How to Have an Affordable Christmas Vacation

For many families Christmas brings memories of home and hearth, yet more recently couples and families alike are going away for the holiday. There are many vacation retreats that specialize in traditional Christmas themed vacations which are great for families with children. Tropical Christmas vacations are extremely prevalent in the couples and or singles demographic and every year grow in popularity.

Plan Ahead

Begin your planning for your Christmas vacation months in advance. Set aside money every pay period in order to have an affordable Christmas Vacation, create a bank account for just that reason. Buy your tickets early and purchase as non-refundable to save money on air fare. If you are free to pick and choose dates than research different dates to find the best deal. Use online reservation systems to view all the options, whether non stop or one stop flights, even a layover can be fun if you put your mind to it. Also check with your credit card company’s if you have frequent flyer miles you could use for free airline travel.

Establish a Budget

Is your vacation your present to one another? If not, then set guidelines are spending aside from the vacation by limiting gift giving to a certain dollar amount or number of gifts. This will give you more money to spend on the vacation and each other during that time. Ship your gifts to each other to the hotel prior to your arrival this will give you more room in your luggage and limit the over weight fee that airlines charge.

Transportation and Food Costs

Limit your spending on travel expenses by using the transportation provided by your hotel, often you can use a shuttle across town and save yourself the cab fare. Eat in smaller cafés and off the beaten path restaurants, talk to the concierge at the hotel and ask about smaller places that he/ she might recommend. You might be pleasantly surprised at the quality of food at the ‘local’ restaurants instead of the more expensive hotel cuisine.

Entertainment Choices on Vacation

If your ideal Christmas vacation getaway is a tropical island retreat, spend time on the beach. It’s free and the views are spectacular. On the other hand if your Christmas vacation is at a Christmas Celebration themed park or location, check ahead of time for pre-purchase of tickets to an event. Most hotels will offer transportation, meals and tickets to an event as a bundle.

If the savings is small at least it is bundled and one less thing to worry about that evening. With small children, Santa Claus is the hero of the holiday, write a letter from Santa and have the hotel staff deliver to their beds, along with a special gift while you are all out. This will be an experience the whole family will remember and enjoy for years to come.