Wondering how to sell the most wonderful time of the year? Alice Barnes-Brown highlights some fun-filled getaways for your clients’ Christmas lists
A festive trip away can make your client’s Christmas one to remember. Whether it’s seeking off-season sunshine in the Caribbean or Catalonia, bagging the best gifts at Europe’s prettiest festive markets or a cosy Christmas away with close family, the benefits of a holiday getaway simply sell themselves. Some clients may already be booking for 2024, while Google Flights revealed that the cheapest time to book flights for the Christmas break this year falls around mid-October.
With prices remaining low for the rest of the month, there’s still time for agents to offer great deals to their clients. A huge array of itineraries exists to suit all tastes and budgets. Perhaps your clients are a group of friends jetting off for a New Year’s Eve party in a lively city, or a family searching for a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to Lapland. Whoever your client is, there’s a festive trip out there for them.
Pre-Christmas breaks
1. Christmas markets in three cities
Leger’s five-day no-fly coach holiday lets clients shop till they drop at three of Europe’s quirkiest Christmas markets. Departing from a range of points across the UK, clients will first find themselves among the frosted roofs of Aachen Christmas market, Germany, where spiced spekulatius cookies are served with mugs of glühwein under the eaves of the city’s cathedral.
Next, it’s on to Valkenburg in the Netherlands, where subterranean festive chalets are set up in a Roman mining cave. The real headliner, though, is the trip to Cologne’s multitude of Christmas markets – there’s the elf-themed Heinzels Winter Fairytale, the reindeer-packed Village of St Nicholas and the Rhine-side Harbour Christmas Market to explore.
Book it: Leger’s five-day Valkenburg, Aachen and Cologne Christmas Markets trip leads in at £779 per person, with departures throughout early December. The price includes breakfasts and three dinners.
leger.co.uk
2. Illuminated Amsterdam
Amsterdam glows with city lights all year, but it’s only during December that the canals and cobbled streets are adorned with illuminations dreamt up by talented international artists. This year’s Light Festival is topical; 20 super-sized installations will explore the wonders of artificial intelligence and digital tech. Clients can see the ‘Venice of the North’ in its glittery festive getup on the Amsterdam and Festival of Light Cruise offered by Just Go! Holidays, departing on December 8.
They’ll be gently guided around some of the major landmarks, such as the Royal Palace, before boarding a scenic canal cruise to see the lights switch on as the sun goes down. For a change of pace, clients can check out the traditional fishing village of Volkenburg the next day.
Book it: Prices start at £349, including coach and ferry travel, excursions and three nights’ B&B in a four-star hotel.
justgoholidays.com
3. Yuletide in Tallinn
The Baltics might not be the first place clients consider for a Christmas break, but they offer just as much festive joy with a fraction of the crowds. On The Go’s new Christmas Markets in Tallinn tour means guests can explore the walled capital of Estonia in style; they’ll visit the turreted Toompea Castle, navigate intricate medieval streets with a guide, and sip hot cups of herbal tea while browsing the city’s Town Hall Square market – it’s said the very first Christmas tree was put up here in 1441. In the evening, clients can drop their bags and don their glad rags for a ballet or opera at the Estonia theatre.
Book it: The four-day trip starts at £305 per person (based on two sharing), departing December 7 or 14. Includes three nights in a hotel with breakfast, plus tours, transfers and tickets, but excludes flights and most meals.
onthegotours.com/uk
4. Transatlantic Christmas shopping
Sailing on the timeless Queen Mary II to see New York City at the most wonderful time of the year – what a way to get the Christmas shopping done. Clients will board the world’s only ocean liner at Southampton, where they’ll get the rare opportunity to see the ship’s interior decked out with giant trees and golden Christmas sparkle.
They’ll spend the next six days at sea, immersing themselves in the glamour of old-world transatlantic crossings, relaxing with breakfast in bed, enjoying festive-themed entertainment and curling up in the ship’s lounges with a book and glass of bubbly. It’s a great way to gear up for NYC – clients will need some rest before they hit Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s.
Book it: Prices start at £1,049 per person sharing, excluding return flights, departing December 15. The price includes meals and entertainment, but excludes drinks.
cunard.com
Christmas day getaways
5. Christmas in Catalonia
For a flight-free slice of sun over Christmas, try Shearings’ two-week trip to Costa Brava by coach. Based in the quiet resort of Calella on the shores of Costa Brava, this itinerary combines chilled-out Christmas fun with a sprinkle of cultural interest. On Christmas Eve, an excursion leads the group to Montserrat, a mountaintop monastery that’s just as spectacular inside as it is on the out.
Your clients then head back to base for a Christmas gala with their new-found friends, before spending Christmas Day and Boxing Day entirely how they choose – all they need to do for dinner is head down to the hotel restaurant. The next few days include day trips to Barcelona and Girona, before New Year’s Eve is welcomed in with a glass of local cava.
Book it: Christmas and New Year on the Spanish Coast, which departs on December 22, 2024, starts at £1,429, including 13 nights’ half-board.
shearings.com
6. Palatial Peak District
New for 2023, Newmarket Holidays’ Christmas in the Peak District trip, which departs on December 22, proves that magical Christmas getaways can be found on our doorstep. A Victorian spa hotel with landscaped grounds in picturesque Buxton serves as a festive residence for six days.
Customers will enjoy a day trip to Grade I-listed Chatsworth House, which looks astonishing in its Christmas finery – at night, the rear facade is lit up like a giant advent calendar. On Christmas Eve, an optional outing to Bakewell to taste its famed tarts is on offer, while on Christmas Day clients tuck into lunch with all the trimmings. They can blow the cobwebs away on a Boxing Day stroll through the Peak District National Park.
Book it: From £756 for five nights’ B&B, including excursions and some meals, but excluding transport to Buxton.
newmarketholidays.co.uk
7. Down the Danube
There’s nothing like celebrating Christmas on a calming river cruise, with a tree gracing the lounge, garlands wrapped around the stairs and the serenade of a classical quartet floating through the corridors. Riviera Travel’s Christmas on the Danube, looping from Budapest through Hungary and Austria, takes place on board the 169-capacity William Wordsworth. The first stop is Esztergom – one of Hungary’s oldest towns – for ice rinks and Christmas markets.
On Christmas Eve, guests wake up in spellbinding Bratislava. The cruise crosses into Austria on December 25, offering passengers the chance to wander around Melk’s baroque streets, before enjoying a gala dinner in the ship’s fine-dining restaurant. They’ll then visit the Danube’s two headliners: Vienna and Budapest.
Book it: The seven-night cruise leads in at £2,199 per person, including meals and flights from selected regional airports on December 22, 2024.
rivieratravel.co.uk
8. Scandi sailing
If hygge houses and starry-night trips to see the northern lights are on clients’ wish lists, Hurtigruten’s two-week Christmas Expedition Cruise from London to Arctic Norway is what to suggest. Christmas is celebrated with a cosy day on board, where passengers can soak in the spa and listen to enlightening talks about Christmas traditions, before tucking into a Christmas dinner with a twist – it’s inspired by the meal Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen ate on his way to the North Pole, on Christmas Day 1893, which included roasted reindeer and Arctic cloudberries with cream for dessert.
But on this cruise, it’s washed down with shots of strong akvavit. The cruise begins in earnest in Bergen, where clients disembark into a world of primary-coloured wooden wharfs. As the ship heads north, steep-sided fjords, fishing islands and expeditions into the ice are on the agenda – hopefully, instead of New Year’s Eve fireworks, they’ll see the breathtaking aurora borealis.
Book it: Prices lead in at £2,996, departing on December 23. The price includes all meals, excursions and activities, plus some drinks.
hurtigruten.co.uk
New year holidays
9. Wholesome Hogmanay
A welcome glass of buck’s fizz, a full Scottish breakfast every day and morning views across the misty waters of Loch Lomond: here’s to a serene kind of Hogmanay. Shearings offers a plethora of trips to Scotland’s sleepier spots to celebrate the New Year, but the Loch Lomond itinerary is particularly special: clients will visit the lively city of Glasgow on New Year’s Eve, where a fireside pint is always in order.
Back in Loch Lomond, guests can join in a communal chorus of Auld Lang Syne as the clock strikes midnight, before eating a big brunch and whiling away time by the loch on New Year’s Day.
Book it: Hogmanay on Loch Lomond and Glasgow, which departs on December 30, starts at £459 per person from a range of pick-up points, including three nights’ B&B and three dinners.
shearings.com
10. Fiesta season
If your clients love a New Year’s Eve shindig – but aren’t sure where to go – try this fabulous flight-free itinerary from Byway. Departing on December 29, clients board the Eurostar for a day’s journey to the southern French city of Nîmes, where well-preserved Roman architecture is lit up in red, gold and green.
Then, it’s on to Madrid for three nights of revelry in the Spanish capital. On New Year’s Eve, clients can join in with the local tradition of squeezing 12 grapes into their mouths as January 1 begins, before watching the fireworks and dancing until dawn. On the way home, a stop-off in Barcelona provides some beachside R&R.
Book it: The Nîmes, Madrid and Barcelona trip leads in at £1,255 over new year, including rail travel and B&B accommodation.
byway.travel
11. Party in Prague
The sight of sparkling fireworks dripping into the Vltava River is a marvel. Whether your clients are seeking a romantic riverside break or are keen to experience Prague’s party scene, the city delivers: jazz boat trips along the river and traditional dancing rank alongside nightclubs and pub crawls as the best things to do on New Year’s Eve. With easyJet holidays, agents can build a customised short break to suit any budget.
A stay in the Hotel International Prague, a Czech cultural monument, provides a taste of the Czech capital’s Soviet-era grandeur and is close to some stunning green spaces – perfect for when clients need a little peace on New Year’s Day.
Book it: EasyJet holidays offers four nights’ room-only at the four-star Hotel International Prague, for £724 per person, flying on December 30.
easyjetholidays.com
12. Last-minute Lapland
Few can resist the remote appeal of Lapland. Reindeers roam between the evergreen pines, their hooves sinking into the snow, while savvy snowshoers leave lighter tracks. The polar night – the 24-hour darkness that lasts from mid-December to the end of the month – means clients will maximise their chances of seeing the aurora borealis by travelling at this time of year too. Staying in the ski resort of Ylläs puts clients close to beginner-friendly slopes. On New Year’s Eve, locals ski down them wielding torches, before watching the fireworks over a frozen lake.
Book it: Inghams offers seven nights’ self-catering in the Äkäs Alp Apartments from £819 per person, based on two adults and two children sharing, including flights from Bristol on December 31.
inghams.co.uk
Ask the experts
Ashley Dellow, head of retail sales, Leger Shearings Group
“Following two Christmas seasons with Covid restrictions, demand for festive breaks is back to full strength. Last year, demand for our UK festive breaks, such as Turkey and Tinsel, was high, as people were still nervous about travelling abroad.
Now consumer confidence is back, European festive breaks have shown a big rise in demand, not just for this year but for 2024. Try encouraging clients to book early to secure their first-choice destination and dates.”
Richard Forde, head of trade sales, Newmarket Holidays
“For holidays over Christmas, show your client the value of a package by focusing on everything that’s included – not just the accommodation, but meals, activities, tours, attractions and whether there’s a tour manager to keep things running smoothly.
If big holidays are out of their budget, show them Christmas market breaks in the UK or Europe, which are shorter and more affordable. The gloriously decorated markets do a great job of getting people into the festive spirit.”
Tom Morgan, head of trade for UK and Ireland, Riviera Travel
“There are various ways to keep costs down without compromising on the holiday spirit. Avoid peak dates by travelling in early December, when it’s still festive, but less popular. Or choose a less-obvious destination, steering clear of the crowds and the premium price tag. River cruises are a cost-effective option and often include flights, meals, tours and visits to world-famous Christmas markets, as well as enticing extras – Riviera’s 2024 sailings come with a free superior drinks package.”
Mike James, product and operations director, Exodus
“There are many reasons why travellers want to be away over Christmas, but being with like-minded people has huge appeal. It’s a good time of year to travel to maximise annual leave, as people can take advantage of the bank holidays, and some companies closing over the festive period. The adventures we offer aren’t necessarily more expensive over Christmas, as we tend to avoid the hotels that include mandatory Christmas dinners or minimum-stay requirements.”
For something a little different…
❂ In-season Indonesia
Sailing through the karst limestone spires of Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands makes a change from snowy countryside, but the greens, blues and reds of this tropical paradise make for a colourful Christmas. SeaTrek’s small-ship sailings use traditional pinisi boats, with stops for swimming with wildlife and trekking through the jungle. On Christmas Day, there’s reef snorkelling, festive cocktails, a gift-giving event and a feast fit for a raja.
Book it: The nine-night trip leads in at £5,886, excluding flights, departing December 18. The price includes full-board accommodation and $150 bar credit.
seatrekbali.com
❂ Adventure skiing
Active travellers will adore this cross-country ski adventure from Exodus in the dramatic setting of the Italian Dolomites. Skiers of all levels will spend five days exploring the off-piste paths near Dobbiaco. In the middle of the itinerary, there’s a free day, so clients can enjoy some all-important rest and exploration time.
Book it: The itinerary starts at £1,799, including flights on December 14, 2024. The price also includes seven nights’ B&B, five dinners, equipment hire and the services of a guide.
exodus.co.uk
❂ Caribbean Christmas
The Christmas holidays can mean Christmas deals. At adult-only Calabash Cove in show-stopping Saint Lucia, couples can save 25% on their all-inclusive break if they travel between December 21 and January 5. Mornings in the in-room Jacuzzi, afternoons in the outdoor spa and seafood dinners – Christmas is lobster season in Saint Lucia, after all – are a sure-fire recipe for success.
Book it: Inspiring Travel offers seven nights’ all-inclusive at the Calabash Cove from £5,399, including flights, transfers and luggage.
inspiringtravel.co.uk
❂ Seeing-in safari
Newmarket Holidays’ New Year on Safari whisks clients to South Africa for safaris, stargazingand sunsets in the savannah. Clients can keep their eyes peeled for the big five – plus honey badgers and cheetahs – from the comfort of an open-top 4×4 vehicle. Bush walks and a visit to a conservation project add to the attractions, while New Year’s Eve is celebrated with sundowners.
Book it: Prices start at £3,321, flying on December 26, including seven nights’ full-board at the Mabula Game Lodge and five game drives.
newmarketholidays.co.uk
PICTURES: Shutterstock/Boris-B, Boris Stroujko, Pajor Pawel, Feel Good Studio; Jonathan Atkin; Tommy Simonsen; Pexels/Adriaan Greyling
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