Does it seem obscenely early to start thinking about Christmas and new year?
It’s not. In fact, many destinations are already sold out. Happily, it’s not
yet too late to find a perfect alternative to family friction and The Great
Escape on telly. We’ve tracked down wonderful holidays in magical locations
– whether you want a roaring fire with the snow piled up high outside, or to
be dancing the night away on a tropical beach. Just don’t wait too much
longer before booking.
Unless otherwise stated, flights are from London. Contact the operator for
details of regional departures
SKIING IN LA CLUSAZ
If you’re planning to go skiing over Christmas, you really ought to do it in a
traditional resort with plenty of atmosphere and a good snow record. La
Clusaz, in Haute-Savoie, France, not only ticks those two boxes, it also
lays on a remarkable feast of Christmas celebrations – the Pestacles du Père
Noël – which is now in its 10th year.
Good for Christmas? Between December 24 and 31 you’ll find circus
workshops, street entertainers, storytelling sessions and firework displays
– not forgetting Santa in his grotto. 5/5
Good for new year? The bars are open and the beer taps flowing. What
more could you want? 4/5
How to get there: a week’s half-board at the Hotel Alpen Roc, in the
centre of the village, departing on December 22, costs £839 (children £746)
with Crystal Ski (0871 231 2256, www.crystalski.co.uk).
The December 29 departure costs £984 (children £854).
CULTURE IN ST PETERSBURG
Wrap up warm and head for the cultural capital of Russia and one of the
world’s most romantic cities. Built on 44 islands, St Petersburg is laced
with rivers and canals, all of which freeze over in winter. A blanket of
snow covers the skyline of cathedrals and museums. Ice-skate in Kirov Park,
see a ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre and spend hours wandering the
galleries of the Hermitage Museum, gasping at the collection of art
treasures.
Good for Christmas? The Russian Orthodox Church doesn’t celebrate
Christmas until January 7, so most shops and public buildings remain open
through December. Handy if you want to visit museums. 3/5
Good for new year? The New Year’s Eve Ball is the highlight of the St
Petersburg Winter Festival (www.artsquarewinterfest.ru/en),
which runs from December 28 to January 7 and features ballet, classical
music and Christmas concerts. 4/5
How to get there: five nights, B&B, over Christmas, at the
five-star Hotel Astoria in St Isaac’s Square, cost from £850 with Original
Travel (020 7978 7333, www.originaltravel.co.uk).
Four nights over new year cost from £743.
LAKE CONSTANCE BY TRAIN
For olde worlde charm, head to the historic Bavarian town of Lindau, on an
island in Lake Constance. Cruise through the streets on a horse-drawn
carriage, gaze up at the snowy Alps, and at midnight on New Year’s Eve watch
a spectacular firework display over the lake. You can fly to Lindau, but the
most romantic way to get there is by train, first class all the way from St
Pancras.
Good for Christmas? Quaint and sleepy, Lindau offers a genteel
alternative to the festivities at home. 3/5
Good for new year? Take a guided tour with the town messenger before
sitting back to enjoy the fireworks. 4/5
How to get there: Great Rail Journeys (01904 521980, www.greatrail.com)
has a sevennight trip that includes four nights, B&B, at the five-star
Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Lindau, first-class train travel, overnight stays
in Cologne and Basle, and an opera or theatre performance at St Gallen (on
the new year trip). It costs £1,250 over Christmas, and £1,275 over new
year, both with gala dinners.
GO TO CHURCH IN GOA
Christmas and new year are the busiest – and most expensive – times to visit
Goa, but with good reason. The weather is perfect, with sunny skies and
gentle sea breezes. The easy-going Goans celebrate Christmas with charm, and
new year with boozy gusto.
Good for Christmas? Most tourists confine themselves to the beaches –
where parties are guaranteed – but it’s worth wandering into a local village
to attend midnight mass. You’ll be overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome
and might find yourself invited to stay on for a tea party. 5/5
Good for new year? Amid the frenzied celebrations you’ll find allnight
parties with international DJs, and small gatherings of locals setting off
fireworks and burning effigies of Father Time on beach bonfires. 5/5
How to get there: a week, B&B, at the four-star Club Mahindra, in
the village of Varca, costs from £1,759, departing on December 21 or 28,
with Goaway (020 7258 7800, www.goaway.co.uk).
Children under 12 £826, under5s £770.
PAY HOMAGE IN ROME
Thousands descend on Rome at Christmas – not just for the traditional markets
in Piazza Navona, but to hear the Pope give his Christmas message to the
crowds in Piazza San Pietro. A visit to the Vatican for midnight mass can be
an emotional experience, but it’s not the only show in town.
Many of the city’s historic churches have splendid nativity scenes and
celebrate midnight mass in style.
Good for Christmas? A great place to be reminded of its true meaning –
and explore the Eternal City when temperatures are mild and there are fewer
tourists. 4/5
Good for new year? Head for the Piazza del Popolo, where a free party
is held on New Year’s Eve, with rock and classical music and fireworks, and
dancing into the night. Next day, children’s entertainers fill the square. 4/5
How to get there: three nights, B&B, at the four-star Hotel
Nazionale cost from £335 including flights on December 23, or £289 departing
December 29, with Citalia (0870 909 7554, www.citalia.com).
COOL OFF IN SWEDEN
Want a guaranteed white Christmas? Head 100 miles inside the Arctic Circle to
the village of Jukkasjarvi, where each year a hotel is carved out of snow
and ice. Most guests at the Icehotel spend one night sleeping on a slab of
ice – wrapped in thick sleeping bags and reindeer skins – and two in a
conventional hotel room. There is also an ice bar and, for the first time
this winter, direct flights from Heathrow.
Good for Christmas? The hotel puts on a carol concert, and there’s a
visit from Santa. 3/5
Good for new year? Even if the northern lights don’t appear, there will
be fireworks, a slap-up dinner and plenty of chilled vodka to keep you going
past midnight. 4/5
How to get there: four nights, B&B, including one night in an ice
room, cost £998 departing on December 22, or £955 departing on December 29,
with Discover the World (01737 218800, www.discover-the-world.co.uk/icehotel).
NEW YEAR, SWISS STYLE
In Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, quiet valleys are dotted with picture-book
villages, such as Kandersteg, where you can skate on the ice rink, take a
ride on a horse-drawn sleigh and snuggle up in front of a roaring fire. In
accordance with local tradition, groups of villagers wearing animal skins
roam the streets on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, rattling chains and
ringing bells. It’s to ward off evil spirits, they say.
Good for Christmas? Perfect, if you don’t mind a bit of bell-ringing.
Stay at the oldest hotel in the village, the three-star Hotel Victoria,
which lays on a gala dinner on Christmas Eve, a sleigh ride, a torchlit
stroll and a visit from Santa. 4/5
Good for new year? Kanderstag isn’t party central, but you can knock
back glasses of schnapps in the bar and join in thigh-slapping singsongs
with local farm folk. 3/5
How to get there: five nights, half-board, at the Hotel Victoria cost
£795 over Christmas, including flights, with Inntravel (01653 617906, www.inntravel.co.uk).
A week over new year costs £969.
FIREWORKS IN MADEIRA
It may have a reputation for bridge drives and bingo nights, but on New Year’s
Eve, Madeira kicks off its carpet slippers and parties. Last year’s
fireworks display was, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the
world’s biggest, with more than 600,000 detonations lasting eight minutes.
This year’s celebrations in the capital, Funchal, will be even noisier,
organisers claim.
Good for Christmas? The season is celebrated with religious fervour.
Funchal’s seafront is decorated with 250,000 coloured lights and there is a
life-size crib in the town centre. A programme of cultural and artistic
events runs through until Twelfth Night. 4/5
Good for new year? The bay of Funchal is shaped like an amphitheatre,
so no matter where you are, you’ll have a superb view of the fireworks at
midnight. 5/5
How to get there: a week, B&B, at the five-star Savoy in Funchal
costs £1,030 departing on December 17, or £1,331 departing on December 28,
with Cadogan (0845 615 6793, www.cadoganholidays.com).
BEACH PARTY IN RIO
There are no half-measures when it comes to partying in Rio. On New Year’s Eve
about 2m people – including 300,000 foreign tourists – pile down to
Copacabana beach to see in the new year. Everybody dresses in white; most
dance until dawn.
Good for Christmas? The weather is superb – this is the middle of
summer – and the beaches are packed. On the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, near
Copacabana, there is a floating Christmas tree as high as a 27-storey
building and illuminated by 3m bulbs. 4/5
Good for new year? The beach party, known as Reveillon, is free, with
live performances by some of Brazil’s best rock and samba groups. 5/5
How to get there: six nights, B&B, at the Rio Internacional on
Copacabana beach, departing on December 23, cost from £2,100 with Scott Dunn
(020 8682 5030, www.scottdunn.co.uk).
Alternatively, learn to dance on a two-week trip with Jingando (020 8877
1630, www.jingandoholidays.com)
that includes a Christmas party on the beach, nightclub excursions and a
total of 18 hours of samba lessons. It costs from £2,200, including B&B.
INDULGE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Snow might be in short supply, but Richard Branson is promising a magical
experience at Ulusaba, his private game reserve. A local choir will sing
carols around the tree on Christmas Eve, and traditional African dishes,
including sosatie and bobotie, will be served at a New Year’s Eve feast.
Good for Christmas? Not for traditionalists, but there are
compensations. On Christmas Day, you’ll be taken to a secret location in the
bush for a slap-up lunch. 4/5
Good for new year? Local artists will kick off the celebrations with
traditional African songs. Guests will gather in the Ulusaba observatory at
midnight to observe a near-moonless sky. Next day, there is a champagne
brunch in the bush. 4/5
How to get there: five nights, all-inclusive, cost from £2,962 with
Virgin Holidays (0871 222 0307, www.virgin.com/limitededition).
LUXURY IN CARCASSONNE
On a hilltop in southwest France sits Carcassonne, the largest medieval
citadel in Europe. Built into its heavy stone walls is the sumptuous Hôtel
de la Cité. It’s a place to dress up smartly, indulge in fine food and wine,
and wander the narrow, atmospheric streets.
Good for Christmas? Don’t lift a finger. The hotel’s Christmas package
includes a gala dinner and a classical concert on Christmas Eve. 4/5
Good for new year? More indulgence beckons, plus a concert on December
30 at Carcassonne’s Basilica. 4/5
How to get there: the Hôtel de la Cité (00 33 4 68 71 98 71, www.hoteldelacite.com)
has a three-night package, arriving between December 22 and 25, from £935
for two people, including breakfast and a Christmas dinner. Over new year,
three nights cost from £1,232 for two. Flights aren’t included: Ryanair
(0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com) flies
to Carcassonne from Stansted, East Midlands, Liverpool and Dublin.
LOG CABINS IN LAPLAND
Head north to Finnish Lapland and chill out in a land of pine forests and
frozen lakes. There are plenty of activities – skiing, ice-fishing,
snowmobiling, tobogganing, dog-sledding – plus you can visit Santa’s home
before he boards his sleigh.
Good for Christmas? There’s guaranteed snow and the chance to explore a
real winter wonderland. 4/5
Good for new year? You’re more likely to see the northern lights than a
truckload of fireworks exploding. Cosy. 4/5
How to get there: one of the best places to stay is a log cabin with
private sauna and open fire in the grounds of the Hotel Yllasrinne, at
Yllasjarvi. Five nights, full-board, over new year cost £984, including
activities, with Cosmos (0871 622 4317, www.cosmoslapland.co.uk).
Over Christmas, four nights, B&B, at the four-star Riekonlinna, in
Saariselka, cost £979, including activities, with Esprit (01252 618300, www.santaslapland.co.uk).
HIT THE STREETS OF BOSTON
The city of Boston erupts into life over the holiday period, with ice-skating
on Boston Common, fireworks displays and an all-day New Year’s Eve festival
of music, theatre and dance. The festival includes a Mardi Gras-style parade
and giant ice sculptures. Last year, more than 1.5m people showed up.
Good for Christmas? More than 300,000 lights adorn Faneuil Hall
Marketplace. And there’s a decent chance of snow. 3/5
Good for new year? The arts festival First Night is staged across 40
venues between 1pm and midnight. One £7.50 ticket gets you into all the
events, with under4s free. All events are alcohol-free, but the city’s bars
will be open. 4/5
How to get there: four nights, room-only, at the five-star Fairmont
Copley Plaza Hotel, with flights on December 23 or 29, cost £745 with Bon
Voyage (0800 316 0194, www.bon-voyage.co.uk).
A CASTLE IN AUSTRIA
The gently rolling hills of Upper Austria are the setting for Schloss
Mühldorf, a 1,000-year-old castle that’s recently been converted into a
charming family-run hotel. There’s plenty to keep you busy here: you can
take a river cruise on the Danube, ride in a horse-drawn carriage or join a
torchlit tour of the castle grounds. Nearby is the village of Melk, which
has a Christmas market that runs until December 24.
Good for Christmas? The Austrians celebrate Christmas on December 24
with a slap-up dinner, carols and presents. Very warm and traditional. 4/5
Good for new year? Bonfires, fireworks and plenty of wine from the
local vineyards. 3/5
How to get there: six nights, half-board, at Schloss Mühldorf, with
flights departing on December 22, cost £929, including five excursions and a
Christmas dinner, with Page & Moy (0800 043 0234, www.pageandmoy.com).
A trip departing on December 28, including gala dinner on New Year’s Eve,
costs £899.
BRIGHT LIGHTS OF NEW YORK
It may be tempting to treat New York as one big discount shopping mall –
particularly while the pound is so strong against the dollar – but there is
plenty more to keep you occupied over Christmas and new year, from
ice-skating at the Rockefeller Center to Christmas markets on Union Square.
Times Square is a thrilling place to see in the new year and – before you
dive into the shops – check out the spectacular window displays at
department stores such as Macy’s, Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth
Avenue.
Good for Christmas? Lots of atmosphere, although be prepared for
queues. 3/5
Good for new year? The party on Times Square is world-renowned as the
crowd counts down to the moment when the Times Square ball drops at the
stroke of midnight. 4/5
How to get there: flight availability is good. Airline Network (0871
700 1777, www.airlinenetwork.co.uk)
has Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow on December 28, returning on January 1,
for £406. Stay at the Royalton from £190, room-only, with Luxury Explorer
(020 8398 9133, www.luxuryexplorer.com).
Or book a package: three nights, room-only, at the Barclay InterContinental,
departing on December 23, cost from £659 with Continental Airlines Vacations
(0844 557 1010, www.covacations.co.uk).
