Common knowledge dictates that traveling during the holidays is expensive. Airfares are high, airports are packed, and (in a tradition dating back to Mary herself) finding a place to stay can be a nightmare. But you don’t need to stay in the proverbial barn to have a cheap Christmas vacation. With a good vacation rental, you can book that Christmas getaway and still have plenty of cash left over for Christmas shopping.
- Puerto Rico: The Most Recommended Cheap Christmas Vacation
- Orlando: A Surprisingly Cheap Christmas Vacation
- Gatlinburg: A Cheap Christmas Vacation for the Bucket List
- Las Vegas: A Fun, Festive, and Cheap Christmas Vacation
- Planning a Cheap Christmas Vacation
- Get a Cheap Christmas Vacation with Timeshares Only
Puerto Rico: The Most Recommended Cheap Christmas Vacation
While conducting research for this article, we saw one destination come up time and time again: Puerto Rico. This US territory loves Christmas, celebrating from the end of Thanksgiving through mid-January. Oh, and we don’t mean celebrating in “Sorry you missed the big day, but we left the lights up for you” sort of way. We mean genuine, highly anticipated holiday celebrations throughout the entire month. So even if you can’t make it there on the day itself, you’ll be surrounded by festive cheer.
The festivities begin in November in San Juan, with the Festival de Pascuas, a celebration of the official Christmas flower of Puerto Rico. Once December rolls around, the entire island is illuminated with dazzling lights, giant trees, and countless Christmas markets. Churchgoers can attend special Christmas Masses, including a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
On December 28th, you can celebrate the Festival de Máscaras de Hatillo in the municipality of Hatillo. You’ll see colorful masks, extravagant floats, and elaborate costumes everywhere you look! Finally, on January 6th, the season ends with the Fiesta de los Tres Reyes Magos (Festival of the Three Kings), when the Three Wise Men deliver gifts to children.
Stay at: Hyatt Vacation Club at Hacienda Del Mar
This oceanfront resort is just 25 miles from San Juan and offers direct beach access, multiple pools, and spacious rooms with all the amenities you would expect from a timeshare. If your idea of a White Christmas involves more sand than snow, Hacienda del Mar is one of the best places to enjoy the winter sun.
Orlando: A Surprisingly Cheap Christmas Vacation
Let’s address the flying elephant in the room: going to Walt Disney World over the holidays isn’t cheap. They’re the most popular times to visit, thanks to the abundance of holiday events, so prices rise accordingly. However, Orlando isn’t just Disney World. It’s not even just theme parks. Orlando is an amazing city to visit over the holidays, and a cheap Christmas vacation is easier than you might think.
While Disney and Universal get all of the publicity, there are countless free holiday events throughout the greater Orlando area. One place where you can get a touch of Disney flair is the town of Celebration. Disney built this town, and while they’re no longer involved in running it, the unmistakable touch of the House of Mouse is everywhere you look. Visit Town Center to experience a soapy snowfall, or take a carriage or train ride. While you’re there, visit Jeater Bend to see a spectacular homegrown light display.
The Harry P. Leu Gardens in Downtown Orlando are famous for their Dazzling Nights, when the entire garden is illuminated in Christmas lights. Sip on hot chocolate as you wander the holiday displays, mingle among Florida’s flora, and dance in the artificial snow.
The weather in Orlando isn’t always cooperative in Winter, but that’s not an issue at the Gaylord Palms. Here, the Christmas magic is almost all indoors, sheltered from the Florida weather, which is a good thing, because the star of the show here is ICE! This annual display features real ice sculptures of beloved Christmas characters like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. You can go sledding down slides of ice, watch live shows, and pick up last-minute gifts at the Alpine Village.
Stay at: Westgate Vacation Villas
Located just a mile from Disney World, the Westgate Vacation Villas is the quintessential Florida timeshare. This resort offers spacious villas with full kitchens, outdoor seating, and wet bars. Kids will love playing at Shipwreck Island Water Park, a perfect place to enjoy Orlando’s mild weather. For more indoor fun, pay a visit to the Mystery Fun House Arcade Experience: a revival of the classic Orlando attraction, featuring bowling, a Chuck-E-Cheese arcade, and an optical illusion mirror maze.
Gatlinburg: A Cheap Christmas Vacation for the Bucket List
Want to feel like you’re in a Christmas movie? While we can’t promise you’ll meet a hunky baker who will teach you the true meaning of holiday spirit, we can promise that Gatlinburg is one of the most magical places to visit during the holiday season.
One of the best places to spend Christmas in Gatlinburg is at Anakeesta: the city’s premier adventure park. This beautiful park provides incredible views of the Smoky Mountains, live music, delicious food, and all the hot cocoa you can drink. Be sure to visit at night to see Astra Lumina, a dazzling night walk experience.
Downtown, you can see millions of twinkling lights as you go on a self-guided tour of the city. While you patronize local shops and cafes, be sure to keep an eye out for the 43 custom snowpeople hidden throughout town. They add a dash of extra Christmas cheer to the whole atmosphere.
Finally, if you want to frolic in the snow, take a trip up to Ober Mountain. In addition to skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing, there’s a dedicated play area where people of all ages can enjoy playing in the slush. Be sure to check out the indoor ice skating rink while you’re here!
Stay at: Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort
Want to add a splash to your winter vacation? The Wild Bear Falls Water Park at Westgate Smoky Mountain offers year-round fun, thanks to its retractable roof. You can really feel the heat at Moonshine Hollow: the park’s indoor-outdoor sauna. You can also get a holiday season glow-up at Serenity Spa, play a few rounds of minigolf, or find your way out of the onsite escape room.
Las Vegas: A Fun, Festive, and Cheap Christmas Vacation
While Vegas is known for its dazzling lights, it doesn’t leap to the front of mind as a Christmas vacation. In fact, Christmas is one of the slower seasons in Las Vegas, with cheaper airfare and room rates. Plus, there are holiday festivities in Vegas you won’t find anywhere else.
How about spending the season with the Queen of Christmas? Mariah Carey is a resident performer in Vegas, so if you don’t want a lot for Christmas, seeing her might be the one thing you need. In addition to her most famous song, you can also enjoy a sample of her greatest hits, such as We Belong Together.
Las Vegas is known for its dazzling shows, and many of them receive a holiday makeover for the festive season. For instance, the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur transforms into ‘Twas the Knight: a Christmas dinner show featuring jousting, jesters, and jolly old wizards. For an adults-only experience, why not try Magic Mike Live: Holiday Remix? Inspired by the hit Channing Tatum film, this show combines holiday mash-ups and acrobatic performances.
Vegas is also home to dozens of family-friendly Christmas events and holiday activations. For instance, you could explore the world’s largest Christmas light maze at Enchant Las Vegas, or be awed by the drive-through displays at Glittering Lights. You don’t even need a car to experience the mile-long light tunnels. Just hop aboard the Santa Tram and be sure to pay a visit to Saint Nick while you’re there.
Stay at: Club Wyndham Desert Blue
Located in the heart of Vegas, Club Wyndham Desert Blue is surrounded by the beautiful architecture and dazzling lights of the strip. The Rio (home of famous Magicians Penn & Teller) and Caesar’s Palace are just steps away, as are the famous fountains of the Bellagio. With one, two, three, and four bedroom suites available, it’s like having your own condo in the heart of the city!
Planning a Cheap Christmas Vacation
Saving cash during the holiday season is all about strategy. It’s not just about choosing a destination. You need to pick your departure dates carefully, plan your itinerary with your budget in mind, and, most importantly, pick the right accommodations.
Travel Tips for Your Christmas Getaway
The Christmas season is undoubtedly a busy travel time, but it’s not consistently busy. Like any season, there are peaks and valleys, as well as hot and cold spots. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning that trip.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Cars are the most popular mode of winter travel and are usually the cheapest. However, that isn’t always how things work out. For a long-distance trip, the costs of gas, food, and motel stays can snowball. That’s not even considering the time investment required for a long drive. That cheap Christmas vacation can end up costing quite a lot!
Comparing different travel options can reveal some unexpected savings. For instance, taking a train or bus to your destination might not be faster than driving, but not having to drive means you can work remotely or continue traveling through the night without stopping.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Red Eye
Traveling at night sucks. It’s uncomfortable, it throws off your sleep schedule, and you can’t even get a good cup of coffee to keep you awake because all the Starbucks are closed. Even so, traveling in the early morning or late at night can save you a lot of time and money.
Off-peak hours mean less traffic, shorter lines, and cheaper fares. You can find some surprisingly cheap airfares to popular destinations if you’re willing to travel during weird times. You can save even more by traveling on off-peak days. The middle of the week (Tues-Weds-Thurs) tends to have cheaper airfares, but you can save a surprising amount of money by traveling on the holidays themselves. Few people are travelling on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, so this can be a great way to snag a cheap trip if you’re flexible.
Embrace “Close Enough”.
Let’s pause for a reality check. Prices are higher during the holidays, and there isn’t much we can do about it. However, you can save some cash and score that cheap Christmas vacation if you’re willing to deviate from the perfect vacation plan.
Let’s use a trip to Walt Disney World as an example. People love to celebrate Christmas at Walt Disney World. In fact, it’s one of the busiest times of year for the resort. This makes actually getting there (let alone staying there) a logistical puzzle. Orlando International Airport (MCO) becomes one of the busiest airports in the country over the holidays, and you’ll pay out the nose to stay at a Disney hotel. So rather than deal with high prices and higher demand, why not just avoid the issue entirely? Oh, and we don’t mean by skipping your trip, either.
For every major airport, there’s usually a smaller, local airport nearby. For instance, while Orlando International Airport experiences a large spike in traffic during the holidays, Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) sees a much smaller spike. It’s not as close to the theme parks, but it’s less expensive and less crowded. Similarly, rather than staying at Disney World, consider staying in nearby Kissimmee. Rooms are cheaper, and many resorts offer free transportation to the parks.
Timeshare Rentals: Your Cheap Vacation Hack
We’ll be up front: buying a timeshare, while it is a good way to save on vacations in the long term, isn’t cheap. On the other hand, renting a timeshare is a bargain. In fact, timeshare rentals offer unique advantages over traditional hotel rooms, making them especially appealing to budget-conscious travelers.
Minimal Overhead
When you’re renting a timeshare, you aren’t dealing directly with the resort. You’re dealing with whoever owns that particular timeshare, and they aren’t usually looking to make a profit. In fact, unless you’re a resort, it’s extremely rare to make a profit off a timeshare. Often, the people renting them out are doing so because they can’t use them that year and want to cover some of the annual fees.
This is good news for savvy shoppers, as you’re bypassing most of the additional costs associated with a hotel room. That means the average nightly rate is much lower than what you’d pay for a direct booking. Please note that every resort is different, so you may be charged an additional resort fee upon arrival.
Designed for Long Stays
Timeshare accommodations are designed to emulate the comforts of a vacation home. That means they’re much larger than a typical hotel room and include features such as full kitchens and in-room laundry. In addition to being more comfortable, these suites can also save you some money.
In-room laundry lets you pack lightly, saving you checked-bag fees and letting you extend your stay. Kitchens can help you save on your food bill by preparing your own meals. Timeshares in popular destinations often partner with local grocery delivery services, and some destinations can even pre-stock the fridge and pantry before you arrive.
Flexible Times
When you rent a timeshare, you’re renting a vacation that someone has already booked. Usually, this means someone is renting out their fixed week timeshare, or they’ve already used their points to book a trip. That means that you don’t need to worry about overbooking. Plus, since you’re renting directly from the owner, you have a smaller pool of competitors when securing your preferred time.
This isn’t a guarantee, as availability will vary. Point-based timeshares still require you to book your vacation in advance. If you’re booking a vacation at a popular point-based resort (such as anything the Disney Vacation Club offers), you’ll need to book well in advance.
Get a Cheap Christmas Vacation with Timeshares Only
Renting a timeshare for your Christmas getaway is easy with Timeshares Only. Our marketplace lets you browse rentals by date, destination, and even resort brand. Finding the perfect place to stay has never been easier.
Want to make your vacation a holiday tradition? Our marketplace also offers timeshare resales, often at 50% – 60% off the retail price. Browse our marketplace today and lock in a lifetime of holiday vacations at today’s prices.
Sell Your Timeshare With Us
If you’re looking to responsibly exit your timeshare, we can help. Timeshares Only is one of the most trusted names in the vacation ownership industry. We have decades of experience helping timeshare owners like you find a buyer, and we’re looking forward to helping you!
Ready to get started? Give us a call at 1-800-610-2734, or email us at [email protected].
