s_rk

We're looking to take a short getaway over Christmas - 12/23-12/26 - since we don't have much time to take off work. Coming from New York, what places would you recommend in that short time frame that a) won't be tremendously expensive to fly to; b) make sense for a quick trip; and c) will have stuff to do on Christmas eve and day.
Thanks!

RoamsAround

We need more info from you;

How much (in actual dollars) are you willing to pay for airfare???? Terms like "won't be tremendously expensive" are meaningless without a dollar point of reference. Likewise, do you have a budget for hotel & food. Airfare for travel on 12/23 is likely to be quite high regardless of destination as that's one of the busiest travel days of the year. Keep in mind too, that in addition to actual flight time you have to factor in airport waiting time and travel to/from the airport which means you'll "loose" the better part of two days of your allotted trip time flying to your planned destination. You might consider just going someplace much closer to home.

What exactly do you mean by "stuff to do on Christmas eve and day"??? - Most businesses, stores, shops and tourist attractions will be closed on Christmas no matter where you go. You may have to be your own source of activity on that day doing things like hiking, skiing, boating, swimming and similar activities.

Do you want to go someplace warm (like the tropics) or cold like a ski area?

What type of activities do you have in mind for the rest of your stay?

FYI - Many resorts have minimum stay requirements (7 to 14 days) during Christmas so that will limit your destination choices - consider going to major cities rather than resort areas to avoid this problem.

s_rk

In terms of airfare, definitely under $1000/person, preferably closer to half that. We can also fly out on 12/22 in the evening, though I don't know that it will change the airfare costs much. Airfare and travel time are more likely to decide our location than the food/hotel budget (you can almost always find good, yet not outrageously priced food and lodging wherever you go). We're not skiers, but other than that, we're open to all different types of activities. We just don't want to be somewhere where for a good chunk of the time there's nothing to do other than stay inside our hotel room (which we fear could be the case in some cities on Christmas eve/day). We're open to domestic and international travel . . .

RoamsAround

Alright, with a budget of $1,000 PP for airfare you are in good shape as you can get to a great many destinations. Since you only have a few days I'd concentrate on those destinations you can reach non-stop in under 3 hours otherwise you'll find yourselves wasting the better part of your two travel days in airports and airplanes (remember nowadays with the security checks, etc you are expected to arrive at the airport well before your scheduled departure time).

Obviously, your first decision is whether you want to go some place mild (or warm) in which case you head south or cold in which case you go north. Your biggest challenge is going to be finding "stuff to do on Christmas Day" - almost everywhere you go things will be closed on Christmas Day - it's just a fact of life - Christmas is a major holiday all over the world and people want to spend Christmas with their families so many stores, businesses, tourist attractions, etc. will simply not be open or operating. As I mentioned in my earlier reply, other than finding limited dining options you are probably going to have to be your own source of activity on Christmas Day - think self guided activities such as hiking, swimming, walking, window shopping, movies, maybe even bowling, if you are lucky enough to find an alley that is open. Places like museums, art galleries, amusement parks, zoos, etc. will all probably be closed on Christmas Day (but many will be open on Christmas Eve). One caveat - Christmas this year is on a Saturday which means you might encounter some additional closures on Friday (Christmas Eve) and, of course, the day after Christmas will be a Sunday which will further limit your access to activities (although that might be a "travel day" for you anyway). The point of all this is I don't think anyone can give you any guarantees you'll be able to find enough "stuff to do" during this short trip.

Look at destinations such as Bermuda, Charleston, SC, Savannah, GA, Florida (maybe Disney World?), the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Cancun or major cities like Boston, Quebec City, Montreal to see if they appeal to you.

Iowa_Redhead

No specific destinations in mind, but you might want to look at places where you can go to a beach, or go for a hike on Christmas. If you stay on a beach you can go for a walk on the beach, snorkel, swim, etc and it doesn't matter if everything is closed. Same for somewhere you can go hiking. Is there a place RoamsAround mentioned that you can combine beach, hiking and town that interests you? Do town whenever the shops and places are open, then go for a hike or play on the beach whenever they're closed.

Just an idea, good luck!

walkabout

I have friends who like to go to Vegas for the Christmas holidays. Everything is open, and there are lots of things to see and do.

You could get a nonstop flight out of Newark the evening of the 22nd, and with the time difference be in Vegas before midnight (the flight is less than 6 hours).

http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/chris...-las-vegas.php

suze

Any destination that caters to tourists has stuff open on the holidays. What about a Caribbean island or the Caribbean coast of Mexico?

frogoutofwater

Montreal will be a bit cold but could be nice.

ash318

I just returned from Jamica, we did nothing- just chilled at the hotel, at the Ritz Carlton- it would be great for 3 days. Mind you- this part of the island, is not really for the beach, but you can relax by the pool.

persimmondeb

Both Disney and Vegas will be full of open things. Disney will be expensive, however Vegas is probably not, and they are both easy non-stops.