Ask Joan: in search of sunshine in October and the carnival in Tenerife

My husband and I are planning a 10-day holiday from mid-October. We would like to go somewhere that doesn’t involve a long-haul flight but which has guaranteed sunshine. Italy, the Tuscany region and Sicily look interesting. We have also looked at the possibility of a two-centre trip such as Rome and Catania. We would appreciate your advice. YC, Belfast.

October is the month of change in southern Europe and can come in sunny and fine and go out cooler. There is no guarantee of sunshine, but over 10 days you should get some nice fine days in Tuscany and Sicily. Availability of routes also drops back in October, reducing your choices.

One option is to take a few days in Rome flying from Belfast with jet2.com or from Dublin with Aer Lingus or Ryanair. From Rome you can fly on with Ryanair to Catania in Sicily and back to Dublin with Aer Lingus. Round-trip fares for this journey would be about €200 each.

Malta is a lovely island worth considering. It has a good range of quality hotels at reasonable prices in October and direct flights from Dublin with Ryanair. The weather may be a little warmer with averages of 21 degrees. See hotel availability on mercurydirect.co.uk. The Aircoach service from Belfast to Dublin airport is £16 return.

I would like to go on a holiday with my husband, during Halloween break. I would like somewhere warm and sunny, preferably with a bit of culture thrown in. WT, Wexford.

Sunshine and culture don't always go hand in hand at the end of October. It is also one of the busiest holidays and prices for fares to Canary Islands are topping €400. Morocco is worth considering and a week in the Agadir area is available from €519-€799pps with flights and accommodation, sunway.ie.

Holidays to the Red Sea in Egypt are available that week but flights are on Thursdays. A week in a resort hotel costs €780-€1,050pps, mainly all inclusive, falconholidays.ie.

We're a retired couple who want to go to Tenerife to photograph the carnival in February 2016. Perhaps you could recommend the best place to stay to achieve this? Self-catering or hotel B&B is good. Which we sites would you recommend? We are happy to stay for 2-3 weeks, and winter sun would be good. Are longer-term accommodation options available and how would we access them? SL, Dublin.

Next year the carnival of Tenerife, one of the biggest carnivals in the world, will be on for two weeks from January 31st to February 13th. It takes place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island.

Various events take place every day and the most famous are the election of the carnival queens on February 4th, the parade on the 6th, the traditional Burial of the Sardine on the 10th, the hilarious Men in High Heels on the 12th, and the Grand Finale parade on the 13th. The programme is on carnavaldedtenerife.com. Some of the events take place in the Recinto Exhibition centre and in Puerto de la Cruz.

Flights from Ireland arrive in the south of the island, about 75km away, and you will most likely need a car to get around.

It would be best to be located in or near Santa Cruz and you can find accommodation on webtenerife.co.uk/accommodation and also the usual places such as rentalia.com, homeaway.com and airbnb.com.

Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com.