Christmas in July

Summer’s in full swing. You’re busy soaking up the sun, picking berries, enjoying BBQs, reveling in music festivals and sending kids to camp. LOVE that you’re living in the moment! If you’re interested in spending Christmas break abroad, however, time to pause and plan; we’re down to the wire.

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This year Christmas falls early in our kids’ break, so it’s easier to spend the holiday at home and then sneak away, if you like. Hanukah is later this year, so the opposite is true. While a weekend or week away can be great, spending the entire break away allows time for family fun, adventure and relaxation. What better gift?

Once we realized the kids could manage a long-haul flight, we opted to take winter break overseas. We spent our first holiday abroad in Hong Kong and Vietnam; the next was Thailand (our daughter’s favorite trip ever), and a third was a wintery mashup of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Each was amazing in its own right.

While it can be worrisome to take a break from holiday traditions at home, it’s really cool to experience how the rest of the world celebrates the season.

Holiday Travel Tips

Since the two week holiday break is one of the busiest travel times, you’ll pay a premium for flights and lodging. But with work days off, you may get more time with a lesser PTO hit; plus, fewer school absences (especially helpful with middle school and high schoolers).

Play with flight dates and times to get the best deal. Are you willing to travel on Christmas or New Years Day? Also consider buying a round trip from major hub like LA, New York, San Francisco and separate ticket (maybe even on points) from your nearest airport. Same is true if you have multiple destinations; book into in one city and out of another with a separately booked ticket local flight to connect destinations. And don’t forget to use that two for one annual credit card voucher before it expires.

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Interested in sunbathing? Consider SE Asia, Hawaii, and the Caribbean (although holiday season can still be wet in the tropics, so be prepared in your packing and mindset). Australia, Pacific Coast of Mexico and Central or South America offer higher odds of consistent sun.

Ready to swoosh down the slopes? Holiday season can be tricky due to unpredictable early season snowfall. Pick a spot with plenty of other activities should snow be iffy. Is there a spa, ice skating rink, movie theater interesting sites or great restaurants?

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Get in the spirit by enjoying the world’s Christmas markets. Think Berlin, Nuremburg, Munich, Amsterdam, Salzburg, Talinn or St Petersburg. Centuries old holiday traditions and mulled wine are hard to beat. And you can mix in some site seeing while you’re at it. Pick a hotel with indoor pool and your kids will really be happy; for mom and dad, maybe a nice spa.

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If not into hot and cold extremes, the world is your oyster! Visit European cities that are packed during summer: Rome, Athens, Paris, Barcelona? Or, check out a sites that are often too hot during summer break but mild over the holidays: Egypt, Israel, India, Jordan, UAE?

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Email the hotel concierge to inquire about holiday offerings. They often don’t post them on their sites until closer to the date (if at all), but concierge can confirm what events they have scheduled and whether the spa and restaurants are open over the holidays.

Keep the magic alive for Santa believers. Print pictures of their presents (easy carrying through customs) and pop them into a gift bag with a favorite holiday candy. Or, arrange for your pet sitter to display Santa gifts while you’re gone – a fun way to extend the holiday when you return. Tweens and teens love cash to put toward trip shopping, activities or experiences. And the trip itself can be your big family gift – way more meaningful than most stuff.

For a New Years Eve firework spectacular, try Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai, Moscow, Rio, Cartagena, New York, Seattle, San Francisco. Consider booking NYE a year ahead to ensure a spot. Booking.com now allows multiple bookings on the same date, so you can book your NYE rooms while you wait on flight release and the details of your trip plan. (Make sure to choose a cancellable rate if trip not finalized).

Caveat: I’m mixed on this rec, because I don’t want to encourage room hoarding and last minute cancelations that hurt properties or prohibit others from enjoying top destinations, so please be respectful and cancel unnecessary rooms as soon as you get things finalized.

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If booking with points, you’ve probably missed the chance for 2019, but dream now about holiday 2020. Hotels typically open reservations a year in advance, and flights 10 to 12 months. Where in the world will you go?