Traveling over Christmas is becoming more popular as plane tickets become less expensive. The week following Christmas leading into New Years is one of the most popular times to travel in the year. All over the world there are festivals and celebrations that make the holidays a particularly exciting time to travel. There are many options to suite a variety of budgets.
Skiing Over Christmas or New Years
Skiing is a great way to spend time with family or friends and to have an active sporting holiday, and no matter what it will be a white Christmas! Finding the right place can make a big difference in the quality of the holiday. Most tourist lodges (such as Club Med) put on a wonderful Christmas meal and make the hotel a home away from home. Another option is to rent a cabin or chalet and have a traditional Christmas away from home.
The level of skiing must be considered and well researched. The difficulty of a skiing area varies greatly, and finding a resort or area which has slopes appropriate to the level of skiing is extremely important – otherwise travelers could be bored with too easy slopes or scared off too difficult ones.
There are so many options for skiing around Christmas that with a little bit of research anyone can have a vacation which suits their budget, level of skiing, and the type of holiday that they want to have.
Christmas on a Beach
The cold isn’t for everyone; some would prefer to spend Christmas sipping eggnog on a beach. Hawaii, California, Australia and the Caribbean are always popular options but for something more exotic try Thailand, the Mediterranean or South Africa. Price and weather are the main concerns when choosing a beach holiday, so be sure to look up the local weather forecast.
Christmas in the Desert
Have a unique holiday experience by spending it in a desert resort. These are located all over the world, from Australia to Palm Springs. One hotel which is very festive during the holidays is the La Quinta Resort and Spa in La Quinta, California (near Palm Springs). Here you can either stay in one of the hotel rooms or rent a house from the Santa Rosita portion of the resort.
Other more exotic options might include trips to Spain where the Catholic influence makes Christmas an exciting time of year. For both religious and non-religious travelers the Christmas festivals in Spain are fascinating to see and participate in. It will also be reasonably cold in Spain in December, but lacking in snow.
New Years in New York
Christmas and New Years are possibly the best times to visit New York City. The entire Big Apple is decorated with the most spectacular lights and trees, and every restaurant and shop adds a bit of sparkle to the city with lights strung up in their windows. Radio City Music Hall puts on a Christmas Show with the Rockettes. The giant Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center is not to be missed!
New York is expensive in the best of times, and it is even more so around the Holidays. Booking in advance for hotels and flights is important, though it is possible to get last minute deals. In order to not be disappointed it is advisable to book restaurants and shows in advance as these get taken up quickly.
Travelling around the holidays can be wonderful as long as the research and planning has been done to ensure that one is not disappointed.
Merry Christmas!
Elizabeth Humphreys - While originally from New York City, I now live in Great Britian. I am a student at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, studying for ...
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