10 top holidays for autumn

Summer already seems a long time ago but autumn is one of the best times to get out for a quick holiday break. Visitors will find uncrowded beaches, bars and attractive prices!

Autumn is a season in which one can rediscover the magic of travel. Listed below are Krupt’s 10 suggestions.

1. The Turquoise Coast
The south western stretch of the Turkish coast is celebrated for the extraordinary quality and colour of the sea. It really is turquoise. With the peak season over, visitors can better enjoy the beaches, the buzzing market place and even a paragliding ride over the lagoon at Oludeniz.
www.gototurkey.co.uk

2. Greece is the word
On the other side of the Aegean, you can relax on a beach, indulge in platefuls of fresh fish in a seaside taverna or survey a landscape of olive groves and fig trees from the comfort of your own villa.

Greece is probably at its best in the laid-back tail end of the holiday season.

3. Cruise the Nile
Perhaps the most stylish and intimate way to cruise the Nile and enjoy a bit of temple-spotting is aboard a dahabiyya, a recreation of the finely crafted wooden vessels that were popular with well-to-do travellers in the late 19th century.

4. Paris for the opera
The Opéra National de Paris (www.operadeparis.fr) has a thrilling season in store. Productions at the flamboyant Palais Garnier include Richard Strauss’s Capriccio, sung in German (until Sept 28; tickets £74-£108 ). Productions at the modern Opéra Bastille include an innovative staging of Roméo et Juliette, Berlioz’s symphonie dramatique, by the German choreographer Sasha Waltz (Oct 5-20), and Puccini’s Tosca (Oct 24-Nov 20), sung in Italian. Seats for both productions cost £34-£88.

5. Autumn leaves in Japan
New England may be more celebrated, but as the maple trees turn, the autumn colours in Japan become sensational, too.

The season begins this month in the northern district of Hokkaido, where, in Noboribetsu, you can admire the leaves while bathing in a hot spring. Noboribetsu’s oldest hotel is the Dai-ichi Takimotokan (see www.takimotokan.co.jp/english/index.html).

In the south, a magical spot to catch the colours next month is Akita. Tsurunoyu, another hot-springs resort, has a selection of oil lamp-lit, thatched-roof lodges that were once used by resting samurai (japaneseguesthouses.com/db/akita/tsurunoyuonsen.htm).

6. Dartmoor on horsback
For the next few weeks, Dartmoor will be covered with great swathes of purple heather and smudges of acid-yellow gorse. The annual Pony Drift, in which ponies come down from the moor to be vetted, begins towards the end of September. You can explore the moor on horseback by booking an autumn package at Bovey Castle hotel, 17 miles from Exeter, on the moors.

Dinner, bed, breakfast and a riding session (for all levels) costs from £149 per person per night (01647 445000, www.boveycastle.com).

7. Munich Beerfest
Bavarians certainly don’t let autumn get them down, seeing it as an excuse for staging the mother of all booze-ups.

Between September 22 and October 7, some six million people are likely to drop in on the rather grand “tents” erected by Munich’s breweries to down foaming litres of beer and enjoy sausages, roast chicken and super-sized pretzels.

Although it attracts an international crowd, the Oktoberfest remains a quintessential celebration of all things Bavarian - yes, lederhosen for the men, dirndl for the ladies and schmaltzy folk music all round. But after the first litre, who cares?

Dertour (0870 403 5442, www.dertour.co.uk) has two-night midweek packages, including accommodation and flights, from £329.

8. The Wine Train Italy
If you prefer your tipple in smaller measures, the wine harvest is in full swing in Italy. This is the ideal time to take a trip on the Wine Train from Siena to Montalcino.

Passengers stop off to visit the Romanesque Abbey of Sant’Antimo, with lunch and a tasting of wines and local products at a nearby winery. They continue to the charming station at Montalcino, where there are more tastings - including the superb local Brunello wine - in a restored train carriage.

9. Dalmation Delights
With its 1,200 islands and long stretch of mainland, Croatia has one of the most dramatic coastlines in Europe. Venetian-era ports are complemented by clear seas, pine forests and jagged mountain backdrops.

In peak season, celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg potter about in yachts, dropping anchor to explore treasures such as Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split. But it’s much nicer once the coast is clearer.

Companies offering sailing off the Dalmatian coast include Sailing Holidays (020 8459 8787, www.sailingholidays.com) and Dalmatian Destinations (020 7730 8007, www.dalmatiandestinations.com).

10. In hot water
Enjoy the change of season from the comfort of a naturally heated outdoor pool in Budapest, which has many hot springs and some 50 thermal spas.

The Romans were the first to tap into the bathing possibilities of this grand city, but others who enjoyed a good soak included the Turks, who ruled here from 1541 to 1686. See www.gotohungary.co.uk.