Travel to Canary Islands

With budget airlines Ryanair and easyJet offering affordable direct flights from many UK airports to most of the Canary Islands – including Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria - it means it's easy to visit on the cheap. Airlines such as Thomas Flights, Flythomascook and Monarch also offer direct flights. Be aware that the islands of La Gomera and El Hierro are only accessible through indirect flights and only London Gatwick and Manchester fly into La Palma.

The islands offer a good bus network so take advantage – they're known locally as Guagua (pronounced wa-wa) and you purchase your ticket on board. Always check the timetable if you're planning to travel at the weekend as some services may be reduced – especially on a Sunday. The bus service is more impressive on the bigger islands such as Gran Canaria and Tenerife so it may be worth hiring a car on the smaller islands.

The fact that they're situated near the coast of West Africa means that the islands have good weather all year round – even during the winter months. So if you go outside the high season you'll still experience pleasant weather. Therefore if you're looking to book a cheap hotel in the Canary Islands try to go outside the school holidays. If you do need to visit during the summer holiday then always book well in advance – you'd be amazed at what bargains you can pick up!

If you're planning on using public transport multiple times during a single day it's worth enquiring about a bonobus card. This allows you to save up to 30% of each fare - it usually costs around €12.

Food is relatively inexpensive in supermarkets so if you need to stick to a tight budget go shopping and put together a picnic. It can be great fun choosing the food – be brave and try something out of your comfort zone! Take advantage of the beautiful beaches and go exploring – you never know where you might end up!

• Fuerteventura
• Gran Canaria
• La Palma
• Lanzarote
• Tenerife
• Costa Blanca
• Costa Brava
• Costa del Sol
• Costa Dorada
• Costa Teguise
• Madrid