The Christmas Abroad Checklist
Feeling a “Christmas with the Kranks” arrangement for 2022? We have a couple of Grinches in our team, so you won’t find any judgement here! Or, maybe you love Christmas and hate the cold? Either way, we have you covered.
Here are our top tips for travelling during the holidays…
When to depart
Firstly, if crowded airports and Christmas formalities aren’t really your thing, you can get away with departing before the 20th December, potentially benefitting from cheaper flights too. If you’re happy to travel on Christmas Day, you’ll likely find a quieter check-in desk than surrounding days, with massive surges to be expected on Boxing Day as people hope to squeeze in a short break before returning to work & school.
Things to be careful of!
Please don’t miss your flight due to a hangover, you wouldn’t be the first and certainly not the last. Providing this won’t be an issue, there are other things that can make you late; the availability of taxis, public transport changes and maybe a romantic helping of Christmas snow to be cleared from your windscreen! If you wanted to start your holiday with minimal stress, an airport hotel could be the best choice for you. You can even purchase packages which include a three-course meal and parking for the duration of your trip with certain on-site hotels – job done!
Destinations
If you’re interested in spending Christmas immersed in another culture, Lonely Planet have recommended countries with deep roots in Catholicism for authentic traditions, such as Mexico, Colombia and Italy. However, if you’re looking for sun, shopping and festive family fun, there’s nowhere quite like Orlando (with a fabulous opportunity to buy discounted Christmas gifts from the outlet malls). Looking to escape Christmas all together? Why not sink into an overwater lounging net with a book and a cocktail in the Maldives instead? Bliss!
Preparations
You may want to start these a little earlier than you would a usual holiday as you’ll have a hell of a time trying to find swimwear in December! Think about bookings for the cattery, ordering holiday clothes online, getting any presents to relatives early and even in-resort preparations, such as trying to get a booking for your Christmas Day & New Years’ Eve dinners. What’s more, we know you’ll probably be attending a gathering or two in the days running up to your departure, so maybe add some notifications to your phone’s calendar to check in online, choose your seats and print any necessary documentation – If you don’t have a printer at home, maybe time this with your last day in the office.
Getting home
Just 3 words here – “Scheduled. Food. Shop”. You’ll thank us later!
However you prefer to spend the festive season, we hope you have an incredible time. If we can help you with any future plans, do let us know and our elves will get to work crafting your perfect getaway.
