Every year I dream about how nice it would be to go away for Christmas and every year I don’t do it! The thought of putting my feet up over the festive period and enjoying proceedings whilst someone else does all the work is an appealing one. There is also the fact that my brain is hard wired not to feel Christmassy unless there is snow on the ground and that just never seems to happen where I live. I would love to spend Christmas by an open fire with the snow falling outside so why do I never do it?
Cost
The obvious obstacle to travelling at Christmas is the cost. Flights and hotels both come at a premium and whenever I explore the possibility of a festive trip I am always shocked at the enormous dent it would put into my travel fund. Most people are on a budget to one extent or another and it seems foolish to buy travel at a premium when you can visit the same destination at another time for half the price or less. If your funds are restricted, Christmas trips may not be a sensible choice.
Family and Friends
If I did decide to go away at Christmas it is unlikely that many of my friends and family could afford to travel with me which would probably mean upsetting someone! I know that everyone has to lead their own lives and no one can be a slave to others every Christmas but I always feel guilty just thinking about a festive holiday! I am sure I am not alone in this and suspect that this issue may be a big reason why many people stay at home.
Days Off
Any frequent traveller with a job will be well used to the annual balancing act of trying to make their holiday entitlement stretch to cover the trips they wish to make. You could argue that a Christmas holiday is a good idea in this regard because your travels will span several public holidays saving you a few of those valuable days. In my case, however, I always have so many plans that squeezing in another holiday is always difficult and with the inflated prices I inevitably end up thinking I would be better to reserve my precious days for more cost effective travels.
Compromise
Sadly I usually end up spending Christmas in suburban England going through the motions of displaying my Christmas cards and decorating my 6ft festive spruce without any enthusiasm! This year, however I think I have found a great compromise. I have booked a skiing trip departing on the 27 December. I can keep the family happy by being around at Christmas and the festive premium on the cost isn’t quite as savage. I still get the advantage of travelling over a public holiday and I have something lovely to look forward to whilst I am labouring through my turkey dinner!
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Article by Sally Stacey