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School holidays Published on 26 October 2026 · updated on 26 October 2026

Christmas 2026 winter sun with the kids: where to go, and how to stay connected

Christmas school holidays 2026 in the UK and Ireland, nine winter-sun destinations with their official December averages, the papers you need, and what mobile data costs there (prices and tariffs read on 26/10/2026).

The short answer. In the UK, Christmas school holidays are set locally: in the official examples we checked, term ends on Friday 18 December 2026 and pupils go back between Monday 4 and Wednesday 6 January 2027. In Ireland, all schools close on Tuesday 22 December 2026 and reopen on Wednesday 6 January 2027. For sunshine, average December highs reach 24°C or more in Hurghada, Dubai, Cancún, Phuket and Mauritius. Outside Europe, check your plan: if it doesn't include your destination, roaming can cost £8 a day per phone with Vodafone or Three.

The dates

United Kingdom. GOV.UK says that "school term and holiday dates vary across the UK" and asks you to find yours on your local council's website. Examples from official sources, read on 26 October 2026:

Where Christmas holidays 2026/27
England: Sandwell Council Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027; term ends Friday 18 December, starts again Monday 4 January 2027
England: Plymouth City Council 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027; term ends 18 December
Wales: dates approved by the Welsh Government Autumn term ends Friday 18 December in 21 of the 22 councils (Tuesday 22 December in Powys); spring term starts Monday 4 January 2027 everywhere
Scotland: City of Edinburgh Council Monday 21 December 2026 to Tuesday 5 January 2027; term starts again Wednesday 6 January 2027
Northern Ireland: Department of Education 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 (recommended dates; schools can set their own)

Sandwell Council notes that some academies and voluntary aided church schools may not follow its dates: check with your child's school.

Bank holidays (GOV.UK): Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026, Boxing Day on Monday 28 December (substitute day), New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027. Scotland also has 2 January, moved to Monday 4 January 2027.

Ireland. The Department of Education's circular sets the same dates for all primary and post-primary schools: "All schools will close on Tuesday 22 December 2026, which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on Wednesday 6 January 2027."

Christmas departures bunch up on the same few days, and so do flight prices: book early.

Nine winter-sun destinations, with their December averages

Average December temperatures (high / low), from the official climate averages listed as sources.

Destination December (high / low) Who it suits Mobile data there: cheapest 7-day eSIM among the brands we compare
Canary Islands, Tenerife (Spain) 22.8°C / 16.5°C Short flight, beaches, Mount Teide €7.10 (Sirocco, 7GB, Spain plan)
Egypt, Hurghada 24°C / 13°C Beach, coral reefs, a day at the pyramids for older children €16.60 (Sirocco, 7GB)
Morocco, Marrakech and Agadir Marrakech 20°C / 7°C; Agadir 22°C / 10°C Mild sunshine, medinas, a night in the Agafay desert €9.00 (Sirocco, 5GB)
United Arab Emirates, Dubai 27°C / 17°C Beaches, theme parks, a city break in the sun €10.50 (Airalo, 5GB)
Tunisia, Djerba 18°C / 11°C A quiet festive break, oases in the south €9.90 (Sirocco, 7GB)
Mexico, Cancún 29°C / 21°C Caribbean beaches, Mayan sites €11.50 (Airalo, 5GB)
Thailand, Phuket 32°C / 25°C Warm sea, islands, a big trip €6.10 (Sirocco, 5GB)
Mauritius, the north 31°C / 21°C Calm lagoons for little ones; the start of the cyclone season €16.10 (Sirocco, 5GB)
New York, Manhattan 7°C / 1°C The "movie" Christmas: shop windows, ice rinks, parks under snow if you're lucky €10.90 (Sirocco, 5GB)

The Canary Islands figure comes from AEMET, Spain's met office, at Tenerife South airport over 1981-2010; the others are 1991-2020 averages, except Mauritius (1971-2000). For the Canary Islands, we list plans sold for Spain: check on the brand's page that the islands are covered.

The eSIM prices above are, for 7 days with at least 5GB, the cheapest among the brands we compare, checked on 26 October 2026: Sirocco, Airalo and Holafly (which only sells unlimited plans, so isn't ranked here). Airalo is cheapest for Dubai and Mexico; Sirocco for the Canary Islands, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Thailand, Mauritius and New York. eSIMeter is published by Mocom SAS, which also sells Sirocco eSIMs: the ranking rule is the same for every brand, and we show the winner even when it isn't Sirocco. Saily isn't ranked: its prices aren't publicly available.

Mind the length. The Christmas break lasts about two weeks, a little more in some areas. A 7-day plan won't cover all of it: compare the price of the whole trip. For Morocco, among the brands we compare, 15 days with at least 5GB started at €18.50 (Sirocco, 7GB, 15 days), ahead of Airalo at €19.50 (5GB, 15 days); unlimited data for 15 days started at €42.70 (Sirocco).

A family in Morocco: the cost for four

Morocco is the destination where we have the most detail. For 4 travellers, 7 days, at least 5GB each, prices checked on 26/10/2026:

Brand Total for 4
Sirocco (10% off from 3 eSIMs) €32.40
Airalo €38.00
Holafly (unlimited only) €119.60

The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive is €87.20. If you want unlimited data for everyone, Sirocco is still the cheapest of the brands we compare (€97.20 for four), ahead of Airalo (€114.00). The details are in our guide "Best eSIM for Morocco".

Passports and papers: check the official source

Entry rules depend on your passport and change often. We don't summarise them without a source: check for every traveller, children included, on the Foreign Office's travel advice page for your destination (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice), or on the Department of Foreign Affairs' page if you travel on an Irish passport (ireland.ie).

An example, copied from the sources, for Morocco:

  • British passport: "To enter Morocco, your passport must have an 'expiry date' at least 3 months after the date you arrive" (FCDO, updated 19 August 2026).
  • Irish passport: "Irish passports should have a minimum validity of 6 months at least from date of entry into Morocco" (DFA, updated 16 July 2025).

Renewing a passport takes time: check everyone's expiry date now.

Staying connected: what costs, and what doesn't

If your plan doesn't include your destination, here's what UK networks charge for mobile data, with no add-on (price lists read on 26/10/2026):

Destination Vodafone (plans bought since 11 Aug 2021) Three (joined or upgraded since 18 Dec 2025) EE O2
Canary Islands £2.75 a day (Spain is in Zone B) £2.75 a day £2.72 a day (plans launched from 7 July 2021) included in Pay Monthly plans, up to 25GB
Egypt, Morocco, Thailand, Dubai £8 a day (Zone D) £8 a day no mobile data without a pass data stopped unless you buy a Bolt On
Mexico, USA £8 a day (Zone C) £8 a day no mobile data without a pass data stopped unless you buy a Bolt On
Tunisia no mobile data without an add-on (Rest of World Zone 3) £8 a day no mobile data without a pass data stopped unless you buy a Bolt On
Mauritius no mobile data without an add-on (Rest of World Zone 2) outside Go Roam: £6.00 per MB no mobile data without a pass data stopped unless you buy a Bolt On

Three customers who joined or upgraded between 1 October 2021 and 17 December 2025 pay £2 a day in Europe and £7 a day in Around the World Extra destinations (Egypt, Morocco, Thailand, Dubai, Mexico and Tunisia among them). Some plans include some of these destinations: check yours before you go.

With an Irish network, the Canary Islands are covered by the EU's "roam like at home" rule. Further afield, if your plan doesn't include the destination, eir charges €4.99 per MB (bill pay) in every non-European destination above, and Vodafone Ireland's standard rate is €5.00 a day for a daily data allowance, on the days you use data. Three Ireland charges €4.99 per MB (bill pay and prepay) in the same destinations.

With a travel eSIM, the price is paid upfront and nothing is added to your bill. Each phone needs its own, or a shared hotspot.

Before you leave: look for the EID number in the settings of every phone (iPhone: Settings > General > About, EID line; Android: Settings > About phone > SIM status, EID line; the path varies by brand), install the eSIMs at home on Wi-Fi, and turn off data roaming on your usual line when you arrive.

Video calls on Christmas Day

WhatsApp, FaceTime and other calling apps run over the internet: with a data eSIM, you can call family back home without international call charges. An ordinary phone call goes through your usual line, at your network's rates.

Dates: GOV.UK, councils, the Welsh Government, the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) and the Department of Education (Ireland), read on 26/10/2026. Temperatures: official climate averages listed as sources. eSIM prices: checked on 26/10/2026 on the brands' websites, without promo codes. Network tariffs: official price guides and pages, read on 26/10/2026. eSIMeter is published by Mocom SAS, which also sells Sirocco eSIMs.

Sources

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