Planning your Christmas vacation

2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 18:44

Holidays at Christmas: why not? Whether you have a small or a big budget for those few days off, it's possible!

Between visits to relatives and receptions at home, why not slip away with your family for a few days to get away from everyday life? A great way to take a break and take a breather. And it is well known, we need to get out of the house to get there. Otherwise, the usual routine catches up with us, we see something to fix and we embark on a cleaning or washing blitz. Here are some great ideas for all budgets.

Escape here…

Go on a getaway to a hotel where children are welcome and where you can eat in the restaurant without fear of disturbing (among our favorites: Manoir du Lac Delage, L'Auberge du Lac Taureau, les Jaro hotels). However, during the holiday season, getaways are quite expensive. For a 3-night stay with meals, activities and outings for a family of 4, you have to plan for more than $1,200. And you have to act fast to reserve your seats! Note that there are also New Year's Day packages. This is an original way to mark the start of the new year.

Mini-price version

• Rent a cottage with acouple of friends with children and share the costs. However, you will have to make the meals yourself, but it is possible to get away easily with dishes that do not require too much preparation (fondue, raclette, spaghetti and why not a winter picnic!).
• Some resorts offer attractive packages with more reasonable prices during the holiday season. Our favourite: Jouvence
• Two nights away from home can be enough to break the routine. And there is no need for the little ones to be at the foot of the slopes or directly in the most sought-after town in the region. An indoor pool and the proximity of an outdoor activity (sliding, snowshoeing, skating, etc.) will be enough to create the holiday atmosphere. Why not? Some families stay at a hotel in the nearby town simply to sleep away from home and enjoy the perks of the place (no meals to make, no beds to make, swimming pool, spa, etc.).

Escape elsewhere…

The South attracts you? The soft beaches, the sea, the sparkling sun and the beneficial warmth catch your eye every year? Also, you can consider your trip as the family gift. Pack up a tourist guide, a road map or the promotional flyer and place it under the tree.

Moderate price version

• Go south… less far! A long weekend in a major American city. Discover New York and its frenzyor another teeming metropolis.
• It is possible to reduce your bill a little by shopping for your trips at the last minute.
• Give today…benefit later. Offer the trip to the family, but leave during a less expensive period. Instead, throw a Christmas party under the sign of the tropics to give you the illusion of being there already.

Christmas at home?

Can't afford to leave? It is possible to get away from it all by organizing special activities to tint these two weeks of vacation in another light. Sometimes it doesn't take much for the most beautiful memories to germinate in the minds of young and old alike.

• Go to bed for a night. With relatives or friends, an evening when no party is planned. Spend the afternoon playing games or playing sports outside and come home to whip up a nice dinner. The prospect of not having to leave will lighten your spirit.
• Camping in the living room. Organize a night exactly under the tree, near the fireplace and not far from the television. Bring food and take it easy with your family.
• Big day. All year long, you would have liked to go to the museum, the cinema, the Planetarium, bowling, etc. Everything is close to home, but you never take the time? It is during the holidays that you will succeed! Let each member of the family write down an activity (define an approximate duration for the activity to be found, for example: 2 hours) and take aday to do them all. Satisfaction guaranteed.
• Exoticism comes to you. Prepare a complete meal with food from another country. Or even a world tour with dishes from the five continents. A change of scenery to be expected without a plane ticket to buy. Combine this culinary initiative with the discovery of local music!