Tempted to take a final holiday of the year but not sure where to start? You can embrace Christmas completely by spending the festive week on a skiing holiday in the Austrian Alps, where there’s plenty to do if you have non-skiers in the group.
Combine Christmas with culture by exploring Krakow, which will be in full festive flow throughout December.
If escaping the cold is more your thing, book a blissful week on the beaches of St Lucia and soak up the sun. Hikers can enjoy relatively mild days in southern Spain where the white villages of Andalusia blend into dramatic landscapes.
If you prefer to stay closer to home, lose yourself in the countryside of Shropshire and Gloucestershire, or enjoy the bracing north Cornish coast in one of the county’s newest properties.
Wherever you want to go on holiday in December, take a look at these ideas.
Read more: The best Christmas markets in Europe – and where to stay in France, Belgium and Germany
Austria
You don’t necessarily need to be a skier to enjoy a lakeside Christmas in the Austrian Alps. Stay at Hotel Edelweiss in Zell am See and revel in the beauty of Lake Zell, which until 31 December is the glittering setting for one of the town’s Advent markets. Meanwhile, skiers and snowboarders in the party can hop on the zellamseeXpress gondola to reach 80km of slopes. SNO has a week’s B&B at Hotel Edelweiss from £574pp, down from £835pp, departing 21 December and including flights and transfers.
Read more: Bad Gastein is a ski spot full of wonders beyond the slopes
St Lucia
For a blast of Caribbean sunshine, fabulous volcanic beaches, excellent seafood and lush volcanic landscapes of forested mountains, jungles and waterfalls, head to St Lucia. The diving here is exceptional, one of many reasons to stay at the Marigot Beach Club & Dive Resort on the island’s west coast. Overlooking sheltered Marigot Bay, the villa-style resort guarantees spectacular sunsets. Away Holidays has a week’s B&B from £1,673pp, including flights and transfers, departing 14 December.
Read more: Why now’s the time to explore the ‘quiet revolution’ of St Lucia’s wild side
Poland
Krakow is already one of Poland’s most alluring cities, and winter brings an extra sparkle to its handsome medieval streets and squares. Regent Holidays has a four-day break that includes a private walking tour through Krakow’s exquisite Old Town which, until 26 December, will be hosting its superb Christmas market. Prices start at £595pp and include flights, transfers, breakfast and a walking tour.
Cornwall
SeaSpace, the first coastal aparthotel in Cornwall, opened in October on the site of the former Sands Resort Hotel in Newquay, and it’s a stylish base from which to explore the north Cornish coast. Its studios and apartments are just a few minutes walk from Porth Beach, and there’s a gorgeous indoor pool and hot tub to go with a fitness centre and five padel tennis courts. Nightly rates for studios start at £100.
Read more: Best hotels in Cornwall for 2024, reviewed
Spain
Brighten up December with a hike around Andalusia’s white villages as you make your way from Sierra de Grazalema to Ronda. Ramble Worldwide has a seven-day self-guided walking holiday that takes you through limestone landscapes, cork forests, karst caves and secluded valleys of olive groves. You’ll stay in small, charming village hotels and guesthouses, and the walks are graded moderate with average distances of seven miles. This seven-night break costs from £599pp throughout December and includes B&B accommodation, luggage transfers and digital notes and maps; flights to Malaga are extra.
Read more: This exclusive Mallorca village is a must-visit spot in the Balearics
West of England
If you fancy a relaxing getaway before Christmas, choose from two romantic boltholes in the west of England. The 18th-century Castle Hotel in Bishops Castle is surrounded by the green serene South Shropshire Hills and makes a pleasant base for exploring. Throughout December, the hotel is offering 25 per cent off B&B stays from Sunday to Thursday, with prices starting at £87 a night. Set within the rolling fields of Gloucestershire’s Cotswolds, Three Choirs Vineyards has 30 per cent off the price of its vineyard-view rooms and lodges, with room-only rates starting at £180 a night. While there, treat yourself to a wine-tasting of the estate’s award-winning English wines.
Read more: The most scenic walks in the UK, from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands
Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk
