Holidays abroad over christmas

dubstepper

Just wondering what people's experience of going away over the christmas? I think it could change the feeling of christmas in that I like the snug downtime of it all. The idea of jumping on a plane just doesn't grab me. My wife is asking about a holiday around the Dec 28th this year. What are people's experiences? Does it change the festive feeling?

Loughc

@DvB has first hand experience of this only from last year. I'm like you @dubstepper I love the snug downtime of the holidays, I don't think I can see myself ever going abroad for Christmas unless it's absolutely necessary.

dubstepper

Yes from his posts I did notice @DvB was away. I would be annoyed if I lost Christmas, as I was spending my time getting ready for a break.

Also I would be landing back home to take down the tree 😥 Could be a killer

TRS30

At the minute with the kids being young and Santa believers I don't think I would want to head away at Christmas time. Maybe when they are older and doing their own thing a few days away in the sun might be nice.

Jc3112

We just booked canaries for 23rd to the 30th!!! Had an awful Christmas this year being pulled in different directions that I just said enough. Still one believer here but he’s 11 so not sure how that will play out this year

DvB

This is quite fresh in my memory & despite having a great holiday freely admit I'd never plan to do it again over Christmas. I'd never before spent a Christmas away from home and was a tad skeptical how last year would go what with us travelling and being away for the entire business end of the season, especially given the level of importance I place on Christmas.

Anyway, despite having a normal enough build up, i.e. we fully decorated, listened to Christmas FM, did dinner out with my family, did gifts with the kids etc. it just ultimately felt like we had no Christmas without the focal point of the key days & what we would traditionally do on them.

Coming back on the 5th to have the decorations up for a couple of days (after a sun holiday) felt weird & forced if I'm honest and taking them all down on Jan 7th was a chore unlike any other year as we more or less felt like we'd not gotten our moneys worth out of them for Christmas 2022.

We had a great holiday, and I'm glad I did it once to be able to form the experience of Christmas away in sunnier climes but we both agreed we'd prefer to have a normal home based Christmas in future with all the family part of it.

So on that note, I will be gumming for Christmas this year... can see the cravings being larger than normal!!!

dubstepper

Thanks @DvB. When did you fly out? Did you spend Christmas day away? Herself is suggesting later in December, so we would have a few days in Ireland first.

@Jc3112 that is going to be a very different Christmas over in the Canaries. Not sure I would want to go a day or two out but at least you wont have any stresses :)

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275670#Comment_120275670

We flew out on Christmas Eve, early, very early!

Jude13

We have done it a little different as we go away before Christmas most years, then come back about the 20th to chill at home for the week or two, though I usually work over Christmas. It means we get the best of both worlds, nice sun holiday and then Christmas with family.

TRS30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278100#Comment_120278100

If I was thinking of going away I would probably do something similar however go after Christmas around first week of January. Is just hard with the kids still being in school and wanting to get them back into routine after Christmas.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278100#Comment_120278100

Have done that myself, went to Lanzarote for a week before Christmas with a group of friends. Came back about 3 or 4 days before Christmas. It was before the Mrs & kids came along though when Christmas was a lot less of an event for me so didn't impact me in the same way. Again, not sure I'd be into it now, I love the last couple of weeks before Christmas (even if work is doing its best to ruin it) and would prefer not to risk it.

Did skiing trips a few days after christmas before the kids came along & they were good craic as the locations lent themselves to being christmassy anyway.

Think we'll be sticking to tradition for now though and will leave our holidays to the summer months, with a break in Ireland for the October bank holiday weekend.

dubstepper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278100#Comment_120278100

I think that would be the best of both worlds. You get the holiday away, the week lead up and the christmas at home. Not an option for us until the kids are older.

Jude13

@DvB we are looking at skiing before Christmas this year, still doing Christmas at home.

@dubstepper it works for us as we usually have family visit from around the 20th Dec until well into the new year so we head off for about 5 days and land back home a day or two before the family/in laws arrive.

One year we left just after Christmas and did new years away. That was pretty nice too, though I prefer before Christmas so you've something to look forward to after the holiday.

DvB

Have to say it was a real headmelt coming back from a sun holiday to taking down christmas decorations & facing into a long & dreary January!

dubstepper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279003#Comment_120279003

Yeah I would imagine that is a double dose of jan blues.

Jude13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279003#Comment_120279003

Agreed, we had that the year we went away after Christmas. The weeks before are far better, also cheaper due to avoiding NY eve.

iniscealtra

Have done it twice now. We went for two weeks this year. Left the 23rd and came back two weeks later. Don’t have kids and wanted a chilled Christmas. We live near a lot of OH’s family ) and then there would be my family to visit. Plus other halves brother was home from Australia for 7 weeks. It would have been mayhem being dragged between pillar and post as they say. Had a lovely Christmas, place we went was decorated, longer days, near the snow, dry weather. OH went snowboarding. I visited a friend & enjoyed each others company.

Came back, saw OH’s family & brother but not constantly, visited my family for a weekend a few weeks later. No panic. Actually got a break that we really needed. Came back to slightly longer days. Totally recommend it.

Have also gone for a week post Christmas but didn’t feel i got the time to relax in a week.