Travel & Tourism

9 amazing lesser-known destinations you can fly to from Manchester for less than £100

And during the school holidays, too

Daisy Jackson - 3rd August 2026

Planning a holiday – especially during the school summer break – can be a daunting and expensive process. 

Demand over the summer months can see prices on flights and accommodation rocket, especially to popular holiday destinations. 

Which is why Manchester Airport has published a list of lesser-known destinations which you can still fly to this summer, with flights from less than £100. 

As well as hidden gem destinations, there are a few holiday hotspots like Ibiza and Mallorca on the list. 

Manchester Airport serves more than 200 destinations worldwide, and airport bosses have now dug through that whopping list to pull together some of the best deals, as well as sharing some tips for securing the best deals during peak season. 

Manchester Airport’s Chief Commercial Officer Stephen Turner said: “Here at Manchester Airport we are proud to connect the North to the World – with a bigger and better route network than any UK airport outside London.

“What that means in practice is better choice and value for our passengers – so they can still get great deals even during the summer holidays when prices to lots of destinations tend to rise.

“We fly to lots of lesser-known destinations that other airports don’t, so there are a lot of bargains to be found. But because we also offer more flights each day to some of Europe’s top destinations, that helps keep prices down too.”

Here are nine lesser-known destinations you can fly to from Manchester Airport this summer. 

Rimini

Skip the busy Amalfi coast or popular summer cities like Florence and Rome, and instead head to Rimini, on Italy’s Adriatic coast. 

This beautiful destination – a brand-new addition to Manchester Airport’s network – is famed for having miles of sandy beaches, a picturesque old town, and a marina. 

It’s also home to Italia in Miniatura, a model village-style attraction where you can see Italy’s most famous sites in a small scale. 

• Direct flights start from £58pp return with Ryanair in August

Girona

Head further north along the Costa Brava coast from Barcelona and you’ll find Girona, a city that’s emerging as a new family favourite in Spain – and which you might recognise as a major Game of Thrones setting.

As well as the beaches and tapas that have made the European country so popular for decades, Girona boasts the pretty whitewashed town of Cadaqués, the home of Salvador Dali for more than 50 years. 

You can visit his former home, now a museum, before heading back to resume your tapas crawl. 

• Flights start from £75pp return, based on TUI trips in August

Beziers

The South of France always feels like it should a very luxury destination, but it is more than possible to visit parts of this beautiful part of the world for less. 

You can fly from Manchester to Beziers, the gateway to France’s Languedoc coast, where you’ll be spoilt with 120 miles-worth of golden sandy beaches, port town, and fishing villages. 

The towns of Agde and Sete are popular places to stay for exploring the coastline and the inland vineyards nearby. 

• You can fly from £80pp return with Ryanair in early August

Zadar

Croatia is one of Europe’s top holiday spots, with a rich history, and you can drink in loads of it in Zadar. 

The city’s architecture across the centre and the port shows the empires that have passed through over the years, from Romans to Venetians.

And you’ll be well connected to the ferry routes that transport tourists over to the stunning islands of the unspoilt Dalmatian costs. 

• Direct flights from Manchester to Zadar cost from £89pp return

Menorca

You already know Majorca and Ibiza, but did you know that Menorca remains the least-visited of the three big Balearic Islands?

That means that even in the height of summer, you’ve a good chance of finding quiet beaches and waterside restaurants. 

If you can tear yourself away from the crystal clear waters, make sure to visit Cuitadella, a winding Medieval town with a brilliant food scene. 

• Ryanair flies direct from £45pp

Faro

Faro serves as a gateway to Portugal’s hugely popular Algarve, which has much more to it than golf clubs and lively nightlife strips. 

Faro itself is a charming town with great local restaurants, but head along the coast to find tonnes of family-friendly resorts, lively towns, and beautiful dramatic coastlines. 

The weather is usually pretty blissful down here, too. 

• You can fly from £66pp return with Ryanair

Santander

There’s so much to discover of Spain, and one lesser-explored region singled out by Manchester Airport travel exports is Santander. 

Located on the north coast and the Cantabrian Sea, this is where you’ll find charming landmarks like a 13th century cathedral, and an Old Town packed with pintxos bars. 

You can also relax on the iconic El Sardinero beach, a popular surfing spot. 

AND if you hate the crushing heat of summer, this is the spot for you – it’s generally cooler than other parts of Spain at a delightful 25ºC even in the height of summer. 

• Direct flights in August with Ryanair start from £75pp return

Marseille

Heading back to France again, this time to the country’s second-largest city which makes for an excellent city break. 

Formerly an Ancient Greek colony, you’ll still find incredible ruins near the city’s port, surrounded by fine dining restaurants, museums and galleries. 

Get out of the city and you’ll be able to explore the Calanques National Park, where stony beaches nestle into narrow bays beneath the cliffs. 

• Direct flights start from just £59pp return with Ryanair

Kalamata

Yes, like the olives. But this sometimes-overlooked destination on the Greek mainland has a lot more to it than that. 

Standing on the tip of the Peloponnese peninsula, Kalamata dates back nearly 3000 years and has an Old Town, a medieval castle, and masses of Ancient Greek sites to explore. 

You can really mix up a city break and a beach break here – split your time between historical sites, family-run tavernas, and the nearby two-mile-long Bouka Beach. 

• EasyJet will get you there from £76pp return

To save money when booking your holiday flights this summer:

• Check prices regularly – and if you see a deal you like the look of, don’t hold off. Travellers are booking later this summer, so last-minute deals are there to be had – but don’t cut it too fine.
• If you know you love the seaside resorts of Spain, or the whitewashed villages of Greece, expand your horizons and look at parts of the country you haven’t visited before. Manchester Airport flies to dozens of destinations in these countries and if you’re willing to be flexible on where exactly you go, you might nab a better deal.
• Working parents will tend to book a calendar week or two off work during the school summer holidays and theferore they tend to want to fly at the weekend, or as close to is as possible, to maximise their time away. As such, you could save significant sums on your flights if you’re willing to travel between Tuesday and Thursday.

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Featured image: Unsplash, Photo by Jeet Sandhu on Unsplash