Ideas for between Christmas & New Year

[RoseberryT]

Both myself and DH are British but DC born overseas where we lived for many years. We’ve lived in England for a couple of years now and find the bit between Christmas and New Year an absolute let down. DC are 10 & 12. Ideas please. Happy to travel for a few nights but Edinburgh and London seem expensive - are they worth it at Christmas? Anything else we should book or try and do. Anywhere we should think about going for a couple of nights? Thanks in advance!

Last year we went away at that time but went to Derbyshire and did Chatsworth and a few nice places round there. Chatsworth do a great event with the house all done up for Christmas and a light trial in the gardens and farm etc.

We've done something similar at Castle Howard before too. I think a few of the big stately homes around the country do.

If you like pantomime book it for this lull between Xmas and new year.

Have you tried Butlins? Lots of cheap family fun!

Lots of hotels offer Twixmas breaks to keep the hotels filled between Christmas and New Year.

You can get two or three nights that include breakfast and dinner.

They vary from cheap and cheerful (Britannia Hotels) to more upmarket stays all over the UK.

Following, I found the time between Christmas and New year a real let down last year, we're thinking about a couple of nights away to break it up

We always go away for three or four nights and I agree about hotel prices being lower.

I've yet to find the perfect post-Christmas location but maybe others can suggest somewhere

Despite not finding a perfect place, we still thoroughly enjoy it and NO cooking!!

What did they do where you lived before?

Although, maybe not Britannia which has maintained its proud position of 11th worst hotel chain - again

We're going to Gdansk for this very reason. The flights prices suddenly dropped to approx £35 each way per person and so I pounced last week, I had been monitoring them for weeks/months. It will be freezing but just visiting somewhere different revives me. Last year we went to Madrid at the same time of year for the same kind of price. I don't imagine you'd get a bargain to somewhere that's going to be warm or somewhere you can ski, but if you into sightseeing there may be bargains to be had.

We lived in Dubai and despite being Muslim, Christmas has become a big event over the years. As long as the religious aspect isn't involved, Christmas trees, present giving, snow and Santa is very well celebrated. So much going on all over and no need to really prebook. Its also usually one of the best times of the year weather wise too so it didn't need much thinking and was a fabulous time.

The last 2 years I've tried to find things and have struggled. Anything decent is also booked up months in advance here which has thrown me.

I think I'll have a look for a few nights away somewhere and even try and get a panto booked!

I'm saving a few things I'd normally do before Christmas for in between. They are a trip to a light show trail thing, not booked but there's loads round us. A trip to our local living museum which will be all Christmassy.

Other things I might do are an afternoon tea, cinema, pottery painting and theatre. At home stuff like craft and jigsaws.