Blog

Looking for the pros and cons of travelling over the Christmas holidays?

Christmas is a time to get together with the whole family. A time to eat too much food, drink too much and play lots and lots of board games…… or is it?

As a family we made the decision to forgo all that tradition and swapped one special day for eleven amazing days! We were excited to see for ourselves the pros and cons of travelling over the Christmas holidays.

We ditched the stress of the season and the Great British winter and opted for Christmas in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.

Have you been thinking the same thing?

Here is our totally honest list of pros and cons when travelling abroad over Christmas.

Pros

Takes away the pressure 

A surprisingly pleasant thing about going away over Christmas is that it takes away the the sometimes tricky and ‘political’ decision making process that often needs to happen at Christmas. Particularly the Whose house? What family? On which day? questions. It’s not a big thing, but it was nice not to have to think about it.

Good weather – pros and cons travelling over Christmas

Some people think that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas unless it’s sufficiently cold outside and you can snuggle up at home under a blanket with the heating on watching Home Alone while gorging on a tub of yummy Celebrations.

Well, as it happens, apparently i’m not one of those people.

Christmas was the perfect time to travel abroad to enjoy some winter sun!

The weather in the Canaries was perfect in December and much better than we expected. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day were all spent on the beach. There was not one complaint made from any of us about being in our swimmers and shorts in December.

Package Holiday – pros and cons travelling over Christmas

Which means no cooking or cleaning! We went for a half-board option on this particular trip and I must admit it was lovely not having to worry about cooking and cleaning up.

No Big Christmas Shopping Bill

Because we were not hosting anyone or spending any time at home over the Christmas period, we didn’t do any big Christmas shopping.

We didn’t buy copious amounts of chocolate that you feel you have to eat just to get rid of and no expensive drinks or food. Good for the wallet and the waistline!

Simpler Christmas

I don’t know about you, but I find the kids get so spoilt at Christmas.

We spend days opening presents from under the tree just to allow the kids some time to play with the presents they have already opened. Otherwise, I find they get totally overwhelmed (and so do I) and gifts start to get left and put to the side as there is just so much choice!

When we decided to have a go at travelling abroad over Christmas we made the decision to take a very small amount of presents with us.

On Christmas morning the kids had their stockings from Santa, a gift from us and a gift from each other. They thought it was the best thing ever! Then to top it off, the toys that they received while we were away were played with. Every. Single. Day.

It was perfect!

Another Holiday

Another chance to get out and see the world. There’s never anything wrong with that!  

New experiences – pros and cons travelling over Christmas

Travelling abroad over Christmas gave us and the kids the chance to experience how another country celebrated Christmas and the traditions they follow.

We tried to do a mix of our own traditions and some new things to celebrate being abroad over the holiday season. That was just as exciting for us as it was for the kids, and I really enjoyed that aspect of being somewhere different.

Cons

Cost

We were lucky as we managed to get our holiday a little cheaper as the industry was still trying to recover from Covid. However, Christmas getaways can be pricey, especially ski holidays and the like.

We travel within our limits and book holidays we can afford. This might mean we are priced out of certain holidays at certain times of the year. (Unless we find a good deal and we are always on the lookout for a good deal!)

Present Limit

What we view as a pro, I can see might also be seen as a definite con.

I found the idea of limiting presents a good idea. A nice way to get the kids to focus on what they already have and (most importantly) being somewhere different.

However, if having lots of presents is a big part of your Christmas traditions, then you may want to squeeze in another suitcase!

Limiting gifts can also mean you don’t get that Christmas morning ‘wow’ when the kids see all the gifts under the Christmas tree. This was something I thought the kids (and I) would both miss. However, on the other-hand, I found I spent more time making the gifts I did buy for the kids really thoughtful.

These festival face stickers (click here) went down a treat with my 7 year old and the boys always love some Hot Wheels!

Christmas Traditions – pros and cons travelling over Christmas

Due to travelling abroad over Christmas you might find family traditions fall by the wayside, especially if certain members of your family aren’t travelling with you. However, it could also be seen as a great chance to make some brand new Christmas traditions too! 

Being Away from Family – pros and cons travelling over Christmas

Of all the cons this might be the hardest for some when thinking about travelling abroad over Christmas.

Unless you can persuade them to go with you of course. Then you have the best of both worlds!

Pin it for Later!

Looking for holiday inspiration?