Top 5 Family Holiday Destinations

Family Holiday Vacation

Considering a family vacation for the holidays? Where to go and what to do?

No worries, my family always traveled for the holidays and here are my top 5 Family Friendly Holiday Destinations. 

From snowy hallmark worthy scenery to warm tropical destinations, we have you covered for a festive time.  Kids don’t worry as Santa always knows where you’ll be so will never miss out on presents or a visit by St. Nick by being away from home.  Your entire family will have a great time and make forever memories with the unique experiences at these amazing destinations.  

The vacation can also be your gift to your family.  Ready, Let's Go....

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Family Holiday Ski Vacation

1)Ski Vacation: 
If you're a skier than you know that it is the ultimate family ski holiday. The allure of fresh powder and making some great runs and turns with your family is overwhelming for an avid skier or snowboarder.

​However, you don’t have to be an avid skier to enjoy a winter wonderland as many of the top resort destinations offer family friendly activities like snow tubing, gondola rides, ice skating, ice fishing, sledding, snowmobiling and not to be missed... a horse-drawn sleigh ride in the snow. 

Additionally, many resort towns also offer unique Holiday celebrations such as concerts, light shows, decorated Santa's villages, Christmas markets, caroling, ice skating and much more 
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Some of the top ski resort family friendly destinations we like are:  Lake Tahoe, CA and Nevada, Sun Valley, Idaho, Jackson Hole, WY, Aspen, Snowmass, Vail and Breckenridge in Colorado and Stowe resort in Vermont. 

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Family Holiday Cruise

 
2)  Holiday Caribbean Cruise:  
If you’re like me you may not have ever thought about taking a cruise over Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, or New Years.
However, if you don’t have kids or they are grown and don’t need to have loads of presents under the tree this is an excellent option.

I have clients that take a cruise every Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and they love the ease of just boarding the ship and enjoying the holidays with good family bonding but without all stress,  time and effort of planning, decorating, shopping, cooking and serving meals and of course not cleaning up. 
 
Your family will enjoy warm, tropical weather with wonderful holiday décor, meals, shows, games, and entertainment onboard for everyone, not to mention exciting ports of call. 
 
Holiday cruises are always festive and draw a fun crowd onboard.  The ship is also home to for the crew, so they also love celebrating the holidays and are in a great mood as well.
 
Families that choose this option often make the cruise their gift to each other and depending on your cruise deal this can save them money Vs the costs of staying at home, with décor, food, presents, etc. 

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Rockefeller Christmas Tree

3) New York City: 
​The iconic city that never sleeps is the world’s capital city for celebrating the holidays. 
 
Starting with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade to the Radio City Rockettes “Christmas Spectacular”, Rockefeller Center’s giant Christmas tree and culminating in the ball dropping on New Year’s Eve in Times Square, New York City rocks for the holidays. 
 
New York City is simply magical over the holidays and embodies the spirit everywhere with stunning decorations, and window displays everywhere, countless shows, concerts and celebrations and of course world class shopping and dining. Your family will love this city over the holidays and a visit to Santa at Macy’s is a memory they will not forget.   

Not to be missed:  Pop up Christmas markets on streets,  hot chestnuts, horse drawn carriage past the Plaza (where they filmed the Home Alone  2 movie), walk into the lobbies of the 5-star hotels for magical holiday displays and gingerbread cities. 

If you can’t make it NYC then other big cities like Chicago, Washington DC and San Francisco do a great job over the holidays with many exciting events, décor and festivals.

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European Christmas Market

4)  European Christmas Markets:  
Escape the commercialization of the holidays in the USA and travel to Europe to enjoy a quieter and old-fashioned holiday. 
 
 Fairytales and dreams come to life when visiting the charming villages in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland over Christmas.  Their long-standing Christmas markets have been a tradition for centuries.  
 
The town squares and major buildings are all lighted with lots of booths for sweet treats and Christmas ornaments and of course Hot Glühwein (a spiced wine that is served hot).  I prefer visiting these markets on a river cruise ship so only have to unpack once but can easily see them on your own via car or train.  You’ll love the atmosphere, warmth and fun of these Christmas markets. 

The larger cities like London, Paris, Edinburgh, Munich, Amsterdam and Rome are also wonderfully decorated and offer their own version of Christmas markets too.  Best of all is that the holidays are low season for visiting most of Europe so will enjoy great value.
 

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Holiday Boat Parade

5)  South Florida Tropical Christmas:  If you have not been to South Florida over the holidays then you are missing out on seeing lighted Palm Trees, tropical displays and illuminated boat parades.  
 
 Fort Lauderdale, FL is home to the annual Winterfest Boat Parade which is billed as the “Greatest Show on H2O”.  The 12-mile-long boat parade boasts over 100 boats with decorations, carolers and entertainment and cruises through the city canals and intracoastal waterway with an audience of over 1 million.  It is broadcast on TV and is quite the show and holiday experience. 

From Palm Beach to Miami, Fl there are plenty of fun Christmas tropical decorations including Sandy – West Palm Beach’s 30 ft high sand sculpture tree and Delray Beach’s annual 100 ft tree and Christmas display.   You'll love being on the beach on Christmas day working on your suntan.

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Thank you for indulging.  What are your favorite Christmas and Holiday destinations? 
Consider the Gift of Travel this holiday season.