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My first thought was that the week before and through Christmas to New Years would be a great cheap time to travel because everyone would be staying home to be with family. Or at the very least the airlines would be crowded as people traveled to be with family and all the hotels and warm tourist destinations would be empty.
But I guess that is not the case as family's apparently take advantage of kids being out of school to take Christmas vacation away? Is that right?
I can maximize my vacation days by sandwiching them between the 25th and 1st which I get off. I would love to get some sun since I live in a winter cloudy place. But if it high season/full price and/or really crowded it might not be worth it to me.
Any knowledgeable folks out there with Christmas vacation experience ?
Traveling on Christmas Day, December 25th is usually cheap. But traveling on all the days immediately before (from December 16th onward) and all the days after until about Jan. 5-6 the flights are usually fully booked and very expensive as many people have vacation time and travel during this period.
I have heard of people that go to Florida during this time for a sunny vacation but they do book their vacation well in advance in order to find reasonable fares.
Actually, Christmas week is one of the most expensive to travel. We've done it many times and end up paying more than we should. So, we started traveling on January 1st, and have saved significantly. Most don't travel on that day and many are coming back from trips because they have to go back to work, kids go back to school, so you save a ton. If you ask any travel expert about this, they will recommend Jan 1 over Christmas week. The savings are very significant.
My first thought was that the week before and through Christmas to New Years would be a great cheap time to travel because everyone would be staying home to be with family. Or at the very least the airlines would be crowded as people traveled to be with family and all the hotels and warm tourist destinations would be empty. ?
You would think that Christmas would be a great time to travel. Actually, it is one of the worst, IMHO.
First, if you are into historical sites, MANY close during the holidays. Many close Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, New Years Day, and New Years Eve. In a recent trip to Louisiana and Mississippi, we had difficulties finding anything open. We planned for closures on the holidays but not for the four day weekend.
Second, especially on the Christmas holiday, EVERYTHING closes. I used to work in hospitals. One year, my wife and I decided to find a Christmas dinner in St. Louis after work. We drove around St. Louis, MO and the only place open was a Del Taco ... and only the drive thru (and then my car broke down).
Even places that "NEVER" close like truck stops and freeway fast food joints may on the holiday.
In London, the train system and cabs all shut down on Christmas days. So, there is no service between Gatwick and the Central Business District.
Car rental agencies close, especially in smaller cities.
As for flying ON THE HOLIDAY, that trick is so well publicized that well, it does not work that well. When we started taking Thanksgiving flights in the early 90s, jets were less than half full. Now, Thanksgiving day is almost as bad as the night before. We flew MDW-CMH on Thanksgiving so mane times that I recognize at least 25% of the fliers on that flight. The airlines have really cut back on holiday flights.
We have been driving the last few years as it has been cheaper and due to the times we travel, we are able to avoid ALL traffic.
As for the cost of travel during the holidays, it is a mixed bag. You can find some phenomenal deals on hotels and occasionally rental cars if you look for deals. Flights is generally expensive, ESPECIALLY if you are INFLEXIBLE.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Sunny (and warm) accessible destinations are typically quite booked during this week.
int he USA I would consider another option with sun, but maybe not warm (such as southern UT National Parks). I think you will find lodging in 'destinations' to be spendy, but I will imagine there are smaller towns with affordable lodging. I would 'couchsurf' in a town with a nice recreation center that is open that week. I would look at Moab, UT too but ORV 'Christmas' crowd may be too much. Consider smaller towns that are NOT on the interstate highway.
I can recommend Lead, SD and staying at the hostel there. (you will need to verify if community center is open that week (Sturgis and Spearfish have nice recreation centers too)). There is a nearby Ski destination that may make Lead expensive and crowded this week. Custer, SD might be another option.
If you want warm and sunny, then do a small town in the SE of USA or in Mexico. Any 'prime' venues will be booked and crowded. Small towns will be largely closed down (so activities limited, R&R & hiking possible, bring a good book)
Flights are very expensive around Christmas time because there's a lot of people traveling to see family. I did once take a flight on Boxing day, the day after Christmas and it was very quiet but not cheap.
Second, especially on the Christmas holiday, EVERYTHING closes. I used to work in hospitals. One year, my wife and I decided to find a Christmas dinner in St. Louis after work. We drove around St. Louis, MO and the only place open was a Del Taco ... and only the drive thru (and then my car broke down).
Not the case in San Diego! We first visited San Diego over Christmas in 2006, we were amazed at how it felt like any other day. Beaches were packed, restaurants open, and no one at home celebrating with family. We right then said we are moving there, and in October 2008, we did. Since we've been here, everything is still open on Christmas. Finding restaurants that are open is not a problem and of course you can hang out on the beach, enjoying our beautiful weather. Maybe the Southern states close, but here in San Diego, holidays feel just like every other day and we love it that way. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and it's unfair to close down an entire city for someone else's religious holiday.
Appreciate the input. I was hoping for somewhere somewhat quiet with good birdwatching, sunny but not necessarily hot. Water and southern migration areas usually equates to good bird watching so anywhere along the coast. I would love to drive but the coast in any direction is what...22 hours southern Ohio to the keys. Off to see if there are good bird areas that are also not tourist destinations that won't roll up the sidewalks so completely that I starve Inputs appreciated
I am going to Las Vegas this Christmas.
Flights on Dec. 24th in the evening are cheap, too.
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Inputs appreciated
