Why not travel and celebrate the holiday far from home? There's hardly a country on our beautiful planet where Christmas isn't celebrated. If you don't want to spend your year-end vacation at home but also don't want to give up the contemplative atmosphere, you should choose your destination carefully. Because Christmas isn't celebrated everywhere the way we know it from home. Of course, that doesn't have to be a bad thing - the Christmas customs and traditions in other parts of the world have a charm all their own.
Spending Christmas and New Year's on vacation
Many families like to spend the Christmas season together at home, quite traditionally. Others, though - especially couples without children - may enjoy a change of pace and treat themselves to a Christmas trip at year's end. It's not just the season of love; many people also like to spend New Year's abroad. Spending Christmas in New York is guaranteed to be a unique experience - thanks to the famous tree at Rockefeller Center, the grand decorations along the streets, and the incomparable glow of lights in the store windows. Or New Year's in Paris: as the city of love, the French metropolis draws couples all year round. For couples, then, it's something truly special to ring in the new year in a loved one's arms with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Doesn't that sound tempting?
Popular travel destinations at Christmas
There are two types of Christmas travelers: those in search of snow, and those who want to head into the new year as tanned as possible. So an important question is: where can you actually still find a white Christmas? One thing is clear - in Germany, the chances of snowy holidays aren't all that good. Things look considerably better in Nordic regions, that is Scandinavia - for example in Norway or Denmark. For those who don't shy away from an overseas trip in terms of time or money, even Canada might be an option.
It gets a bit warmer on a relaxing cruise, say along the Atlantic coasts of southern Europe or even South America. Among Germans' most popular Christmas destinations are Fuerteventura, Rhodes and western Greece, Morocco, and Tunisia. But wanting to spend Christmas away from your own four walls doesn't automatically mean giving up the holiday itself. You can read about how Christmas is celebrated around the world at the linked pages. Then all you have to do is decide where you'd like to spend your Christmas vacation.
Short trip, tour, or cruise?
Winter break is many families' chance to plan a trip together. Schools and many companies are closed during this time anyway. But that also means the trip should be planned as early as possible. It's no secret that the Christmas season in the cold months invites you to escape to warmer regions. For exactly that reason, the travel industry lures customers with numerous deals in the weeks and months before Christmas. A visit to a travel agency can be worthwhile, as can a look at the websites of airlines, hotels, and travel portals. Here and there you'll also find the occasional giveaway - why not try your luck?
