We always stay home for the holidays and for many years we host our dear friends whom we consider our adopted family - since we have no family in the area. Our friends will not be in town this year and for once, I’d like a little break from doing the big Christmas decorating/buying/cooking/baking/etc etc etc. So…we are considering leaving town for Christmas week. DS1 is in grad school so will have a regular student’s schedule for the last time; DS2 (new college grad) will hopefully (please God! LOL) have a job, so he will likely not be able to take much time off.
I’m a little concerned that it won’t feel like a “real” Christmas, but I’m willing to give it a try; the rest of the family is on board as well. Do you travel at Christmas (not including family visits)? What are your experiences?
We also have no idea where we want to go - someplace that’s an easy flight from the DC area and not TOO far in case DS2 can only spend a few days and needs to get back for job. Thinking warmer, but open to other ideas as well. Any suggestions? I realize we are late to the game here so our options may be limited. Thanks for any advice or suggestions!
We did it last year. Younger daughter was in grad school in California and since we live on the east coast we saw it as a wonderful excuse to be in California over Christmas. Other daughter lives in Denmark, so she flew to California to meet us. We decided not to exchange gifts since the trip was our gift.
We rented a house through VRBO, and to our surprise the owner had it decorated for Christmas, so we still had the ambience without the fuss.
I loved not having the stress of decorating for the holidays and then having to put everything away again. In fact my main motivation for going on the trip was so we wouldn’t have to buy a tree!
I loved it and would do it again but Denmark daughter said California is out because it’s such a long flight. Not sure if California daughter will have income that would support a trip this year. But hopefully sometime in the future we can do it again.
We often go away in between Xmas and early January. Not that you were planning this but Universal studios and Disney world are way too crowded during this time. Too many people.
This is what you would like to do this year … and nobody in the family objects?
Then I say, DO IT !
(I too am toying with the idea – to meet up with family at a destination locale for the Christmas holiday.)
I recall when my grandparents simplified their Christmas prep – went from a full-size to a table-top tree, and displayed cards as the only other holiday decor. I really understand that, as it does seem like a LOT of trouble to drag out, decorate, take down and put away Christmas.
When kids were growing up we used to go away from Xmas day to New Year. We would spend a week before Xmas day with my extended family.
This year for the first time we will be going away with my extended family from 20-25th. We are trying to find some place warm and we could get in and out easily. We have reservations at Punta Cana right now, but flights are kind of challenging.
One year we spent in Costa Rica. It was a great trip. I’d try to get as much family travel in as you can before work makes it hard for everyone to get away.
We’ve often talked of spending Christmas in London. Maybe kiddo is off writing dissertation [hoping to be in Greece, where the fellowship $$ stretch further], we’ll do it – or maybe on a Greek island.
I would not mind this at all. As someone who doesn’t love the hustle and bustle of the holiday, sign me up!!
However I will say it’s not the right time for this to happen for us. I can’t leave my 85 year old mom away at the holidays (and she wouldn’t come - and if she did, gulp, it might not be ideal…) plus one more family situation would make this not ideal. I would definitely consider it at the right time though.
My daughter and I have traveled the last two Christmases post divorce. San Francisco one year and a cruise this year. I am already planning for next Christmas. I think I liked the cruise better - didn’t have to really plan much and the ship was decorated beautifully. Good luck with whatever you decide!
Aboutthesame - One year we did London right before Christmas (got home on the 22nd) and it was wonderful. London decorated for the holidays is great - best time of year to visit in my opinion (I have been there several times.). Another year we left on 12/26 and went to visit friends in Boston and another year visited those same friends over New Years weekend. I love traveling around that time of year, but can’t bring myself to not be in my own home on Christmas morning.
We went on a cruise once, just me and my high school girls, and it was great. It was an added cruise so was very cheap and i think I made the reservations around Thanksgiving. We drove down to Miami, went shopping along the way, gifts were sort of strange as I’d already purchased iPads for them so they got those and then got gift certificates for a school trip to France/summer club play for a sport. There were plenty of Christmassy things on board, including Mass.
My kids have gone with my brother on a trip right before or over Christmas the last few years, to Vietnam and Thailand.
One of the cheapest times to travel is right before Christmas, like Dec 6-16th-ish. Especially to Disney as very few schools have that time off.
“However I will say it’s not the right time for this to happen for us. I can’t leave my 85 year old mom away at the holidays (and she wouldn’t come - and if she did, gulp, it might not be ideal…”
I’d love to do that and skip a lot of the Christmas hoopla and the work that comes with it but feel like we’re in a similar situation to @abasket. My parents live somewhat close to us and I’d feel guilty not to share the holidays with the, Who knows how many years are left? And with my kids off living their own lives, it is one of the few times per year they spend some quality time with their grandparents.
We have had a couple vacations where we left right after Christmas or right after New Year’s Day. But we still did the big Christmas so didn’t escape the work and cost.
“One of the cheapest times to travel is right before Christmas, like Dec 6-16th-ish. Especially to Disney as very few schools have that time off.”
When the kids were young, we took them to Disney during that time period. Worked out great and the decorations were up, too. A little cold for swimming in the hotel pool but they still went in.
