If you’re traveling with family over the holidays it can be stressful. If you’re traveling with family any time of the year it can be stressful, let alone the holidays. But if you know what questions to ask and make sure to do a little planning ahead of time, you’ll enjoy a much more relaxing travel experience. If you’re planning on taking a family vacation over the Christmas holiday, read on for some advice that’s guaranteed to make your trip that much better.
“Deck the halls…”
If you’re traveling with young kids, chances are you’ll want to make sure you’re staying somewhere festive. When you’re searching for the perfect vacation rental, inquire about Christmas decorations. Many places go all out with holiday decorations and you might just find yourself staying somewhere even more decked out than your own home. On the flip side, some vacation rental home owners don’t even string up a strand of lights. Check first to avoid disappointment.
“Children’s eyes are wide to see Santa’s presents ‘neath the tree.”
Plan to open presents ahead of time if possible. If you do that, you don’t have to pack a car load full of presents and luggage. I get it. If you’re traveling with small children of course they’re going to want to open presents from Santa on Christmas morning. If you can, have them open some of their bigger items ahead of time and pack the easier-to-transport gifts for Christmas morning. Or leave your bigger items at home for a sweet surprise that Santa must have delivered at home while you were traveling. The kids will feel like they get an extra special treat.
“The more the merrier!”
Just because you’re taking a Christmas vacation doesn’t mean that you have to skip out on visiting family. Consider coordinating travel and plan a day or two to meet up on your vacation with other family members. You get the best of both worlds right? You’re on vacation, you get our own space, and you get to see family all at the same time. Plus, depending on where you’re traveling to, chances are there are some festive Christmas activities going on that will be fun for everyone, including the kids.
“Oh bring us some figgy pudding…”
Plan to cook a little. Even though you’re on vacation, it can still be nice to make a few homemade Christmas staples. Even if it’s just a simple batch of cookies, it can feel really festive to make time to carry on some holiday cooking traditions. Consider making a gingerbread house, or even whipping up a homemade batch of hot cocoa. Parents, please check out this amazing hot cocoa recipe that I featured on our other blog for The Horton Hotel. You may even want to make a few of our holiday appetizer recipes, too.
“Rockin’ around the Christmas tree…”
If you can’t tell from all of my headers, I love Christmas music. Nothing is more festive than Christmas music. So don’t forget your bluetooth speaker. Or at least double check with the owners of your vacation rental to make sure they have one. I’m sure there will be more than one occasion where you’d like to set the mood right with some tunes.
I hope you enjoyed our advice for taking a family vacation over the Christmas holiday. If you are planning on traveling, travel safe! Want more general holiday travel tips? Consider checking out this blog post! Don’t forget to consider traveling to western NC for a special holiday vacation, too.
