With a 55% year on year increase in departures, October is now the 2nd most popular month to travel after July, as reported by Original Travel.

The growth of shoulder season travel continues apace, with new reports from Original Travel revealing a record-breaking surge in October departures last year (up 55% compared to 2023), with 2025 set to follow suit. According to the bespoke travel specialists, the growing trend of schools offering a two-week October half-term, coupled with Britons' preference for off-peak travel, has propelled October to 'second most popular month to travel' status, beaten only by July. 

Summer is becoming a less attractive time to travel due to skyrocketing prices, crowds and temperatures, all of which reached record highs in 2024*, in the process prompting more travellers to consider shoulder season travel. October is proving particularly popular; it's the best time to visit some favourite destinations which are either too hot, too busy or out of season in the British summer, plus more families than ever are increasingly benefitting from a two-week October half-term, now offered by almost a third of multi-academy trusts and one-fifth of local authority schools*. 

The shift from the traditional one-week half-term allows families to plan more adventurous longer haul holidays outside the peak season of summer. An extra week opens up opportunities for more exploratory trips, including further flung destinations, without the need to take children out of school – and risk disapproving glances (and fines) from teachers. 

Original Travel founder Tom Barber says: “October has always been one of my favourite times to travel, but the one-week half-term put a spanner in the works for big family trips. With the adoption of two-week half-terms for some schools, the world opens up, making some great October destinations like India, South Korea, the US and Oman accessible.”

Texas Family Road-trip 
Texas comes with added yeehaw in October. The cooler temperatures make outdoor adventures more comfortable for children and Texas' diverse landscape glows with autumnal hues, making for exceptional picnics, fishing excursions and nature park walks. On Original Travel's 12-day Texas Family Road-trip, explore the solar system with a tour of the NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston; tuck into maple-syrup drenched pancakes at diner pit-stops; wave your foam-hand at a Dallas Cowboys (American) football game and give your new stetson a test-run with a 4-night ranch stay. Live your American dreams, with a night of two-stepping at the world's largest country bar, feast on Texan BBQ spreads, experience bull racing at the iconic Cowtown Coliseum and go riding along the Brazos River to catch the tranquil Texan sunset.  
Prices start from £1,870pp, for a 12-day trip, based on a family of four. Price includes return flights, car hire, private tours, 4 nights at a traditional ranch and 4 nights' hotel accommodation. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, www.originaltravel.co.uk.   

Natural Autumnal Delights in South Korea 
South Korea is a country of ageless beauty, and it shows different, yet magnificent, colours and sights in the autumnal months. Start your 11-day family trip in Seoul, where you will find quieter streets and perfect mid-20s temperatures. Host a family talent show in a trendy karaoke studio; marvel at the regal Gyeongbokgung Palace amid the autumn foliage, or savour steaming bowls of noodles and crispy Korean fried chicken at the bustling street-food paradise of Myeong-dong. From Seoul, your next stop is Busan for a dose of local handicraft shopping, art gallery hopping (Busan has the leading art scene in South Korea) and temple exploring. The cherry-on-top of your October half term is a two-night's stay on the blissful Jeju Island. October is one of the best times to visit, with the fluffy pink clouds of the pink muhly plant in full bloom. Run around fields of soft cotton-candy grass or grab your wicker baskets and go tangerine picking at one of Juju Island's citrus farms.  
Original Travel's 11-day itinerary costs from £5,130pp. Price includes all flights, private transfers, high-speed KTX train tickets, private tours and 7-nights' hotel and 1 night's hanok accommodation. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, www.originaltravel.co.uk.   

Exploring Turkey: Istanbul, Cappadocia and Bodrum 
Explore Turkey in all its glory on this amazing 12-day trip. From Istanbul, a treat for all the senses, to the dramatic mountainous landscape of the Cappadocia region, home to surreal 'fairy chimney' rock formations, troglodyte rock-hewn houses and ghost towns, the whole family will be ready for five days of downtime in beautiful Bodrum at the end of the trip. Plenty of time to enjoy its sandy beaches and the gorgeous (and still warm) waters of the Aegean Sea. 
Prices from £3,835pp, based on two sharing and including return flights, all overland transport, guided tours and activities and 11 nights' B&B accommodation. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, www.originaltravel.co.uk.   

Bengal Tigers and Hidden Gems in India 
October half term coincides with the best time for sightings of India' magnificent Bengal tigers because the national parks reopen after monsoon and are at their gloriously lush best. Original Travel's 11-day trip to Northern India and the Ganges Valleys includes a safari experience in the world-famous Bandhavgarh Park, where your trusty guide will show you the best viewpoints for tiger-spotting. You can also expect a temple-tour of the ancient Khajuraho Group of Monuments, witness the monumental Hindu Ganga Aarti ceremony and enjoy an enriching tour of Calcutta's colonial past with visits to the stand-out Tagore House, Jain Pareshnath Temple (built by one of Calcutta's most famous jewellers) and the pottery quarter of Kumartuli. 
Prices start from £6,305pp for an 11-day trip, based on a family of four. Price includes all flights, transfers, private tours, a 2-night safari stay in both Panna National Park and Bandhavgarh Park, and 5 nights' hotel accommodation. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, www.originaltravel.co.uk.   

Oman Family Adventure 
On this fantastic family adventure in Oman the family will enjoy exciting 4x4 drives through rugged mountain terrains and swimming in sinkholes. You'll visit souqs, forts and fishing ports, go on a dolphin search cruise, snorkel over fish-filled reefs, ride a camel through the desert and stay overnight in a Bedouin-style camp. 
Prices from £3,560pp, based on two sharing and including return flights, all overland transport and 10 nights' B&B accommodation. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, www.originaltravel.co.uk.   

*Data according to Copernicus 

*Analysis according to The Telegraph 

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Follow us on instagram @originaltravel for more travel inspiration and for more information contact: press@originaltravel.co.uk; 020 3582 4990   

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Notes to Editors:  

• Original Travel curates tailor-made itineraries, crafted by destination experts, to 77 countries worldwide from Anguilla to Zimbabwe. Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the company has created over 50,000 itineraries since its launch in 2003, each one unique and adhering to the company ethos that “Life is in the Detail”.  

• Original Travel also has its own specialist dive division. Original Diving is the world's only luxury dive travel outfit.  

• 11 of our consultants are recognised as Conde Nast Traveler's 2024 Travel Specialists – more than any other tour operator for the 2nd year running. Our specialists are: Co-founder, Tom Barber (family travel and sabbaticals), Jacqui Brooks (Indonesia) and Oliver Rodwell (Mexico), Ben Williams (Egypt) Kate Little (Romania), Isabel de Galleani (Morocco), Frances Mavor (India), Harriet Harford (European Wine Regions), Holly Barber (Cambodia), James Back (Tanzania), Lucy Bailey (Oman). 

• In October 2024, Original Travel was ranked among the top five Tour Operators in the country in the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller Reader's Choice Awards.  

• Original Travel clients enjoy a wealth of additional services they would not find with any other UK tour operator, including:  

• Access to a network of 70-plus Concierges who live locally, know their destinations inside and out and are extremely well-connected. They lend fantastic ground support, offering insider recommendations, facilitating any last-minute changes and troubleshooting.  

• A brace of additional services designed to make departure easier than ever. Every Original Travel client, regardless of whether they're off on a city break, or a multi-destination sabbatical, is checked in on all flights – outbound, domestic and inbound - with boarding passes uploaded to the Original Travel app; will have UK airport meet and greet, fast track UK check-in, fast track UK security*, lounge access and pre-booked flight seats. Thoughtful details include wifi routers or e-sims, destination specific book and music lists and children's activity packs. There are also upgrade options to include: a luggage transfer service from your home to the airport; fast track check-in and security and lounge access on your flight home; fast track through immigration on your return to the UK.  

• The knowledge that not only will Original Travel absorb the carbon footprint of their international flights, but also - in an industry-first - car-hire and transfers, and other flights (even if booked independently).  Clients can also be advised on which flight options have the lowest levels of emissions, thanks to an industry-leading and world-first carbon calculator which can compare the levels of emissions generated by each flight, using data compiled from flight plans, aircraft type, the cabin class, direct versus indirect flights and the target occupancy rate. 

• The knowledge that they are contributing to Our Foundation, which supports nearly 100 humanitarian projects in 30 developing countries. To date, nearly £1.5 million has been invested to support five key areas: child protection, vocational training, economic development assistance, preservation of cultural and natural heritage and safeguarding the lifestyles of indigenous peoples.