Well, I don't have children and due to our busy live (work mostly) we always travel during christmas. It has a lot of advantages, but every year I am surprised how many travelers I meet on the roads (or airports). It seems we are not the only ones doing it. 2 years ago we did a great tour through the US midwest. Last year we went to spectacular Peru (honestly one of the most exciting vacations of my life) and this year we are planning to do a California Loop. Getting to the eastern Sierras (although only about 200 miles away) will take me almost 5 times longer, along higway 395, to Bodie, Mono Lake and maybe the Gold Country. Although I live in California I never really took the time to explore it like that. Usually I am rushing from destination to destination. This year I want to take my time and explore a region from every possible angle. I have some new photo techniques I want to try and some new equipment will be bought around christmas too. Its going to be snowy and cold, but I love it.

Christmas is usually the time I travel the most.

Andre

Travel Photos

Wow that sounds so exciting Andre. Funny isnt it you will be in the cold and snow for Christmas and our family will be lazing around the swimming pool. It's normally very hot over here on Christmas day. So we spend it swimming, drinking and of course eating.

christmas is the worse time to travel espically if you are thinking of going to the caribbean, flights are normally very expensive at this time also.

Yeh we find Christmas very expensive to travel. Also any school holidays over here are like twice the cost for motels and so on than non school holidays. So we try and avoid travelling in school holidays. The schools dont mind taking the children out for a couple of weeks as long as they take some work with them and we give them plenty of notice.

Depends how you look at it. I get two weeks of vacation per year and if I would stay at home during Christmas and travel some other time, I would have to take unpaid vacation. This would cost me way more.

Besides, I enjoy having no responsibilities, while everyone is busy and stressed out trying to make the holidays work (you know what I mean, everything has to be perfect and in the end it never is). So for me its always perfect. I bet I have more fun during christmas than 90% of all people.

If it costs a bit more, so be it. But with proper planning and advanced booking its not really that bad (haven't done anything this year, since I am going on a road trip anyways). Hotels are going to be pricy, but why else would I work so hard

Andre

Travel Photos

yeah i know what you mean, im always close to an heart attack each christmas to find some presents for everyone. spend this time in stockholm last year just to avoid the stress at home...

btw.: free hotel rooms :)

Well, Christmas has been commercialized by greedy capitalists. Thats nothing new. You don't have to take part in the craze though.

Either way, I enjoy getting away from it all and I can only recommend to try it out to everyone who hasn't done it yet.

Andre

Travel Photos

I agree, what happened to christmas being the best time of the year, family and togetherness. I have found over the years it is just getting more and more stressful. I love Christmas but the stress is killing me. LOL

As a matter of fact, I am in La Jolla (pronounced La-Hoy-ah) near San Diego right now. There were suprisingly many cars on the road yesterday (Christmas Eve).

Here is a picture of Christmas day

Now tell me you wouldn't like to spend Christmas like me : 

Andre

Travel Photos

What a great photo Andrea. Merry christmas to everybody. I have been away spending christmas with my family so hope to show you some pictures soon. Tomorrow we are going to Sydney Zoo so I willl be sure to take some great pictures.

Sorry that I am late in posting to this thread but just to let everyone know that I agree with Andre. If I am going to travel somewhere, I wouldn't want to think of expenses. What I want is that I enjoy my trip and my good time. Otherwise, the trip won't serve its purpose if we keep on thinking the price of being there and the price of enjoying and relaxing for a while. We can find money but not the experience that goes with it. Spending a lot during vacations? So be it! It's worth it! :)

I agree Helen. If I have to pay to see something amazing, well so be it. I dont mind paying money out on a good vacation. And if it means seeing other countries and learning new ways of life I think it is worth it. Not to mention meeting new people from around the world.

Now that I am retired, I am always away at Christmas, but before that I did a few 'not visiting the family' Christmas trips.  Because I would get three holidays during the Christmas/New Year period, I could take three weeks off without using every drop of my three weeks of vacation.

 The best trip was to Egypt.  I did a camping tour, which wasn't terribly expensive.  The air fare was a fortune, though, because I booked at the last minute.  If you can stretch the trip to three weeks you can miss the very highest airfares.  Also, if you are willing to travel on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, you can usually get decent airfares.

 If you choose a country that is fairly inexpensive, then the 'sky high' Christmas rates will probably seem normal to you.

I have never got the chance to do any traveling at Christmas, but would like too. Is it cheaper to travel over the holidays?

If anything holidays are always more expensive and Christmas is no exception. You wouldn't believe how many people you meet on the road during Christmas. 

Andre

Travel Photos

We've never traveled anywhere for Christmas.  We prefer to be home cozied up in front of the woodstove, drinking hot chocolate and watching the kids unwrap presents. 

We have a vacation home in Dahlonega, Georgia. We spent our first Christmas there as a family. We all live in Florida. This will now be our new tradition. It is like going to yesteryear with carolers dressed up in the turn of the century costumes and the town lit up. The temperature is mild cold but a nice change from Florida.

I'm usually in a hotel more Christmases than I'm at home, and absolutely love it!  There have been years where we've done skiing holidays but other years we simply go to places in Europe and hang out.  Venice, Rome, and Paris are great at Christmas.  Not a lot of tourists and great rates.  AND, there's no mess of taking down a tree at home either lol.

I travel by car to visit my parents at Christmas. They live about a five hour drive away from me and the roads are usually packed coming and going. Still, it's worth it. If working at a hospice has taught me anything, it's that we never know for sure how much time we're going to have with our loved ones. Maybe someday I'll do something more exotic for the Christmas holidays, but for now, I'm sticking with Mom and Dad.