Fly-drive trips to Europe, early skiing in ski resorts at Lake Tahoe, and Danish deal: Great getaways Hello tahoe Several ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area, shared between California and Nevada, have opened ahead of schedule. The closest airport is Reno, which does not yet have direct flights from the UK. But plenty of one-stop options, usually via San Francisco, Chicago, or New York, are available for travel in the next week for around £650 return - such as American Airlines from Manchester via Chicago (aa.com). Gulf break Prices for flights to, and hotels in, the UAE are very low in early December and Virgin Holidays has a deal for three nights in the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort, with breakfast, departing 1 December. The price of £469 includes flights from Heathrow to Dubai and airport transfers - a bonus, given that the hotel is an hour away from the arrival airport (virginholidays.com). Great Danish Deals A New Year price war is under way between London and Copenhagen, with easyJet and Norwegian competing fiercely. For departures from Gatwick on Friday 16 January, returning on Monday 19 January, both quote about £55 return. The cheapest return, on easyJet, involves flying out from Luton and back to Gatwick, for £49 (easyJet.com).