Our Top Christmas and New Year Breaks…
It doesn’t matter whether you spend the holidays indoors by the fireside or if you fancy jetting off to somewhere more exotic, it’s still Christmas and the most wonderful time of the year…
There are also so many choices available these days, especially when it comes to travel. Thanks to the advent of budget airlines and numerous hotel sites, it can seem like a daunting process trying to find the ideal trip that’s right for you. Here at talkholiday we have access to a dazzling choice of travel partners and their current deals and offers as well as the latest trends and new routes available for short breaks. We’ve had a look at some of them for you this week and have come up with some suggestions for Christmas and New Year breaks to suit every taste and every budget.
If you’re lucky enough to have a few days off over the festive season, or maybe even longer, why not book up and go somewhere nice and let someone else do the cooking for a change. Or even if you want to spend Christmas at home, Twixmas breaks are becoming increasingly popular for that quiet spell in between the two big celebrations.
Christmas & New year in Scotland
Scotland is a great place to be at this time of year – there’s so much going on in all of the major towns and cities but there’s also some beautiful nooks and crannies in the Scottish countryside to hide away in and recharge the batteries.
A couple of nice ones that caught our eye are worth taking a look at.
First up is the Macdonald Houston House Hotel in West Lothian. You can arrive at this pretty hotel on Christmas Eve and stay for two nights on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, including Christmas Day lunch from just £205 pp.
Another Scottish beauty is the Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa near Aberfoyle in the Trossachs. They are offering a two or three-night stay starting on Christmas Eve from £349 per person
What a lovely way to spend those special days, holed up in a luxury hotel in a stunning setting eating lovely food and enjoying the magical atmosphere.
I don’t know about you, but one of our dreams is to rent a cosy cottage somewhere romantic for Christmas – rounding up a bunch of good friends or all of our families and heading into a winter wonderland of Christmas magic in front of a roaring fire – a bit like the Wham video for Last Christmas (ok, so they were ski-ing but you get the picture!
You could put some decorations up, light some candles and gather round with good food, wine and a telly Christmas special. Sometimes it’s the simplest of pastimes that make for the best holidays and being surrounded by your nearest and dearest or your best friends, you’re bound to have a magical time just taking it easy and soaking up the spirit of Christmas. Take a look at some of the lovely Christmas cottages on offer from holidaycottages.co.uk
And, if a proper Hogmanay is on the cards, then Scotland is the place to be. Edinburgh’s New Year’s Eve celebrations are famous throughout the world and people travel from all over to be part of them. This year, Rag’n’Bone Man, The Human League and Huey Morgan will take to the stage at one of the world’s biggest outdoor parties which also has live DJs, street entertainment and dazzling fireworks display to top it all off.
Check out our travel partners for hotels in Edinburgh – but you better be quick as the rates will rocket the closer it gets to Hogmanay.
- Expedia Edinburgh Hotels from £52pn
- Hotels.com Edinburgh Hotels from £52pn
- Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh 2 & 3 Night Festive Breaks from £249pp
- Malmaison Edinburgh, New Year’s Package from £579pp
Christmas & New Year Breaks London
London is also a fantastic place to see in the new year and there are still some great hotel packages and attraction ticket deals around but again, don’t waste too much time making your mind up, it’s a very very popular date in the diary and hotels fill up really quickly. Take a look at some of these options…
London Hotels
- Best Price Guaranteed on London Hotels from £22pn
- Super Break London Christmas Breaks from £184pp
- Hotels.com London Hotels from £149pn
- Malmaison London, New Year’s Package from £519pp
London Activities
If you’re looking for a little bit of luxury, go spoil yourself with a stay at The Montcalm Club hotels in central London. All of these hotels offer beautifully appointed rooms, complimentary Wi-Fi, iPod docking stations, satellite TV, pillow menus and personalised aroma scents…bliss! That sounds like the perfect spot to rest your party head after a night on the town or a hard day’s shopping at the sales.
Perhaps you’re thinking about going further afield for your Christmas and New Year getaway and if you’re after some fun on the slopes, there are some truly spectacular locations you could be jetting off to. Choose from beautiful, snowy resorts in France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Lapland and more with Inghams ski holidays.
Even if you don’t fancy doing any actual ski-ing, some of these destinations are just the prettiest places to visit anyway and a good choice is Chamonix resort at the foot of Mont Blanc and close to the Italian and Swiss borders. Dazzling, snow-clad mountains provide a magnificent backdrop to this picturesque and colourful French jewel. Chamonix is often used in reference to the whole area that is made up of several ski resorts and charming villages, all of which are steeped in olde-worlde French character.
Whether you’re looking for an action-packed ski break or just the chance to kick back and relax, Chamonix is an alpine delight with stunning scenery from every angle with quaint fairy-tale streets and snow-clad mountains.
So far, it’s all tinsel, turkey and snowy action but maybe some of you out there just want to hit the beach and not bother with all the festivities (Bah humbug!)
There are still some hot spots you can go to if you’re chasing some winter sun. Our friends at icelolly.com have some great offers on last minute sun holidays.
We recently told you about our top five winter sun destinations. Why not give it a read and get some inspiration on where to go to get away from the winter chill.
We hope we’ve given you some nice ideas for a festive break – don’t forget to let us know where you end up and remember to update your profile with all your lovely Christmas snaps. Wherever you land, be sure to have the best time and have a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!
(Prices correct at time of publishing and may vary)