Month: December 2024

The holiday season is a magical time to travel with grandkids, offering a chance to create joyful memories in festive destinations worldwide. Are you looking to explore winter wonderlands or warm, sunny escapes? These spots outside the USA have activities for all ages to enjoy the cheer of Christmas and New Year’s together.

1. Rovaniemi, Finland – Meet Santa Claus in his official hometown, with magical reindeer sleigh rides and Northern Lights sightings that make the season unforgettable.
2. Vienna, Austria – Enjoy Vienna’s famous Christmas markets, dazzling lights, and classical holiday concerts in a storybook European city.
3. Banff, Canada – Dive into a winter wonderland with snowshoeing, ice skating, and cozy lodges nestled in the Rockies, perfect for a white Christmas.
4. Cape Town, South Africa – For a warm-weather holiday, enjoy festive beach picnics, Christmas carols in botanical gardens, and summer vibes.
5. Quebec City, Canada – Discover a charming Christmas village in Old Quebec, with snow-covered streets, festive decorations, and holiday markets.

Continue reading to discover more exciting and fun destinations to visit during the holidays with the kiddos. 

Family-Friendly Destinations

These destinations bring a festive spirit that all ages can enjoy. This holiday season, enjoy quality time with your kids and grandkids and soak in the special magic of the season around the world.

Banff National Park, Canada

Why It’s Festive: Banff turns into a winter wonderland during the holidays, complete with snow-covered mountains, cozy lodges, and Christmas lights everywhere.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Take a sleigh ride through snowy trails, enjoy ice skating on Lake Louise, and warm up with hot cocoa at a charming chalet. Families can also attend the Banff Christmas Market, featuring local crafts and festive treats.

Vienna, Austria

Why It’s Festive: Vienna’s holiday season is marked by its famous Christmas markets, classical concerts, and beautiful decorations that give the entire city a storybook feel.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Stroll through the magical Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz, visit the Schönbrunn Palace’s market, and take the grandkids to see the Vienna Boys’ Choir or a performance of The Nutcracker. Don’t miss the New Year’s Concert and festive events around St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

Cape Town, South Africa

Why It’s Festive: Celebrating Christmas and New Year’s in summer, Cape Town offers a unique holiday experience filled with beach days, outdoor concerts, and festive parades.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Head to the beach for a Christmas picnic, visit Kirstenbosch Gardens for their annual Carols by Candlelight, and watch the Cape Minstrel Carnival for New Year’s. The V&A Waterfront lights up with holiday decorations and features a giant Christmas tree that kids will love.

Rovaniemi, Finland – The Ultimate Holiday Destination!

Why It’s Festive: Known as the official hometown of Santa Claus, Rovaniemi in Lapland offers an unforgettable holiday experience for children and adults alike.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Visit Santa Claus Village, meet Santa himself, take a husky sled ride, and watch the Northern Lights. Stay in a glass igloo for a magical night under the Arctic sky, and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere at every turn.

Gold Coast, Australia

Why It’s Festive: If you prefer a warm holiday season, Australia’s Gold Coast offers sun, sand, and a festive atmosphere with family-friendly events.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Celebrate Christmas with a beach barbecue, attend the Christmas Lights Trail at SeaWorld, and watch the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s Christmas event. New Year’s brings fireworks and beach celebrations that all ages will enjoy.

Quebec City, Canada

Why It’s Festive: Quebec City’s Old Town transforms into a charming Christmas village, complete with snow-dusted streets, horse-drawn carriages, and festive decorations.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Visit the German Christmas Market, skate at Place D’Youville, and explore the beautifully decorated Quartier Petit Champlain. New Year’s Eve is celebrated with fireworks over the St. Lawrence River, adding a magical end to the year.

Costa Rica

Why It’s Festive: Costa Rica offers a blend of tropical warmth and holiday cheer, with unique holiday traditions and activities for all ages.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Enjoy Christmas Eve dinners featuring tamales, attend holiday parades in San José, and explore lush rainforests. Many resorts have special holiday programs for kids, and you can kick off the New Year with beach fireworks.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Why It’s Festive: Iceland’s holiday season includes unique traditions like the 13 Yule Lads, bringing a touch of whimsy to the winter wonderland.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Wander through the illuminated streets of Reykjavik, visit the Christmas Village at Hafnarfjörður, and take a dip in the Blue Lagoon. The Northern Lights often appear, creating a truly magical experience. Ring in the New Year with bonfires and fireworks around the city.

Auckland, New Zealand

Why It’s Festive: Christmas in New Zealand offers summer vibes with a unique Kiwi twist, from beach celebrations to holiday parades.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Explore Auckland’s beautiful beaches, visit the Franklin Road Christmas lights, and enjoy festive events at the Auckland Zoo. New Year’s Eve fireworks from the Sky Tower create a colorful display for all ages to enjoy.

Barcelona, Spain

Why It’s Festive: Barcelona’s holiday season brings lights, markets, and unique Catalan Christmas traditions that will captivate grandkids.

Holiday Activities for All Ages: Visit the Fira de Santa Llúcia Christmas market, explore the light displays at Plaça de Catalunya, and take a festive stroll along La Rambla. For New Year’s Eve, join in the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight for good luck.

Holiday Travel Tips for Families with Grandkids

Plan for Festive Activities

Check each destination’s holiday schedule for markets, concerts, and kid-friendly events.

Book Ahead for Popular Spots

Many of these destinations are popular for holiday travel, so make reservations early to secure your accommodations and tours.

Celebrate Local Holiday Traditions

Kids will love learning about new customs, from Santa sightings in Lapland to eating grapes for good luck in Spain.

Dress for the Climate

Some destinations will be chilly, while others are warm, so pack accordingly to make sure everyone is comfortable.

Read Traveling with Grandkids – Tips for Fun and Memorable Adventures.

Also read These Amazing Travel Programs Will Help You to Connect with Your Grandkids.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you visited any of these destinations during the holidays with your grandchildren? Are you planning an international family getaway during the holidays? Tell us about it in the comments below.

When I was growing up, I was always a little different. Not weird or strange, just not quite fitting in to any particular box. I thought, When I get older, I will know who I truly am.

My friends at school varied enormously. I was never in the cool, middle or geeky group, but seemed to flit seamlessly between all of them. Whilst more a creative than an academic, I also loved learning, but would be as happy reading Steinbeck as Shakespeare, or Hardy as Hesse. 

I would find my niche, I told myself… one day.

My Own Way of Doing Things

As I grew older, I did things my way, not conforming to the expectations that others had of me. I wore what I wanted, when I wanted. I thought, When I reach 40, I will know who I truly am. I will dress in a certain way, have friends who are a certain type.

I loved all different genres of music, when most of my friends preferred one or two. I enjoyed classic, reggae, pop, rock, blues, jazz, opera, Indian sitar. I loved ballet, musical theatre, street theatre, rock concerts, piano concertos, French films. I would spend time in art galleries, marvelling at works of Picasso, Klimt, Dali, then wander home through the streets of London, transfixed by graffiti.

The older I became, the further away from the mould I grew. One day dressing English classic, the next like a hippie. I wore long flowing skirts, smart suits, jeans, leather skirts, scruffy. What was wrong with me? 

Truly a Life of My Own Making

As other people matured and settled neatly into their category, I just kept evolving, never really knowing who I was, or finding my place in the world. While longing to find my ‘true’ identity, I stopped wearing bikinis, cut my long blond hair short and tried to stick to a particular style of dress. I was miserable, and I felt less like the real me than ever before.

Now in my 60s, I know exactly who I am. I am a butterfly. Each day I am a new me. I dress how I feel in that moment. I feel more confident than at any time in my life and love being me. I am not waiting for others to say it’s ok any more. I eat pretty much what I want, drink red wine with my meal (I used to live in France!), and never beat myself up anymore… Oh, and I am back to wearing bikinis.

Learning and Growing Every Day

I am open-minded and open-hearted, happy to listen to other people’s points of views at the same time as valuing my own. Being prepared to change preconceived thoughts and ideas is how you grow and learn as a person, and I learn something new every day. I love time spent on my own, but also in a crowd of people, talking effortlessly about anything and everything.

The Butterfly Style

Being a butterfly gives you a little insight into a lot of things.

I fly around all over the place, taking time to smell beautiful flowers. I wander aimlessly through meadows, paddle along beaches and delight in the hustle and bustle of busy towns. I visit churches, cathedrals and monasteries, without clinging to any formal religion. I am seeing life from so many angles, and I am truly grateful to have such diverse and interesting opportunities.

As a writer, I am fortunate enough to be able to write about many things, academic courses in psychology and child development, poems, life stories, children’s books and articles for wonderful people like you to read! Every time I have a comment on an article it still makes me feel incredibly happy and humble.

Whoever you are, you are unique, special and have the right to be whoever you choose. I happen to think you are pretty awesome.

Please Join the Conversation:

Do you see yourself belonging to any particular group of people, or are you a butterfly? Do you dress for others or yourself? Have you changed who you are to fit in with others?

Finally, an affordable advent calendar for beauty aficionados!

The hand-painted gown came from the fashion house’s fall/winter 1998 collection.

The holiday season has well and truly started and the pressure to drink too much is all around us. The temptation is just to go with the flow and then reset with a Dry January, but let’s think out of the box for a moment:

• How about we play it a bit differently this year?
• How about we resist the brainwashing – and get smart.
• How about we unplug from the matrix?
• How about being a rebel not a sheep?
• How about doing a Dry December!

Here are some reasons WHY you should try a Dry December together with some advice HOW to do it.

Reasons Why You Should Do a Dry December

December Is Always a Busy Time

The chances are that whatever your lifestyle you will be busy – busy socially, and of course busy creating that “perfect Christmas” for your family. If you give up alcohol for December, you can actually claw back a lot of time. Time is usually devoted to planning the drinking, drinking and getting over the drinking.

Be on Top of the Wave

Everybody does “Dry January” but only the seriously cool people do “Dry December” and then start the new year feeling fantastic – rather than exhausted and poisoned with excess food and alcohol. You also get to join the rest of the world for Dry January, feeling rather smug as you already have plenty of alcohol-free days under your belt!

You Will Reduce Your Stress as You Take Control

You will sleep better and steam through your to-do list and even begin to feel slightly superior to your pals as they struggle with their hangovers. If your friends give you a hard time, just tell them you are doing 30 alcohol-free days to raise money for charity which you can do by signing up for Tribe Sober’s Annual Fundraiser here.

No Anxiety to Deal with

You won’t have that anxiety in your heart about the amount you are drinking and the nagging thought that you really must do something about it come January – you will be way ahead of the game this year.

You Will Lose Weight!

We are surrounded by super-fattening foods during December and after a glass of wine or two we just get stuck in. Staying sober means you can stay in control of what you are eating and drinking. As an extra bonus, you can opt out of the dieting misery train that we are all supposed to board come January 1st.

You Get to Enjoy What Really Matters

A lot of people worry that they cannot enjoy themselves without alcohol but think about it. We give far too much credit to alcohol. What makes a good Christmas? Being with your family and seeing the joy on the children’s faces as they open their presents or numbing out with booze?

Just Experiment

At the very least, an alcohol-free Christmas will be an interesting experiment – even if you hate it, you will have tried – and who knows, you may even decide to make a lifestyle change and go alcohol-free.

How to Do a Dry December – Some Tips!

If this is your first Sober Christmas, then turn it into a Challenge. Lower your expectations and don’t expect to enjoy it in quite the same way as usual. Your goal is simply to get through December without alcohol. Your joy will come flooding in on January 1st when you wake up hangover free with no regrets and feeling proud of yourself – and ready to face 2025 with energy and optimism!

So how do you do it, exactly?

Stock Up on Alcohol-Free Drinks

There are so many delicious alcohol-free choices around these days. Get a box delivered, fill up the fridge and experiment. Make some mocktails for the whole family – they can add alcohol to theirs if they wish!

Get a Tracker

Although we can get sober trackers on our phones, there is something motivating about a paper tracker. You can colour in the alcohol-free days as you complete them and keep an eye on the big picture. Stick it on the fridge and get the family to help you stay on track. If you would like to get one of our December trackers then just email janet@tribesober.com and request a December Tracker.

Remember That Christmas Is Just One Day

Mark Christmas Day and any parties you will be attending on your tracker. Make a plan to get through those events alcohol-free. Look at the whole month and notice that most of the days in December are just regular days! Don’t despair if you have a slip-up. Mark it on your tracker and get right back on the bus the next day.

Just Do It

Action is the key, so at least get through those first few days in December “alcohol-free.” If you can’t manage it, then maybe you do need to seriously think about addressing your relationship with alcohol.

How Tribe Sober’s Annual Fundraiser Works

To help you on your way to alcohol-free life, Tribe Sober has launched its 9th Annual Fundraiser for the Earthchild Project which helps disadvantaged children in South Africa. Just $16 provides an underprivileged child with yoga & life-skills classes for a whole year.

While helping a child that needs support, you get online community support for 30 alcohol-free days. The Fundraiser is open from the 1st December to 31st January so you can do a “Dry December” or a more traditional “Dry January.”

Just make a small donation to Earthchild by clicking here, and we’ll get right back to you for your preferred dates for the 30 days of support. You can start the challenge right now or choose a 30-day window that suits you – right up to January 31st – so you can even do a Dry February!

If you’d like to change your relationship with alcohol and join an international community then check out Tribe Sober.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you take regular breaks from alcohol to improve your health and test your dependence? Does the thought of doing an alcohol-free month make you anxious? Were you aware that the low-risk guideline is just a bottle and a half of wine a week?