How long is the Christmas Holiday 2022, where to go, what to do?
The Christmas period is an excellent opportunity to plan a trip to the seaside, to fairy-tale mountain destinations or to travel to the Christmas markets.
How long is the Christmas holiday? If you take a few days off around Christmas Eve, you will have more or less a week's holiday between Christmas and New Year's Eve, or, with an additional four days off between New Year's Eve and Epiphany, the number of days available becomes 16.
By booking well in advance you will be able to find great deals to save on airline tickets and accommodation, or by keeping an eye out for last minute offers, you can take advantage of cheap flight + hotel packages.
Christmas holidays 2022
Christmas markets
Budapest
Morocco
Alsace
Prague
London
Lapland
Christmas in the Snow
New York
Grazzano Visconti
Christmas by the sea
Maldives
Zanzibar
Portugal
Christmas holidays 2022, how long do they last?
The Christmas holidays 2022, for the lucky ones, start on 24 December and continue until 8 January 2023.
Workers who want to take advantage of the Christmas holidays to travel will have to "use" a few days off to extend their days off work until 8 January: they will need 8 days off to enjoy 16 days of holiday.
Christmas Vacation 2022 School
What is the timetable for the school Christmas holidays? The Christmas school holidays will last about two weeks, throughout Italy people will return to their desks after the Epiphany weekend, on 9 January 2023.
Some regions have set the start of the holidays at 23 December: these include Puglia, Molise, Calabria, Campania, Trentino, Liguria, Sicily, Piedmont, Lazio and Sardinia.
Christmas holidays Destinations
What are the best destinations in Europe? Here is our selection
Rovaniemi, Lapland
Tallinn, Estonia
Prague, Czech Republic
Budapest, Hungary
Strasbourg, France
Dolomites
Lofoten Islands, Norway
Zurich, Switzerland
Bruges, Belgium
Reykjavík, Iceland
Christmas 2022
Those who love the atmosphere of Christmas should definitely travel to destinations where Christmas traditions are more deeply rooted and the snow-covered villages look like something out of a Christmas story.
On the other hand, those who want to escape the festivities can take refuge in the warmth, perhaps on an island, or travel to destinations such as Morocco where Christmas is not celebrated: here is a list of destinations where Christmas is not celebrated.
The questionis 'Where to travel at Christmas'? You are spoilt for choice.
There are Christmas markets, historic cities, spas and thermal baths where you can relax, small villages where time seems to stand still, mountain resorts where you can celebrate New Year's Eve at high altitude, and then there are the destinations for a trip to the warmth.
Christmas holidays by the sea 2022
Maldives
Barbados
Dominican Republic
Thailand
Cape Town
Riviera Maya
Key West
Montego Bay
Coron
Cape Verde
READ ALSO: BRIDGES 2023
Christmas holidays 2022: what to do and where to go
Below we have selected the best destinations to go to over Christmas 2022, while here you will find a guide to cheap destinations for 2023 that you might find useful when choosing the perfect destination for a trip between Christmas and New Year.
Christmas markets
One of the most beautiful destinations for Christmas isAlsace where the whitewashed villages look like something out of a Christmas story( find a guide to the region's most beautiful Christmas marketshere ).
If Alsace and Germany are the places where Christmas markets are at their best, they are certainly not the only ones. In the Netherlands, there is a Christmas market housed in an atmospheric cave system and a floating Christmas market: the Leiden Christmas market.
You can choose the Christmas markets of Prague or Vienna or choose one of the German cities with the oldest and largest Christmas markets in the world.
Italy also has its beautiful markets. There are for all tastes, from the historical ones in South Tyrol to the original ones in Tuscany and Campania. The Limatola Castle Christmas market is one of our favourites.
Budapest
Budapest is one of the most convenient destinations for travelling between Christmas and New Year: it's relatively cheap, it's beautiful 'dressed in white' and it's full of things to do. Don't miss a visit to the Christmas markets and pop into a pub in the ruins of the city. Here you will find a useful guide to Budapest's thermal baths, which are very popular during the harsh Hungarian winter.
Morocco
If you want to get away from the festivities, Morocco is the closest destination to Italy and has the advantage of being cheap too. Visit the small villages, stop in Marrakech and don't miss a visit to Chefchaouen, the blue city of Morocco.
London
Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street are home to some of London's most beautiful Christmas illuminations, but they are not the only ones. The lights on Carnaby Street are world famous, as are those on South Molton Street and Duke of York Square. Twinkling lights and illuminated trees also line the South Bank. The city's most beautiful Christmas trees are the one in Covent Garden, the giant one in Trafalgar Square and the spectacular spruce tree at Claridge's Hotel Mayfair.
Lapland
Lapland, where Santa's House is officially located, is a perfect destination to get into the Christmas spirit and, why not, visit somewhere new, maybe even go on a Northern Lights hunt. Here you will find all the info and tips on how to see thenorthern lights.
Christmas in the snow
Among the destinations where you can save money on a trip to the snow in Italy are the Brentonico plateau (in Trentino) and the Tolmezzo plateau (in Friuli). Pila (in Val d'Aosta) and Andalo (in Trentino) are also suitable destinations for a cheap skiing holiday.
The Christmas atmosphere in the snow is unbeatable in Cortina d'Ampezzo where a fantastic Christmas market is also set up. Abroad, on the other hand, it is guaranteed in the ski resorts in the south of France and in Switzerland, where the costs are not always affordable, but the resorts enjoy the best equipment.
New York
Among the classic destinations for a Christmas trip is undoubtedly the inevitable New York. The city is not short of illuminations, ice rinks and Christmas events and, despite the cold weather, offers a unique and unrepeatable atmosphere and, perhaps, the best time to visit the Big Apple is precisely Christmas.
Grazzano Visconti
In recent years, Christmas in the small village of Grazzano Visconti has become a viral phenomenon. The market features carefully selected exhibitors, a beautiful Father Christmas House, a Ferris wheel and elegant rides, jugglers and street performers.
The real attraction of Christmas in Grazzano, however, is the location. The splendid 14th-century manor house is surrounded by parkland and a neo-medieval village built in the early 20th century with frescoed buildings and cottages on the outside, craft workshops and cobbled streets.
SEE ALSO: SALES 2023
Christmas Holiday Offers 2022
If you're thinking of a Christmas trip, here are a few offers to grab.
From Milan you can fly to Cayo Coco(Cuba) from €713 a/r per person, which is a great price considering the period.
From Venice and Rome you can fly to Paris for less than 50 euros a/r. Excellent offers also from Milan.
From Rome you can fly to Valencia with TapPortugal from 110 euros a/r you leave on 24 December and return on 28 December 2022.
Christmas in Dublin? You fly from Italian airports from 24 to 30 December with Ryanair from €154.
If you want to spend the holidays in Lisbon, you fly from Italian airports from 24 to 1 January from €200 a/r with Ryanair. Here are some ideas on how to spend New Year's Eve in the city.
Christmas holidays in Italy 2022
Where to go and what to do at Christmas around Italy. Here are the holiday dates and destinations region by region.
Christmas holidays in Lombardy
Christmas holidays in Veneto
Christmas holidays in Trentino
Christmas holidays in Abruzzo
Christmas holidays in Sicily
Christmas holidays in Campania
Christmas holidays: warm weather or snow?
It depends a little on personal taste: there are those who look forward to the Christmas holidays to visit markets under the freezing temperatures, to book a skiing holiday or to celebrate in a mountain hut or high-altitude farmhouse, or those who prefer the warmth and a bit of sunshine out of season.
Here are a few destinations where skiing doesn't cost a fortune and could be a great idea for planning a Christmas trip. At this link you will find the best (low-cost) skiing destinations in Europe.
Christmas in the heat? Yes, but where to go? In the Canaries you will find perfect weather even in December with optimal temperatures for spending a day at the beach and, in the more sheltered and less windy bays, even for swimming.
In Madeira, Portugal, mild temperatures make it possible to go trekking and hiking even at Christmas while enjoying wonderful ocean views.
Even in Malta, temperatures in December are generous and then there are the great destinations such asIndonesia, Cambodia, Zanzibar and Brazil, all perfect destinations to visit at this time of year.
Christmas and New Year 2023 with children
There are plenty of destinations that will thrill the little ones. Around Europe there are many Christmas markets to choose from. The Tivoli Gardens Christmas market in Copenhagen is one of the most popular with children. The market is complemented by the iconic merry-go-rounds of one of Europe's oldest amusement parks and the thousands of lights that make it one of the brightest and most fun markets in the world (find all the info on Christmas in Copenhagen here).
Best destinations to meet Father Christmas
Where to spend the Christmas holidays with children? Here are the best destinations to meet Father Christmas
Santa's House, Lapland
Birthplace of Santa Claus, Turkey
Montreux Christmas Village, Switzerland
North Pole
Papi Noel at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro
Macy's Santaland, New York
Santafest, Sydney
Scuba Diving Santa, Japan
Great Santa Run Scotland
Norad
Most beautiful Christmas decorations
But what are the most beautiful Christmas decorations? Some cities, such as Medellin in Colombia, are at their best with Christmas decorations and are tinged with incredible colours and plays of light. Italy also has its record-breaking Christmas decorations. TheChristmas Tree in Gubbio is the largest in the world and is set up above the town along the slopes of the hill.
The Christmas Crib in Manarola is done in much the same way and exploits the perspective effect of the hill and terraces to house huge statues and thousands of coloured lights.
Christmas Holidays in the Mountains
Spending Christmas holidays in the mountains is an excellent solution for those who like to combine the calm of small towns with winter sports in the snow. Among the best destinations for Christmas are Merano, with its beautiful markets, Livigno, Madonna di Campiglio and Roccaraso.
READ ALSO: CHRISTMAS MARKETS BY TRAIN
Christmas gifts for travellers
At the Christmas markets you can find original gift ideas. But what about gifts that inspire you to travel, perhaps to next year's Christmas markets, or to the warmth or snow?
From the map that scratches to the jacket that turns into a tent, via interesting and curious gadgets for camping, the gifts for travel lovers are many and successful.
New Year's Eve 2023
New Year's Eve is always a big topic. The fateful question "what are you doing on New Year's Eve?" has become for many a question to be avoided like the plague. But then, from year to year, a decision has to be made, and then in the end on New Year's Eve you always do something.
There are those who spend New Year's Eve at home and those who choose a New Year's Eve as a couple, or those who choose the classic New Year's Eve in the square. A great idea is to spend New Year's Eve in the heat, perhaps combining it with the Christmas holidays for a long, restorative break while travelling.
New Year's Eve in the Canaries is a smart idea for a warm but cheap New Year's Eve. If, on the other hand, the cold does not bother you and, on the contrary, you dream of a white and muffled New Year's Eve, you can choose one of the best New Year's Eve destinations in the mountains. Here you can find offers to fly on New Year's Eve and here all the destinations where you can go on New Year's Eve 2023.
Destinations
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