With a healthy dose of bank holidays combined with being in the depths of the British winter and of course the school holidays, Christmas is one of the most popular times of the year to travel.
It is true that in many destinations prices are at a high premium and already availability is scarce. However, please don’t fear as we have a whole plethora of ideas up our sleeve where availability can be found and prices aren’t through the roof!
Nepal and Bhutan
The initial urge is to head straight for a beach. However, being a time when traditionally we all like to gorge on wonderful food how about a more active trip that gets you out exploring areas that you wouldn’t always think of? Such as Nepal and Bhutan? Not always top of the list at this time of year, being in the Himalayas, temperatures are cool however this is a truly stunning time of year in both countries. Although there are high season supplements you will find that they’re minimal compared with other parts of the world.
Europe
Another type of mountain holiday but this time closer to home, Christmas and New Year are the perfect time to get away for a bit of alpine action. The key at this time of year is to know your way around the (sometimes restrictive) arrival and departure dates as this changes from year to year. We can help you navigate around this to make sure that you get the duration and destination that you’re looking for as well as always making sure to focus on those higher resorts which have better snow chances at this unpredictable time of year. Be that a peaceful quaint village in the Italian Dolomites, or an apres-fuelled session in the three valleys, we can recommend just the right chalet, hotel or apartment for you to suit your budget, preferences and ski level.
Staying closer to home, a sejourn to the continent can be a lovely escape and a welcome change of scenery. Pre-Christmas we could organise a visit to the Christmas Markets – Bruges or Cologne work well by train whilst Krakow, Salzburg or Stockholm would be recommended if you want to fly. Over Christmas or New Year, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Berlin are wonderfully atmospheric. It’s also a great time for sightseeing in Spain often with surprisingly pleasant weather, Madrid, Granada, Cordoba and Seville can be combined seamlessly by train.
Beach
Christmas on a beach? Availability is tight but spaces can be found in Oman, The Indian Ocean or Thailand, but you must move quickly as by October the best hotels will be full.
The key to getting a good deal (or availability) over Christmas and New Year is to have a bit of flexibility on your dates, if you can incorporate the week before Christmas or the week after New Year you will get a much better deal.