nantes? There's Puy du Fou, a unique theme park with areas each themed after different parts of history – from the Roman Empire, through the Viking age up until World War II. Then there's Les Machines de l'Île, a fascinating installation within the old shipyards. It's part steampunk, part whimsy and completely bonkers – if you've ever wanted to see a giant mechanical elephant this is the place to go.

Would you rather leave the kids at home? Fair enough. Nantes is well within the Loire Valley and boasts some of the best wines in the world, as well as plenty of grand chateaux and lush vineyards to try them in. So it's just as good a shout for a more grown-up trip.

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Prachov Rocks | Czech Republic

April is an excellent time to get out in nature as temperatures start to rise and sunny days are aplenty. And while the UK has no shortage of beautiful walking routes, if you fancy heading abroad we'd absolutely recommend seeing the Prachov Rocks in the Czech Republic.

This 40-metre-tall rock formation and lush wilderness can be found in a region called Bohemian Paradise, and it's called that for a reason. There are plenty of routes you can choose to walk, taking somewhere between 45 minutes and 2 hours, and along the way you might recognise the distinct landscapes from films and TV shows like Carnival Row, Van Helsing and Britannia.

The Prachov Rocks make for a great day trip from Prague if you want to take in the capital while you're away.

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Vlorë | Albania

We recently came up with a list of destinations that are cheaper, more exotic and great alternatives to UK travellers' favourite holiday spots. And if you've already been to the Costa del Sol or can't quite afford it, we think you'll love Vlorë in Albania.

You might not have considered a holiday to Albania, especially if you were thinking of heading to Spain, but hear us out. You won't find many places in Europe that are cheaper for tourists, with beers for under £2 and three-course meals for a tenner, and its third-largest city boasts beautiful beaches along the Bay of Vlorë and sunbathing weather to match. It'll get to the early 20s in April which should just be warm enough for a dip, plus it won't be too crowded. Feel free to hold out till summer if you don't mind it being busy though, when it regularly reaches 30°C.

There's more to Vlorë than just beaches. It's where Albania's independence was won, which you can learn more about at the National Independence Museum, and being so close to Italy its seafood pasta is exceptional. That's not to mention the pizza, which wouldn't look out of place being served in Naples.