Christine

I've got two weeks vacation over Christmas, but where to go at this "family" time is hard to choose. Money, while not limitless, isn't a big issue. Don't want to be sitting in my room with everything closed on Christmas Day.

John

Christine: <BR> <BR>Christmas is for family gatherings or for Holiday travel. Go where the Holiday travelers would go.....warm beaches or cold skiing. I prefer the skiing thing myself and there are great Holiday spots around any of the Alps!! <BR>JOHN

Tom

How about a country where Christmas isn't celebrated?

jhm

That's just what I was about to suggest -- a country where Christmas takes a back seat to other holidays. Perhaps India or Morocco. Depends on what kind of holiday you'd like. <BR> <BR>

Not Christine

If you are Christian you need to consider the tradeoff of things being open, vs. nothing to indicate it's even Christmas. <BR>Israel is another destination where thing will be open and depending on the intifada maybe even go to Bethlehem...

Susie

Try Gleneagles in Scotland........Expensive but out of this world for tradition. Loads to do..ie off-roading, falconry, horse riding etc.once in a lifetime experience.

Ann

Christine, we spent Christmases in Europe away from home to see what the holidays were like in other countries. One of the best was at The Feathers hotel in Ludlow, England... old coaching inn, first class hotel with a complete Christmas "programme" including crackers and traditional Christmas meals (baby in the cake, etc.); midnight mass (no, we aren't Catholic, but we went and loved it) followed by a glass of sherry beside the fire that the staff kept going for us in the library; a tug-of-war with the hotel guests across the street (tiny street); a "scavenger hunt" of clues through the village to discover its picturesque sites; a guided tour with the village historian; a trip to the castle to watch the Boxing Day hunt begin (with friendly hounds gamboling around us and mounted riders being served drinks from silver trays by attendants); lots of holly and ivy and other greenery in the absence of snow. Another personal favorite: Rothenburg, where all the multitudes of tourists vanish after the Christmas market shuts down and only residents from inside the walls remain; the German post office delivers from a bright yellow, horse- drawn "stagecoach" piled with boxes and a live tree on the roof; special concerts in the cathedral, which is lit by candles on wreaths lowered from the ceiling and the big trees on either side of the altar; only white lights on trees outside all the buildings; a tray of goodies from the family that ran the hotel (Reichs Kuchenmeister) beside our door when we returned from an afternoon walk - fruit, nuts, a bottel of Franconian wine, lebkuchen, and a card; traditional German Christmas eve dinner for the few hotel guests and the family - goose, red cabbage, potato dumplings. When we awoke Christmas morning, it had snowed during the night, dusting the town and dampening any sounds escept the church bells. Heaven. Skiing in Europe is chancy in December, but worth a try in combination with a few days in Rothenburg, and then you'll have sleigh rides, curling and gluhwein to add to your Christmas experiences of Germany!

Linda

Anne, "midnight mass" in England was probably not Catholic, if that puts your mind at ease. It was probably Church of England, which is Protestant. May have been Catholic, but odds are it wasn't.

Ann

Linda, very well could have been... either would have been totally foreign to us Baptists! The service was beautiful, the church was beautiful, and we tried to join in, but to this day we are puzzled by the Christmas carols with the same title as the American versions, but with totally different music (words, same -- music, different). I appreciate the correction...

Julie

I was in Vienna for 10 days right before Christmas and found it to be particularly festive. There are chriskindelmarkts (sp?) everywhere along with the mulled wine stands and music concerts. There was even one park area that was specifically devoted to children so I don't think you would have problems finding something for the entire family to do - regardless of their ages. Besides, there are plenty of places outside of Vienna that are equally as interesting (Salzburg). Just a thought.