Why spending Christmas away is often a bigger decision than people realise
“Don’t shoot me for mentioning Christmas in July… but if you’ve ever secretly wondered what it would be like to spend Christmas somewhere different, this might be worth a read”.
Gillyx
I know it feels early. We are still enjoying summer, many of us are thinking about holidays already booked, long evenings in the garden and making the most of the warmer weather. Christmas can feel like a very long way away.
However, every year we have conversations with clients who tell us they have thought about spending Christmas somewhere different for years, but they have never quite made it happen. Interestingly, it is rarely because they cannot find somewhere they would like to go. The challenge is often much more personal than that.
The hardest part is not choosing the destination. It is deciding whether you are ‘allowed’ to do it.
Christmas is unlike any other time of year. It is not simply a holiday; it is a collection of memories, traditions and routines that have often been built over decades. It is the people around the table, the familiar conversations, the recipes that have been passed down and those small moments that somehow become the things we treasure most.
So when someone says, “Perhaps we should go away for Christmas this year,” it can bring up far more emotion than they expected.
Over the years, we have spoken to many people who are considering a Christmas away. Some are couples whose children have grown up and created their own Christmas traditions. Some are solo travellers who have found themselves facing a different kind of Christmas because life has changed. Some have experienced loss, separation or a new chapter they never expected. Others simply feel ready to create new memories rather than repeating the same Christmas year after year.
The reasons are always personal, but the questions are often the same.
What will my family think? Will people understand? Am I being selfish?
I completely understand those feelings because I experienced them myself last year.
Gillyx
Gilly’s first Christmas away from home
Last Christmas was our first without my mum. Anyone who has experienced losing someone important will understand the significance of those first occasions. The first birthday, the first anniversary and, particularly, the first Christmas when someone who has always been part of those celebrations is suddenly missing.
Brian and I decided to spend Christmas on a Danube river cruise. The idea appealed to us because we wanted to experience something different, but making the decision was not as straightforward emotionally as it might sound.
The booking was the easy part. Telling my family was much harder.
The person I found it most difficult to tell was my sister. We have always spent Christmas together as a family, and this was the first Christmas without Mum. I knew she would understand, but I also knew there would be emotion around it. There was a part of me that questioned whether we were doing the right thing.
Were we stepping away from a tradition that mattered? Were we making Christmas harder for those we loved who were staying at home?
Looking back, I realise that what I was really struggling with was allowing Christmas to look different.
Click this link to read about Gilly’s Christmas Danube River Cruise.
Discovering a different kind of Christmas
Once we were away, I realised something that I now share with many of my clients: Christmas does not have to be the same every year for it to still feel special.
During our Danube cruise, we met so many people who had made the same decision for very different reasons. There were couples, families and solo travellers, all with their own stories.
Some had lost loved ones and found that being away helped them navigate a difficult time. Some were travelling alone after a change in circumstances and wanted to be surrounded by people rather than spend Christmas feeling isolated. Others simply wanted to experience the magic of Christmas markets, beautiful European cities and a different way of celebrating.
What surprised me most was that nobody was trying to escape Christmas. They were simply experiencing it differently.
There were Christmas markets filled with lights and music, beautiful churches, festive concerts, wonderful meals and conversations with people who began the journey as strangers and quickly became friends. We spoke to family at home, shared our experiences and created memories that will stay with us forever.
It did not replace Christmas at home. It became another version of Christmas. And that was something I found incredibly special.
Why are we talking about Christmas in July?
We know some people will wonder why we are discussing Christmas when summer is still in full swing. The answer is simple: because these decisions often take longer than people expect.
Planning a Christmas holiday is rarely just about choosing a destination. It can involve conversations with family, thinking carefully about what feels right and giving yourself permission to do something different.
We are not suggesting anyone should rush into booking a Christmas holiday before they have thought it through. Quite the opposite. The best decisions are the ones where you have time to explore the options, ask questions and make sure it is the right choice for you.
The reason we encourage people to start thinking about it now is because travel availability does not wait while we make those emotional decisions.
By the time many people finally decide they are ready, the holiday they had imagined may no longer be available. The perfect cabin on a festive river cruise may have gone. The family room at the hotel they loved may no longer be available. The flights that made the itinerary work beautifully may have sold. Or the price may have changed significantly.
Some of the hardest conversations we have with clients are when they finally feel ready to explore a Christmas away, only for us to discover that we cannot quite create the holiday they had imagined.
Not because we do not know where to look, but because the choices have become much more limited.
That is why we always encourage people to start the conversation early. Not because there is pressure to book, but because having time gives you the freedom to make the right decision.
Creating new traditions alongside old ones
Will Brian and Gilly spend every Christmas away?
Yes probably, but this year, we are doing it slightly differently. We are heading away in late November for ten days onboard Explora I, sailing from Miami around the Caribbean. We will enjoy winter sunshine, beautiful destinations and the relaxed luxury of life at sea before returning home for Christmas, our turkey dinner and those familiar festive traditions”.
Gillyx
Traditions can evolve as our lives change. They can grow with us. They can look different from one year to the next and still be just as meaningful.
If you have ever wondered whether spending Christmas away might be right for you, our advice is simple: start the conversation early. Talk to your family. Think about what feels right for you. Explore the possibilities while there is still plenty of choice.
