Winter sun packages for families: Jet2holidays vs TUI, Travel Republic and booking it yourself

Which? says the Canary Islands and Morocco are the cheapest places for winter sun this year, with some December return flights to Fuerteventura from £29 and to Marrakech from £32. Cheap seats are one thing. For a family, the real question is whether to book a package with luggage, transfers and protection built in, or put it together yourself.

We've compared what Jet2holidays, TUI and Travel Republic include, using each company's own website on 22 October 2026, and set them against booking flights and a hotel separately. We wanted to include easyJet holidays too, but its website blocked our checks, so we couldn't confirm its current deposits or inclusions. More on that below.

At a glance

• Jet2holidays: 22kg hold bag, 10kg hand luggage and return transfers included, a £60 per person deposit if you book ten weeks or more ahead, and Free Child Places.
• TUI: 20kg hold bag when you fly with TUI Airways, transfers included on TUI Airways packages, free kids' places on selected holidays, and a £0 deposit option if you pay monthly by Direct Debit.
• Travel Republic: packages built from many airlines, including Ryanair. Luggage and transfers depend on what you book. Its payment plan takes the full flight cost plus 5% of the hotel to book.
• Booking it yourself: the cheapest headline fares, but you add up bags, transfers and protection yourself.

Where the cheap winter sun is

Which?'s research, published on 22 October 2026 using Skyscanner fares, found these return flights:

• Fuerteventura in December: from £29 from London, £30 from Newcastle, and £34 to £38 from Birmingham, Manchester and Belfast. January fares were higher, from £42 to £54.
• Tenerife: from £29 from London, £31 from Liverpool, Bristol, Nottingham and Birmingham, and £34 from Manchester.
• Marrakech: from £32 from London and Edinburgh, and £34 from Glasgow and Manchester.
• Agadir in December: from £32 from London, £35 from Edinburgh and £40 from Manchester.

Those are the cheapest fares Which? found, per person, on particular dates. They won't all be available for a family of four in the school holidays.

What's included in the price

This is where packages and DIY differ most for families.

• Jet2holidays includes return flights, accommodation, a 22kg hold bag and 10kg hand luggage for each passenger, and return transfers. Infants under two travel free, and you can add an extra 10kg to your 22kg hold bag for them. It also says there are no fuel surcharges.
• TUI includes a 20kg luggage allowance as standard when you fly with TUI Airways, and children under two get 10kg of checked luggage. Transfers are included on TUI Airways packages. If your package uses a partner airline, TUI says to check the details of that deal. It also says there are no fuel surcharges or hidden costs.
• Travel Republic builds packages from its hotels and a range of airlines. Its terms say baggage follows each airline's own rules, and transfers are included only when your booking says so. Its site offers airport transfers as an extra.
• Booking yourself: the fares Which? found are the cheapest seats, so check what luggage they include before you compare. Transfers, or a hire car, are extra.

Deposits and paying

• Jet2holidays: £60 per person on bookings made ten weeks or more before you fly. For a family of two adults and two children, that's £240 to secure the holiday.
• TUI: its free kids' places page says you can book with a £0 deposit and pay monthly by Direct Debit. Check that it applies to your holiday before you book.
• Travel Republic: its payment plan for flight and hotel bookings takes the full flight cost plus 5% of the hotel cost upfront, with the rest due 30 days before check-in. You need to book at least 30 days ahead and pay by card, and some rates are excluded.
• Booking yourself: airlines usually take the full fare when you book, while some hotels let you pay later.

Free child places

Both big tour operators offer them, with conditions.

• Jet2holidays says it has millions of Free Child Places available until October 2027, across all destinations and seasons. Its terms limit them to selected hotels and dates, with one per room when at least two people pay full price, and you still pay a deposit for the child, which comes off the final bill.
• TUI allows one free kid's place per booking, for every two full-paying passengers sharing a room. It goes to the youngest child, and it covers the flight, accommodation, standard board and transfers. Other children pay full price.

Protection if something goes wrong

All the Jet2holidays and TUI flight-inclusive holidays we looked at are ATOL protected, and Travel Republic says all its holidays are too. ATOL means you can get a refund, or a flight home, if the travel company goes bust. You should get an ATOL certificate when you pay. TUI says to check that every part of your booking is listed on it, because anything that isn't listed isn't covered.

A package also brings extra rights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, including that the organiser is responsible for all the travel services in the package, even when another company provides them. The rules apply across the UK.

Book flights and a hotel separately and things change. The Civil Aviation Authority says a flight bought directly from a scheduled airline, with a ticket issued straight away, isn't ATOL protected. If the airline fails, you may be able to claim under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if you paid more than £100 by credit card, or through chargeback on a debit card. Some travel insurance covers airline failure too.

easyJet holidays: what we couldn't check

easyJet holidays sells flight and hotel packages on easyJet flights. Its website blocked our checks, so we couldn't confirm its current deposit, luggage allowance or transfer terms. If you're considering it, price the same dates there and check what's included before you compare it with the others here.

Where each wins and falls short

• Jet2holidays has the clearest list of what's included, with bigger bag allowances than TUI and transfers on every package, but you need to book ten weeks ahead for the £60 deposit.
• TUI offers a £0 deposit if you pay monthly and free kids' places with transfers included, but its 20kg allowance is a little lower than Jet2's 22kg, and partner-airline packages may differ.
• Travel Republic gives the widest choice of airlines and hotels, which can help from smaller airports, but you need to check luggage and transfers on each booking, and its payment plan asks for the whole flight cost upfront.
• Booking yourself can be cheapest for flexible travellers who pack light, but you lose ATOL protection on a direct airline booking and have to sort out bags and transfers yourself.

Your questions answered

Is a package holiday cheaper than booking separately?

Not always. A £29 fare looks cheaper, but a family of four will usually need hold bags and a transfer. Price both ways for the same dates, including everything you'll need, before you decide.

Do I get ATOL protection if I book a flight and hotel on one website?

If one company sells you flights and accommodation together, the CAA says your holiday must be protected. You should get an ATOL certificate. If you don't, ask why.

Can I get a free child place in the school holidays?

Possibly. Jet2holidays says its Free Child Places cover all months, and TUI says its free kids' places are available in the school holidays. Both are limited, so the earlier you look, the better your chances.

Ways to save

Look out for the deposits and free child places above, and compare the full price for your whole family rather than the headline per-person figure. See our Jet2holidays offers, including its £60 per person deposit for Summer 2027, and our Travel Republic voucher codes for its payment plan and free cancellation on most hotels. If you work for the emergency services or NHS, our easyJet holidays page lists up to £200 off for Blue Light Card members. And if you're driving to the airport, our Holiday Extras voucher codes include up to 30% off airport parking and 10% off airport hotels.

Sources: Which?: the cheapest places to go for winter sun, Jet2holidays, Jet2holidays family holidays, Jet2holidays terms and conditions, TUI free kids' places, TUI: home of holiday value, TUI holidays for babies and toddlers, Travel Republic, Travel Republic terms, CAA: about ATOL, CAA: exceptions to ATOL protection, Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

Ad: affiliate links. The codes and deals below link to the stores, and we may earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you. How we make money.