Never Again. Next Christmas we will go on holiday. Where to?

[MaggieFS]

I'm done with a "traditional Christmas".

Weeks of prep and then busting guts today so try and get everything just right to please a zillion requirements. I do get thanks but the dynamics of the family members have made it hard work and taken the shine off it. I can't think of a way not to invite everyone apart from to be on holiday.

I'm sad at the thought because DC are 5 and 3 and have just been so excited today. They've just hit the age where they understand the magic of Christmas. They also love all the family members being round, but they [fortunately] don't pick up on the grumbles and at atmosphere.

So it may not actually happen, but if I were to try and go away next Christmas, DH, DC and me. Where should we go that would be good for all of us?

If you are looking for somewhere cheaper than Caribbean then Spain, Portugal or Morocco always have cheap flights. We have gone away every year since the ds got older, we are currently in Portugal. It's Christmassy but without the over commercialization of it all. Old town Malaga and Lisbon are lovely at this time, and many restaurants are open.

@Random30 You would think wouldn't you, but every year I try and every year someone does something to interfere/intervene/ "help". It just doesn't work.

And it's ridiculous, because if said people would be happy with shop bought gravy/custard/stuffing and so on, it wouldn't work even be a thing, but that would spoil Christmas dinner to calamitous levels. I think the final star today was that I hadn't thought to heat the plates for Christmas pudding. As said, I'm done with it.

Unless you genuinely want to go on holiday and it's not just to avoid hosting then don't. Just have Christmas day at home with your DH and children and then see family another day- a buffet boxing day perhaps.

We spent one Xmas in South Africa, where I remember sitting at a table outside a restaurant on Xmas day watching giraffes, zebras and other wild life on the vast plains in the distant. It was truly amazing. Followed up with swimming in a rock lake.

I understand not everyone's into the idea of a cruise ship but Christmas is a great time to be on one. Absolutely everything taken care of for you, lovely festive atmosphere, activities for the kids. Oh and if you don't buy the WiFi package your family can't reach you

Dominican Republic - yay or nay?

We did Fuerteventura with my parents and sister and her then-partner a couple of years ago. Kids were 5 and 8. It was great. On Christmas day we got up, walked 30 minutes to the beach, had a swim, then had a roast chicken at the villa overlooking the sea which we shared with my parents. Sister and partner stayed in an apartment nearby, joined for some but not all meals and swims etc. It was super relaxed and easy and really took the pressure off as we could only do what we could do. Obvs only works if you like your family. Wouldn't work at all with DH's side, it would be worse than being at home. This year we're in the US as we moved here just before Xmas last year so we're on our own and it is bliss. Or it would be if I didn't have fecking covid.

I've spent Christmas in the lake district, cotswolds, Cape Town, cyprus, lanzorote, and scotland. I also went to Amsterdam but flew home xmas eve.
My favourites were Amsterdam and Cape Town.

I can imagine this is wonderful.

Currently in an upside down house (not sure what they’re supposed to be called) with views of Dartmoor, sat next to a wood burner after a very very relaxed Christmas Day with no one really having any expectations of the day. I highly recommend escaping. If you’re hosting and they don’t like the way you host then they can do it next year, you just won’t be present.

Id say nay. Id go Canaries over there.

Bless you OP. People can be such entitled wankers - especially your own family!
If you like travelling in general Christmas is one of the cheapest times for European destinations. Vienna, Cinque Terre, so many magical destinations!
When I was single (not from the UK) I used to spend every Christmas in a different European city and it was amazing, Quiet streets, I remember having a full 20 mins to stare at the Mona Lisa as I pleased nary a soul around me. The thought of going to Paris in summer fills me with dread.

Travel disruption aside it's often cheaper than the UK too. If you don't drive flights can be cheaper than the train but of course you need to factor in getting to the airport (train station too though).

Your kids are still young enough for you not to put the “tradition “ onto them . Take the pressure of their future too.
xmas isn’t what it use to be it’s all money money and for show .Then you have entitled family members .
Family holiday with the weather is canaries
places to be are India and Barbados ( I’ve been looking ) Book now with a deposit so you can’t change your mind and you have all year to pay .
Go for it make the change . Do adventure and life experiences instead of stress .

Have birthdays as a special day instead .

We have all family abroad but I refused to travel over Christmas. I don't fancy dragging presents around, be in a hotel or s/c appartment with no decoration and have to sort out food with a limite equipment or trying to find a decent restaurant (no way family would be able to host us all).

I think I would do a Christmas just you all and then go on the 26th for a week.

Look up Pitlochry if you like the idea of Xmas In the highlands .
A lot of places are shut for winter so would have to be somewhere still with some kind of buzz all
year unless you are going remote cottage and cooking for yourself.

Or
Aviemore the Macdonald group for Xmas breaks and ment to be great for new year.
The have it all for kids .

I'm in Cornwall and it has pissed down since we got here and misty. On the other hand the skies are blue where my sister lives in Scotland!

Go east ( less chance of rain ) not west .Snow In Aviemore just now .
Also further north and east. Colder but drier

I'm in Gran Canaria now, slightly chilly in the evenings but hot in the day time. Not one cloud in the sky.
At an all inclusive resort which has done a lot of things Christmas related.

I don't know what kind of budget you have in mind, but you might like something like this:

https://www.virginholidays.co.uk/destinations/caribbean/barbados/turtle-beach-by-elegant-hotels-browse

London… go full on tourist.. save up for shows and meals out.. decent hotel with a few bags of treats from the nearest m/s and a mini Christmas tree and battery lights….

What about telling family you are away whilst enjoying the peace at home?

Mexico is great at Christmas, but we’ve had good, self-catering Christmases in East Anglia (particularly Cambridge, Ely and Norwich); Northumberland; and the north Yorkshire coast - all east, so it’s less likely to rain.

If we stay in the Uk, then I imagine the accommodation would be SC, but I'd plan to eat out for main meals, especially Christmas dinner.

If abroad I'd look for AI. I've only ever done it once (pre-DC) but I'm looking for an easy life on this one, so that won't be trying to worry about cooking in a random Airbnb nor worry about the price of individual hotel meals.

Lapland. If not 2024 then 2025 when your kids will be 5 & 7, good ages for it.

We did Prague last year and booked Christmas Dinner on a boat cruise down the river. Lots of Christmas markets, Carol services, light displays, and everything was open on Christmas day. Quite a lot still open on Christmas eve too though thats their main celebration day. Took more planning than all inclusive but if you book restaurants etc in advance you don't have to cook. And the airbnb was super cheap and massive.