Find the Best Place to Spend your Christmas Vacation
Edited by Ryan, Lynn, Charmed, Jonathan and 13 others
What is Christmas? It's many things to many people, but for most people, Christmas is a season of love, giving and happiness. It creates an atmosphere of positive energy that will surely give a light feeling to those who understand that Christmas is not all about our own happiness, but also about the happiness that it brings to other people.
Christmas is quickly approaching. If you're planning a Christmas getaway, you need to do so well in advance - especially if you're planning a family vacation. This is a time of year when people take time off work, no school - Yay! It's also a great time to strengthen your love for your partner, and to deepen the family bonds. Some will celebrate with their friends while others will pack their suitcases and head for the sun.
In this article you will discover the best destinations to enjoy your own kind of Christmas, with your family, friends or maybe that special someone. So if you've made the decision to avoid the chaos of the season, and travel somewhere beautiful, keep reading for some really great suggestions.
- 1 Places To Consider For Christmas Vacation
- 2 Best Places To Spend Christmas With Kids
- 3 Your Budget And The Length Of The Vacation
- 4 Who's Going On This Vacation: Family, Friends, Just Couples?
- 5 The Ideal Environment You Are Looking For In A Travel Destination
- 6 Tips
- 7 Questions and Answers
- 7.1 Where is the best place to spend vacations with my whole family?
- 7.2 Where to spend Christmas vacation as a single man looking for girls?
- 7.3 Best place to spend Christmas in hot weather?
- 7.4 In New Mexico, where would you love to spend Christmas?
- 7.5 Can you suggest any other things we might do during the Christmas holidays?
- 7.6 I'm looking for a great place to spend Christmas 2015?
- 7.7 I'm looking for a two to three day short trip. Any ideas?
- 7.8 Place to visit with friends. Can you advise an affordable place to visit with friends?
- 8 Comments
Places To Consider For Christmas Vacation
Family Destinations
- 1It is one of the best winter destinations for families. Starting every year in November, and continuing until the end of February, tourists in this place can experience an extravagant lights display. This place is filled with beautiful stunning lights and restaurants that your family will enjoy. You will enjoy walking around, even on a brisk winter night because the people around are happy and friendly. This place is known to celebrate Christmas in a traditional way. You can check out the Winterfest lights and also take advantage of the free food, local entertainment, amazing fireworks and kiddie games. You will also get the chance to witness the Christmas tree festival, where there is a variety of hand-made Christmas decor and trees. You'll have a great time caroling in downtown Gatlinburg. There's also the annual Christmas parade, where you'll see baton twirlers, beauty pageant winners, bands and floats, and the most awaited appearance of Santa Claus. Your children will be invited to join Santa Claus for brunch. If you're a fan of traditional and family-oriented Christmas celebrations, this is a really good choice for you and your family.Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
- 2Traditionally, Santa Claus arrives with his reindeer and sleigh, but here, you will see an extraordinary Santa who uses a skateboard for his fashionable entrance. You'll love the Lights Parade - boats and a yachts are decorated with lights lighting up the harbor. Your kids will be able to travel on the Roaring Camp Railroad, where they can ride a special Lights Train. They can also have a chance to meet Mrs. Claus and go on a Polar Express trip. Because of the location, it's very easy to include Disneyland in this family vacation. It's like never-ending magic when you visit this place. Pleasant and happy faces are all around you. It will automatically transport you and your family to a fantasy land, where there is only joy. Every child loves to visit and play in Disneyland. They can meet and greet the Disney characters that they can usually only see on TV and here, their favorite cartoon characters are real. So if you want a mix of traditional and fantasy Christmas celebration, plus an unforgettable experience for your children, visit the Riverside Festival and Disneyland in California.Riverside Festival of Lights and Disneyland, California.
- 3If your kids want a quick visit with Santa Claus, while you can do your last minute gift shopping, you will definitely love this place. You can use your own vehicle to roam around, or you can take a wagon ride. Children can have their picture taken with Santa and you can enjoy eating at Snack Shack. You will also be dazzled by the sparkling lights display, but nothing can beat Kringle's General Store, if you are looking for a perfect Christmas gift.Santa's Magical Kingdom in Eureka, Missouri.
- 4Here you can marvel at the 3.5 million-lights display in an extravagant Christmas celebration. The lights outline the buildings, bridges, trees and the famous 100-foot "Waterfall of Lights." Children will get a chance to see how Santa arranges the gifts before he rides his sleigh in the sky to deliver them to children of the world. The Santa Claus Museum is one of the more popular places here, with more than 300,000 items for sale, and they are all about Santa Claus.Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill, Ohio.
- 5For chocolate lovers, this place is simply amazing. You and your family can experience two miles of driving through wooded trails while enjoying nearly 600 illuminated lights displays. The foods are also spectacular, especially the desserts. So if you would like to celebrate your Christmas in the sweetest place on earth, plan your vacation in Hershey, Pennsylvania.Hershey Sweet Lights, Pennsylvania.
- 6This is Santa Claus's hometown, so be ready for the amazing surprises that await you and your family here. You can visit the Santa Claus Christmas Store. You will find the best treats here, like fudge, candy canes and chocolate, Christmas decorations, and gifts that will definitely surprise your loved ones. Don't miss the 1.2 miles of Santa Claus Lands of Light, where you will learn the amazing story of Rudolph, and visit Santa's Candy Castle. Lastly, you get to sleep in one of Rudolph's Christmas Cabins. The cabins are large enough to accommodate the entire family. You can bring your own food and cook your own meals. The cabin includes an electric fireplace, sofa and flat-screen TV. It's like you move all the conveniences of your own house with you to Indiana. You can even have a barbecue with your family, as there is a grill available for you to use. The cabin also offers all the small appliances that you could need to create tasty dishes for Christmas Eve. This is a simple, but homey vacation idea .Santa Claus, Indiana.
- 7You'll love the ambiance of Christmas in Puerto Rico. You'll easily find excellent accommodations, and the money will spend for the hotel is worth it. Then there's the food. You will definitely find a turkey here, but a totally different menu for Christmas Eve. You can eat roasted suckling pig, or what they call "Lechon." There are lots of shopping experiences. You can buy an extraordinary and unique Christmas gift to surprise your relatives or friends back home. You can give them a Santos, which is a hand-carved wooden figurine. This is not just a souvenir, but also a spiritual keepsake. You can also bring home Coquito, a Puerto Rican made eggnog, and a creamy grog for a perfect keepsake. And also, the jewelry. You will find quality jewelry in the stores, with unique designs, and some very good prices. What makes it more interesting is that you can find small stores with the same quality of jewelry as the larger stores.Puerto Rico.
- 8If you're looking for a more adult kind of Christmas, this is the place for you. You will definitely love the winter wonderland that Sam's Hotel and Gambling Hall have created. Nearly a half a million Christmas lights, a laser-light futuristic show in a magical snow shower, are just a few of the highlights. You will also be mesmerized by the fountain show at the world-famous Bellagio. The fountain dances to Christmas carols, and you will never forget the 49-foot-tall Christmas tree, topped with an eight-foot star.Glitter Gulch, Las Vegas, Nevada.
- 9If you want to experience a warm, green Christmas vacation, then you might consider this Hawaii, with its tropical breezes and a sunny relaxed atmosphere. Sandcastles, bathing suits, flip flops and drinks with umbrellas. The scenery is stunning, the water is fine, and the sights to see - numerous. Christmas in Hawaii is a traditional celebration, complete with Christmas carols and a Christmas dinner.Hawaii.
- 10The city that never sleeps, and you can visit Radio City Music Hall, with the Rockettes, Time's Square, The Empire State Building, New York botanical Gardens, Greenwich Village - and then something you may not have heard of, The Holiday Train Show. You will be amazed with the miniatures of the Empire State Building, and all the popular destinations that you would find in the New York Botanical Gardens. All the replicas are perfect miniatures of the originals. If you are a fan of the ballet dancing, get tickets for "The Nutcracker", a wonderful Christmas tradition. A unique Christmas experience will be enjoyed by all when you visit the Origami Holiday Tree. Another exciting, kid-friendly activity is going to Ice Skating at Citi Pond at Bryant Park. It's expensive to rent the skates, so you might want to bring your own. After the skating, warm up rink side at one of the many restaurants. Hopefully, you'll still have time you to roam around and shop for gifts or for yourself.New York.
Best Places To Spend Christmas With Kids
- 1Head into Santa's Lapland wonderland this Christmas. Fly into Finland, more specifically to Helsinki. Check into a hotel or rent a Christmas-style apartment or log cabin, and be immersed into two days of Christmas and Santa Claus things. Explore Santa's underground caves, witness the elves at work in their workshops, and have a sleigh ride pulled by reindeer. Enjoy a snowy Christmas, skiing with the entire family during the day, and warming up in front of a fireplace with hot chocolate in the evening.Lapland.
- 2If cold weather isn't your pleasure, wouldn't it be wonderful to wake up on Christmas morning, and you and your family are out at sea on a luxury liner in the Caribbean, and someone else is doing the cooking? On the ship, you and your kids will never run out of activities to do. And at the ports of call in Puerto Rico, Mexico, British Virgin Isles and more, you will be able to enjoy shopping sight seeing and the beautiful beaches.Cruise on the Caribbean.
- 3More than likely, you can get fairly inexpensive tickets from the USA to London during the Christmas season. The weather there is cold and it's not an obvious tourist destination for Christmas. But there will be plenty of places to go to in London as a family. While you're there, you and your kids can also just hop over to nearby Disneyland Paris for a side trip.London.
- 4There are a number of train trips in the US that recreate the famous children's book by Chris Van Alisburg. The children are encouraged to wear pajamas, while the staff wears costumes and become the characters in the book. While the story is being read on board, there is hot cocoa and Christmas carols. At some point during the trip, Santa Claus will make an appearance. There are Polar Express packages at the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Arizona, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in North Carolina, and in New Hampshire.Polar Express Train Rides.
- 5Walk through 950 displays and three million colorful sparkling Christmas lights on the 65 acres of the Bellingrath Gardens estate. Nightly choral performances on the South Terrace of the Bellingrath Home will also a family favorite.Bellingrath Gardens Magic Christmas Lights in Mobile Alabama.
- 6The Christmas spirit is there all year long, but it's only during the winter holidays when the Christmas-Themed Ice Art is available for the family's enjoyment at the park, just next door to Santa Claus's house.Christmas on Ice at North Pole, Alaska.
- 7This light display is not the typical parade of Christmas lights, but instead showcases the beauty of a winter garden. The festival consists of lights, ice sculptures and ice sleighs. There are many opportunities for excellent family picture taking.Blossoms of Light at Denver, Colorado.
- 8This is the largest floating holiday light show, with more than 1.5 million Christmas lights sparkling on the waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene. The family can watch from the shore or pay for a delightful holiday cruise to take a closer look at the spectacle.Coeur d'Alene Resort Holiday Light Show at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Your Budget And The Length Of The Vacation
Now you may be starting make a list of the places you're interested in traveling to for the Christmas holidays. The next thing you need to consider for a successful vacation is your budget for the Christmas trip and how long you'd like to be away for.
Your Budget
Of course, we don't want a holiday trip that makes us spend a lot of money. If you don't have a lot of money, you may go for a less expensive Christmas trip. Try the all-inclusive holiday deals. Below are some examples of locations that offer all-inclusive packages for vacationers:
- 1This hotel is on Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, a Spanish island located in the easternmost part of the Canary Islands. It's the most popular beach resort in the area. Many people travel to tropical places for the Christmas Holidays. The weather is beautiful and warm all year round. The hotel looks luxurious, but amazingly, it offers very reasonably priced holiday deals. The inclusive package includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner - in buffet style. Snacks and drinks are also available, such as Spanish Tortilla, hot dogs, sandwiches, sweet foods, coffees, mineral water, tea, soft drinks, spirits and beers. It also has all-inclusive sports and entertainment deals suitable for all vacationers. Sport facilities include billiards, ping pong, and some activities for kids. You may visit THEIR WEBSITE to read more.Dreamplace Gran Castillo.
These are just two examples of inexpensive getaways for the holidays.
Your holiday Duration
While you're planning your Christmas Holiday vacation, especially if you'll spend it in another country, you need to consider the length of your stay.. How many days do you usually have off work for the holiday? If you have more than a week, you have many options. If you don't' have much time off - consider a vacation closer to home.
Who's Going On This Vacation: Family, Friends, Just Couples?
When choosing a destination, don't forget to consider the people going with you. You may ask yourself these questions:
- Will the kids enjoy the same activities here?
- Is this vacation geared to everyone in the family/group?
- Will my partner love the place as much as I do?
- Will my friends have fun at my chosen travel destination?
- Get on the internet and go through the locations with your kids to make a family decision.
- If you're with a group of friends, and you've the one doing all the work - there's always one person, then do your research. Narrow it down to the three that are best for your vacation, and send links to the group for the three destinations. Give them a couple of days and then have a vote.
Best Holiday Destinations For The Whole Family
- 1Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
- 2Riverside Festival of Lights and Disneyland, California.
- 3Santa's Magical Kingdom in Eureka, Missouri.
- 4Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill, Ohio.
- 5Hershey Sweet Lights, Pennsylvania.
- 6Santa Claus, Indiana.
- 7Winter Wonderland in the Swiss Alps.
- 8Dreamplace Gran Castillo, Lanzarote.
- 9Laguna Park I in Playa De Las Americas, Tenerife, Spain.
- 10Provence, France.
- 11Nashville, Mississippi.
- 12Amsterdam.
Best Christmas Holiday Destinations For The Couples
- 1Bali, Indonesia.
- 2Tromsø, Norway.
- 3Apulit Island, Palawan.
- 4Munich, Germany.
- 5Zurich, Switzerland.
- 6H10 Timanfaya Palace in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote.
- 7Fiesta Hotel Don Carlos in Santa Eulalia, Ibiza (East Spain).
- 8El Mirador (Costa Adeje, Tenerife).
Best Christmas Holiday Destinations For Group Of Friends
- 1Lapland, Finland.
- 2Prague, Czech Republic.
- 3Anaga National Park in Tenerife, Spain.
- 4Meribel, France.
- 5Monte Rosa, Switzerland.
- 6Aruba island, situated north of the coast of Venezuela.
- 7Punta Cana, the easternmost province of Dominican Republic.
- 8Puerto Rico.
Best Christmas Destinations For Solo Travelers
If you're planning to travel solo for the Christmas holidays, do your research and make sure you choose a safe destination.
- 1Aruba Island.
- 2Munich, Germany.
- 3Cook Islands.
The Ideal Environment You Are Looking For In A Travel Destination
Before choosing a destination for the holidays, ask yourself these questions:
- 1What activities am I most interested in?
- This is important to discuss with your family. Kids have very different ideas of what would be fun. But it's also important that the destination also offers interesting things for adults to do, unless you're a kid at heart, in which case, go with what the kids want.
- Discuss what your lover's expectations are - unless of course, the trip is a surprise. When it's a romantic getaway, you'll want to spend more time considering your room, as hopefully, you'll be spending more time in it making passionate love. A note: sometimes destinations specifically catering to couples can be a bit cheesy, and you may not want to be at a resort with couples only - it can get boring.
- When it comes to going on holidays with a group of friends, it's important to know this before you decide who to include. If one of you just wants to shop, another wants to explore extreme sports and another wants to visit ancient ruins...well, there could be problems.
- 2If the trip is going to break the bank, you might want to reconsider. It's no fun being on vacation, and stressing about the money you're spending. No matter how well you budget, it always seems to cost more than you anticipate.Can I afford it.
- 3Many times, people think they want to get away for Christmas, only to discover they are missing their families and friends, and the festivities at home.Is this what I really want.
Important Things To Consider
There are many different destinations listed in this article. They are just ideas - as there's an entire world waiting to be explored. Before selecting your holiday destination, read the tips below.
- 1If you want to go somewhere tropical, and get away from the cold and snow, choose a beach hotel and resort like Laguna Park I in Tenerife, Spain.
- 2While this is ideal for a group of friends, it may not be the ideal family vacation.If you want somewhere cold and caked in ice and snow, you may want to travel to Meribel, France, or Verbier, Switzerland, as these places offer extreme sports like skiing.The above picture is in Meribel.
The above picture is in Verbier.
- 3The destination that you may choose should have wonderful Christmas illuminations, various activities and interesting entertainment, with sports geared for children, and night markets for your shopping pleasure. An example of this is in Tokyo, Japan. You may also want to travel to a beach and hotel resort, because kids love swimming and meeting new friends as well. Below are pictures in Tokyo.If you want to travel to a place that you and your whole family can enjoy, you may want to choose somewhere interesting for all ages.
- 4An example of this is the Sheraton Keauhou Bay in Hawaii, where you can enjoy snorkeling and diving and see different manta rays in the deep blue sea. In fact, Hawaii hotels and beach resorts are among the best romantic getaways for couples in the world.If you are going to travel with your partner, choose a destination that is romantic and thrilling.
- 5There are many hotels and resorts in this country, and most of them are situated on islands. any hotel in Lanzarote is a good choice, as the place has everything you're looking for when it comes to nightlife and clubbing.If you and your friends love the nightlife, Spain is the best choice.
Tips
- Plan your vacation way ahead of time. You'll get better deals than when you leave it to the last minute.
- Update your passport way ahead of time.
- Learn a bit of the language where you're going. It will come in tremendously handy.
- Search for online packages for your vacation to get a better deal.
- Never forget to bring a first aid kit, especially if you travel with children.
- Research inoculations, customs and dangerous areas in the place you plan to go.
Questions and Answers
Where is the best place to spend vacations with my whole family?
It depends on what your family wants. What are they looking for in their Christmas vacation? What are they hoping to see, and what kind of experiences do they want to have? Don't make these decisions without you family. Everyone should have a say. No one wants to go on holidays with grumpy kids.
Disney Land and Disney World are always good choices. This place is designed to please the entire family. There are other vacation spots such as Puerto Rico or other islands you can visit, but they aren't designated for family fun like Disney World.
Where to spend Christmas vacation as a single man looking for girls?
It is really a clever idea to spend your Christmas vacation trying to find a date. What kind of girls are you hoping to meet? Following is a list of the type of girls you may find in the places they may be spending their Christmas vacation:
- Sporty and Adventurous. These types of women often spend their Christmas vacations in locations where sports are highlighted, like ski resorts and places geared for mountain climbing.
- The Geek. These women love intellectual discussions and every opportunity is a learning experience. They sometimes spend their Christmas vacations at historical places and locations with ancient ruins. At night, they might be enjoying the music at a jazz bar.
- Sweet and Innocent. These girls are hard to find, because they are just at home spending the holidays with their families, avoiding men out looking for girls.
- The Environmentalist. These women love to use their time volunteering for environmental programs like tree planting, etc. They almost might be spending their holidays, unselfishly helping in developing countries.
- Hot and Sophisticated. These women love to party and socialize. They usually hang out in bars, parties, discos, or anywhere that excitement can be found. They usually take vacation at exclusive resorts.
- The Religious Type. These women are often found at retreat houses, churches and other religious events. They are also most likely at home with their families.
If you're single, Miami Florida is a great place to meet women. It's entrenched in a very hedonistic lifestyle, if that's what you're looking for.
Whatever place you want to spend your Christmas, what is important is that the girl you are with will make your holiday memorable and fun.
Best place to spend Christmas in hot weather?
Where could you find hotter weather than in the Philippines? Aside from the hot weather, there are also many beautiful places that are so inviting. Here are some places you can visit in the Philippines:
- Boracay in Caticlan, Aklan
- Coron in Palawan
- Pagudpod in Ilocos Norte
- Manila, Philippines
Try visiting the Philippines for Christmas. There are a lot of places in the Philippines that you can visit. You can try visiting any of the following destinations:
- Tagaytay (Taal Volcano)
- Boracay
- Cebu
- Bohol
- Palawan (Coron,Puerto Princesa, El nido)
- Camarines Sur
- Vigan, Ilocos Norte
- Davao
- Rizal Park, Manila
- Ilocos Sur
- Batanes
- Bataan
- Camiguin
- Hundred Islands
- Baler
- Laoag, Ilocos Norte
- Cagayan de Oro
In New Mexico, where would you love to spend Christmas?
In New Mexico, the Old Town Albuquerque is decorated in an old fashioned, Spanish style, with the missions lit to perfection. The city itself is lovely any time of the year, but during the holidays, time there are wonderful Christmas-themed things to do and see. There are street vendors and Old Town shops offering low-priced handmade goods such as leather and jewelry from the nearby Native American reservations.
Can you suggest any other things we might do during the Christmas holidays?
Well, in my personal opinion you should be somewhere cold and possibly snowy for Christmas. Now I know this seems absurd in the desert, but I lived in Las Vegas for some time and would often go up on the mountains to get out of the heat sometimes. It was a little bit of a drive but definitely worth it. Look into taking a trip up north to the mountains if its not too far.
Now if this isn't a option, other good places to go for Christmas would be a family member or friend's house, or rent a cabin in the woods for the entire family. Christmas is definitely one of the times of the year that it can be fun to be around family. I mean who doesn't like getting presents?
I'm looking for a great place to spend Christmas 2015?
I will be traveling with my husband and my 60 lb. dog. I'd like to find a place in the lower half of America to rejuvenate, spa facilities, shops and restaurants, maybe some hiking trails and off leash areas. I can travel to a hotel/lodge/cabin or I have an RV and can take it to stay in if I find the right place.
VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer.
I'm looking for a two to three day short trip. Any ideas?
We've done the ski resorts. We used to live in California. So we're not interested in either of those options. We live in Colorado and my husband does not ski, so over the years we've gone skiing and he just hangs out and does stuff on the computer and usually still enjoys himself. This year, we want dad to be with us. He's had knee surgery. So we can't exactly hike miles north. But he can get around and we all would like to find a spot to enjoy ourselves for the four of us without spending $2500, got any ideas? I have tried: Skit resorts mostly. We used to live in San Diego so we've done all the CA type adventures. We were just discussing going back there. But I always spend more than I would like to and my children have seen all of that with us. So then we thought we would go somewhere just to see a specific play that's playing in that area or get tickets to a concert that is only in that specific area but not much is playing at Christmas time. I think it was caused by: I'm sure my budget is causing most of my restraint.
VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer.
Place to visit with friends. Can you advise an affordable place to visit with friends?
We are three ladies who want to travel with friends or family and were are looking for a place that is wonderful for Christmas and affordable. Any ideas?. I have tried: Online. I think it was caused by: Nothing
VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
