Christmas travel is a way to step outside familiar family routines and shape the holiday around personal preferences, says psychologist Christina Miro. A change of location can also make it easier to leave the usual expectations and pressures behind. But the idea is not unusual: winter destinations, especially ski resorts, are in high demand over the festive period.
Snowtrex, a tour operator specializing in winter holidays, says Christmas is its busiest booking period. Accommodation in higher-altitude Alpine resorts often fills early. Travellers willing to stay farther from the lifts may have a better chance of finding a late booking, sometimes at a lower price. Jonas Meister of Snowtrex says availability tends to last longer in Germany’s lower mountain ranges and in parts of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Finland’s Lapland offers a different kind of winter break, with opportunities to see the Northern Lights and take husky or reindeer-sleigh excursions. It is not a budget option during the holidays. Tui representative Aage Dünhaupt gives the example of an eight-day stay in Ylläsjärvi, priced from €2,830 per person sharing a double room, including flights from and to Berlin via Kittilä and half-board.
For warmer weather, Egyptian resorts such as Marsa Alam, Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada can offer comparatively good value, according to Dennis Schrahe, managing director of Alltours. His example is a seven-night Christmas stay in a Hurghada bungalow with all-inclusive meals and flights from Frankfurt, starting at €851 per person. Turkey is another option for travellers watching their budgets. While Christmas is not a local cultural tradition in these destinations, many hotels decorate for guests and serve festive meals.
The Canary Islands are also a popular choice. Dünhaupt says they are Tui’s leading sun destination for guests over Christmas and New Year. For longer-haul trips, travel agent Anke Budde lists South Africa and Namibia, Mauritius and the Seychelles, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as the Caribbean. The Caribbean’s hurricane season ends in late November, after which many areas enter a warmer, relatively drier travel period. Budde notes that such trips can cost several thousand euros per person.
Madeira may suit travellers who want neither a beach holiday nor skiing. Dünhaupt describes the Portuguese Atlantic island as a less obvious choice, with springlike weather and conditions suited to hiking. Cruises are another possibility. Aida Cruises says children can still have a Christmas gift-giving celebration on board, with Santa and his angels distributing presents brought by parents.
The most suitable trip depends on what travellers want, Budde says, adding that Christmas and New Year are emotionally important occasions for many people and expectations of a holiday can be high.
For anyone who usually celebrates with family, Miro recommends sharing travel plans early so relatives have time to adjust. She suggests explaining the decision in terms of personal needs and, where appropriate, proposing a family meal before departure or a celebration after returning. Not everyone may welcome the change, she says, but it is not always possible to meet everyone’s expectations.
Sources: Handelsblatt.