Forget relatives — take the children to a holiday destination

Wouldn’t it be nice?

It’s not wishful thinking — even in this economy. All you need to do is gather the gang at a vacation destination rather than a relative’s house for the holidays.

According to American Express, 40 percent of consumers plan to travel this holiday season, most of them staying in the United States. This year, AAA anticipates more of us to hit the roads and skies for Thanksgiving.

Related coverage

Fed-up fliers protest airport security measures

For 30 years, Marcia Miller has flown to Toledo, Ohio, to join four generations of her family for Thanksgiving. But this year, thanks to new airport security measures, she is opting to stay home. Full story

If you are going to drive four hours or fly across country anyway, you might as well go somewhere fun. It will be a lot easier than hosting the gang at your place and a lot less stressful than cramming everyone into your brother’s house. The good news is that getting away for the holidays can be a lot more inexpensive than you might think.

You’ll be surprised at the number of deals out there with plenty of holiday cheer (think Santa tucking the children in), especially if you can travel before Christmas. Book a flight and hotel together on Expedia.com and save up to $450. Even better, book a flight for travel by Jan. 3 and you qualify for Expedia’s “Holiday Bonus,” a $200 travel coupon for use in the first quarter of 2011.

If your gang — like mine — cannot wait to hit the slopes, you will find plenty of early-season deals from Vermont to California. In southern Vermont, Stratton Mountain Resort (www.stratton.com) lets children 17 and under ski and stay free. They get free rentals too, if adults are renting gear, and you might spend under $250 a night for a family of four to stay, ski and gear up.

“There are many more deals than last year all season, including during the holidays, offering things like free nights, free days of skiing, room upgrades and resort credits,” states Dan Sherman of ski.com, which posts some 900 deals. My tip for ski country: Go the week before Christmas for the ideal deals and to avoid the crowds. The children will get more attention in ski school, too, and there already is plenty of snow in many places.

Don’t miss these Travel stories

Lessons learned from ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’

“Planes, Trains and Automobiles” is the gold standard for films depicting holiday travel madness. But there are some teachable moments within the zaniness.

There are plenty of warm weather options too. All-inclusive Barcelo Hotels & Resorts (www.barcelo.com) in Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic promise a 30 percent savings on stays between Christmas Eve and next spring, as long as you book by Nov. 30. And 10 Marriott Hotels & Resorts in Florida are offering a $100 Activity Credit now through Jan. 30.

If the extended family nixes the idea of a vacation holiday, gather your children and slip away for a pre-holiday getaway — even for a weekend. You can find all kinds of holiday events just a short drive from your home. Head to Colonial Williamsburg (www.history.org) and travel back to 18th-century Christmas where a three-day, two-night Christmas Bounce Package will only set you back just $379 for a family of four. It includes lodging, breakfast and tickets to Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area and Busch Gardens’ Christmas Town.

Head to the White Mountains of New Hampshire the weekend of Dec. 10 when the Appalachian Mountain Club (www.outdoors.org) hosts its 8th Annual Gingerbread weekend with gingerbread house decorating, family hikes, nature walks and fireside games — all under $400 for a family of four, including lodging, most meals, activities and even use of the L.L. Bean Gear Room.

Slip away yourself with a couple of friends for a de-stressing weekend shopping, museum hopping or playing tennis. A friend of mine just went to Chicago to see “The “Oprah Show.” I’m spending an upcoming weekend with friends in San Juan.

Forget the mall. I’ll be on the beach.

More Source:

Forget relatives — take the kids to a holiday destination - Travel ...
Family Travel : Iceland Holidays : Travel Deals : Vacation Packages ...
Top 10 holiday destinations 2012 | 101 Holiday ideas
Family holidays! kids stay, play, eat free! kids club resorts and more ...

Related News:

Details :
Submited at Saturday, November 20th, 2010 at 6:00 am on Family by alliana
Comment RSS 2.0 - leave a comment - trackback

Leave Comment Here...

404 Not Found