Holiday Getaways

This year, leave the stress at home and make merry
on one of these festive trips

By Emily Coleman

They say there's no place like home for the holidays, but going away can be just as delightful -- and maybe even better. Break from tradition, and perhaps start a new one, by celebrating the season with a special getaway this year.

Below are six yuletide escapes, from the sun and sand of tropical isles to the fiesta-flavored Christmas of San Antonio to a down-home country celebration in Nashville. Can't picture the holidays without your mittens and scarf? We've got that covered, too, with options in Quebec, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and central Europe.



Cruising for the holidays doesn't require a sacrifice of seasonal activities, because ships go to great lengths to give guests a spirited experience. Dinner menus have a special holiday touch, and crew members deck the decks with lights, wreaths and mistletoe. Carolers sing, and Christmas favorites are incorporated into nighttime entertainment.

Often a priest, minister and rabbi are on board to conduct services. Some cruises invite Santa, too, so kids can visit him and his elves at sea. For passengers celebrating Hanukkah, there are traditional foods, sing-alongs and games for the kids.

It's wise to reserve these cruises well in advance -- they are limited and quite popular, so they fill up quickly. Book by September, at the latest, to get the sailing and stateroom you desire. To browse bargain-priced holiday cruises, visit Vacations To Go, where you can use the "Find A Bargain" tool to narrow your search to specific December departure dates.

At press time, Vacations To Go, which specializes in deeply discounted cruises, had many options for reduced holiday sailings. For example, the Carnival Legend departs Tampa, FL, on Dec. 20 for a seven-night trip to the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Belize and Honduras. The starting price for an inside cabin is $749 per person, marked down from the original rate of $1,769 for a savings of nearly 60 percent.

The Noordam from Holland America Line sails from Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 21, calling at Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Bahamas on the seven-day trip. An inside cabin is listed at Vacations To Go for $799 per person -- more than half off the brochure price. A stateroom with a sea view is just $13­­­0 more per person.

Travelers looking for a short holiday getaway can choose a four-day jaunt that leaves Dec. 24 from Miami or Tampa in Florida or from Mobile, AL. Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International sail these trips, which visit Cozumel on Mexico's east coast. They're perfect for those who want to get away for a quick and inexpensive tropical escape; rates from Vacations To Go range from $319 to $499 per person, depending on the ship.

For more information on discounted holiday sailings, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 338-4962.



If you prefer the traditional trappings of winter -- hot cocoa, snow-flecked scarves and homemade confections -- consider a trip to the Old World towns of Europe. From late November through Christmas Eve, holiday markets emerge in the town squares and church courtyards of Germany, Austria, France, Hungary and the Czech Republic. These bazaars are filled with the festive sights, sounds and tastes of the season.

Stroll among the booths and find hand-carved wooden figurines, etched crystal ornaments, nutcrackers and hand-dipped candles. After you've worked up an appetite, head for the stalls selling hearty offerings like bratwurst with sauerkraut, potato pancakes, candied nuts and sweet breads and pastries. Hot mulled wine, called gluhwein, is found in most markets and is guaranteed to take the chill out of your bones.

Markets typically showcase the works of local artisans, so each has its own regional character. In Germany, Dresden boasts the country's oldest market (since 1434), while Nuremberg has the largest, drawing more than 2 million visitors each season. One of Vienna's loveliest markets is set up in the courtyard of the 17th-century Schonbrunn Palace, where evergreen-bedecked stalls circle an immense tree sparkling with lights. In Prague, the most popular market is in the Old Town Square, where visitors can taste medovina, a warm honey wine.

There are two great ways for travelers to join the holiday cheer. December cruises along the Danube, Rhine and Main rivers stop at cities with markets. For example, Uniworld River Cruises' intimate, 138-guest River Countess sails between Nuremberg and Vienna on the "European Holiday Markets" itinerary, making several stops in Germany and Austria. Rates for the nine-day trip start at $1,949 per person, based on double occupancy, for a river-view cabin (plus airfare). For information, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 510-4002.

Many tour operators organize trips by land, with hotels, transportation between cities, guided sightseeing and some meals included in the up-front price. For instance, Globus offers the eight-day "Christmastime in Bavaria and Austria" with four departures in December from $1,039 per person, based on double occupancy, plus airfare. For information, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 680-2858.



A trip to Quebec is a cultural and culinary treat, and visiting during the holidays only enhances the experience. "Quebec Holiday" from Collette Vacations spends a week in Canada's French-speaking region. Guests travel round trip from Montreal and also spend time in Charlevoix and Quebec City. Accommodations are in upscale Fairmont hotels.

Sightseeing in Montreal highlights McGill University, Notre-Dame Basilica and St. Joseph's Oratory, with some time at the summit of Mount Royal for panoramic views of the city. In the evening, head back to the neo-Gothic basilica for a dazzling multimedia sound-and-light show.

The tour hits several locales designated as "economuseums," businesses that share with visitors the story behind their craft or trade. Collette's journey includes a stop at the Laiterie Charlevoix for an introduction to cheese-making, and at the Pedneault family orchards to learn about apple harvesting and the production of apple butter, jams and cider.

Then, explore the old and new quarters of Quebec City, where you'll stay at the fabulous Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, perched on a bluff overlooking the St. Lawrence River. You'll have time to stroll the charming cobblestoned streets and perhaps take a horse-drawn carriage ride. For a sweet treat, there's a morning excursion to a maple sugar shack in the countryside.

Rates start at $1,399 per person, based on double occupancy, plus airfare. For information, visit Vacations To Go or (800) 680-2858.



The Paseo del Rio, also known as the River Walk, is a major draw for the central Texas city of San Antonio, and it's especially enchanting during the holidays. From the Friday following Thanksgiving until New Year's Day, a luminous canopy of more than 122,000 lights spans the winding waterway. Meanwhile, an immense, sparkling Christmas tree is erected in the plaza in front of the historic Alamo.

The Fiesta de las Luminarias is another festive favorite, where more than 6,000 luminarias -- glowing candles set in bags of sand -- line the river's banks. They are put in place at dusk on weekends throughout December.

Market Square, the largest Mexican market in the United States, is a great place to find unique gifts like authentic Mexican pottery and handmade jewelry, clothes and accessories. At San Fernando Cathedral, parishioners re-enact Mary and Joseph's quest for shelter during "La Gran Posada." Delicious Tex-Mex food can be found on every corner, best enjoyed with a margarita.

Globus shows off the city and more on its five-day "Christmas in San Antonio" getaway. Guests are treated to a cruise along the river, a visit to a dude ranch in Bandera, an excursion to Becker Vineyards in Stonewall and a stop in Luckenbach, the town immortalized in the Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson song.

Rates start at $997 per person, based on double occupancy. For information, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 680-2858.



Take a step back in time and visit the Pennsylvania Dutch Country of Lancaster County, about 50 miles west of Philadelphia. Collette Vacations visits the bucolic setting with a five-day escorted tour called " An Old Fashioned Christmas."

An exploration of Amish farmlands reveals the history and traditions of the cloistered people. Guests enjoy a feast at the home of an Amish family and later visit the Farmer's Market and Kitchen Kettle Complex, a great place to shop for holiday decorations and handmade gifts -- antiques, furniture and quilts are popular purchases. One evening is spent at the Sight and Sound Millennium Theatre near Strasburg for a performance of the "Miracle of Christmas," which tells the nativity story.

Cross into Delaware to visit the Winterthur estate, grandly dressed up for the holidays. Once the home of industrialist and collector Henry Francis du Pont, it's filled with more than 85,000 objects that span two centuries of American decorative arts.

Back in Pennsylvania, you'll take in the works of three generations of Wyeths -- N.C., Andrew and Jamie -- at the Brandywine River Museum, and see the spectacular floral displays in the conservatories of Longwood Gardens. Finally, a visit to the National Christmas Center in Paradise, PA, uncovers memories of yuletides past and shares holiday traditions from around the globe.

Rates start at $799 per person, based on double occupancy. For information, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 680-2858.



Explore Nashville, TN -- the home and heart of country music -- during a four-day trip with Globus called " Country Christmas." Music fans will delight in the guided tour of the recording studios on Music Row and the collections of the Country Music Hall of Fame, where instruments, costumes, memorabilia and Elvis Presley's gold Cadillac are on display. Guests also are treated to reserved seats at the famed Grand Ole Opry for the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular," featuring the high-kicking Rockettes of New York's Radio City Music Hall.

Guests get a taste of a true winter wonderland when they visit "ICE!" Walk through this frozen attraction created from more than 1.5 million pounds of hand-carved ice. This year it will sport a "Peanuts" theme and pay homage to the Charles Schulz classic, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Your time in Music City ends with a holiday dinner, complete with live music.

Rates start at $999 per person, based on double occupancy. For information, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 680-2858.

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