The season of joy delivers the gift of quality time with loved ones, away from the daily hustle of busy schedules. Planning how to spend this valuable time is incredibly important. Imagine the excitement and anticipation your family will experience preparing for a destination holiday. Our team of travel advisors stands ready to plan your new favorite Christmas memory and to begin your dream holiday planning, we’ve provided a few favorites of our own. Also, you'll want to check out our video for our Top 5 Holiday Travel Tips before you leave on your holiday adventure!

Germany – Linda Raymer

Our favorite Christmas was spent traveling along the famous Romantic Road of Western Bavaria. The perfectly preserved medieval town of Rothenberg provides the perfect beginning, where well-known Christmas music is played in the square and the taste of sausages on pretzel buns with a mug of Glühwein will immerse your senses in the season. Drive through the snow-covered Black Forest, home to fairytales and Christmas markets with their wooden stalls and hand-crafted gifts. Slow down for pampering at a famous Baden Baden spa and wellness resort, then continue along the Romantic Road to Münich for the lively celebrations, cathedral organ concerts, and ice skating in the shopping plaza. Spend Christmas in the village of Oberammergau, home of the famous Passion Play performed every 10 years since the 1600s. Enjoy a sleigh ride Christmas morning to Linderhof Castle and feast on amazing local dishes for dinner. A journey to the end of the Romantic Road with your visit to Neuschwanstein Castle provides a happy ending to your fairytale Christmas.  

Aspen – Petra Wilkerson

During the holidays, Aspen is buzzing with excitement and special activities. The setting is ideal for a traditional holiday destination. Hotel Jerome and the St. Regis hold daily public Menorah lightings during Hanukkah. The annual Wintersköl parade and celebration is a four-day festival with fireworks, ice sculptures, and even a canine fashion show. You’ll want to enjoy the outdoors with ice skating, skiing, snowshoe tours, and sleigh rides. However, few activities can match the romantic atmosphere of a snowcat dinner at Lynn Britt Cabin and Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro. Take a ride up the mountain after the lifts have closed and enjoy an elegant dinner at these two mainstays of Snowmass and Aspen Highlands. I have many accommodation options to choose from to suit your family holiday and would be thrilled to help you plan this special time together.

Asheville – Lori McMurtry

Approaching the Biltmore, your evening holiday tour begins with the sounds of the choir singing Christmas carols by candlelight by the grand front door. Entering the mansion, you are immersed in the holiday season as you take in every detail of the enormous spruce with its festive cascade of ornaments. The smell of the giant gingerbread house harmonizes with the decorations of America’s largest home to wrap all your senses in Christmas spirit. The evening tour has the home lit by candles and the dozens of decorated trees throughout. You won’t want to miss the special scene across the wine tasting room ceiling and illuminated displays in Antler Hill Village & Winery. It’s an incredibly romantic holiday experience for an unforgettable Christmas. I’m ready to plan those extra, personal experiences that will ensure this a holiday to remember.

Ireland – Anna Bright

Each of my favorite Irish castles, manors, and luxury hotels offer special holiday experiences, some of which include the ability to decorate a tree in your room, hang stockings, and leave treats for Santa. You’ll enjoy choirs singing Christmas carols, dramatic story readings, blazing log fires, twinkling lights, and hot cider or mulled wine with traditional Irish treats always on hand. You’ll have your pick of Christmas services to attend and wonderful meals to enjoy. We will leave room for an afternoon nap so you are prepared for the lively evening activities. I always recommend adding new cultural traditions to your holiday by participating in the December 26th celebrations known as St. Stephen’s Day. Start the morning with a tasty brunch, then try your skills at archery, falconry, clay shooting, or enjoy whiskey tastings and guided historical walks. You’ll definitely want to experience a New Year’s gala to complete your holiday in Ireland on a high note. Anything I can do to craft your Irish holiday, would be my pleasure.

Australia – Sandy Schadler

Instead of a traditional white Christmas, I recommend you journey “down under” during Australia’s summer. Relax for two weeks of unique Christmas traditions at the beach while enjoying seafood BBQs, building a sandman, and singing your favorite Christmas carols with a few new Aussie words (replacing mentions of snow). We have luxury villa, resort, and hotel partners offering Santa visits and special experiences snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, bushwalking trails in the Blue Mountains, wine tasting in Barossa Valley, and 4WD wildlife adventure in Wolgan Valley. You’ll definitely want to be in Sydney for the New Year’s Eve celebration on a harbor dinner cruise. Sydney is the first, and one of the biggest, global celebrations for ringing in the New Year with fireworks, laser light shows, and a lighted-boat parade in the harbor. You’ll be in the middle of all the action with this bucket-list experience. Check out the video from last year below!