Travel

Christmas

Sparkling lights and festive cheer make Christmas time a wonderful time to travel. While Christmas in Australia is synonymous with summer heat and swimming pools, you can also experience a traditional snow-capped holiday in the Northern Hemisphere. Reignite the childhood magic of the festive season with a stroll through the traditional European Christmas markets in Austria, Denmark, France and Germany. Locals and tourists alike flock to the markets for a hearty dose of yuletide spirit as well as local crafts and cuisine. Experience a postcard Christmas, snow-covered rooftops and frosted pine trees included, with a ski holiday to Switzerland or a fairytale stay in a chateau in the South of France.

Exchange your gifts against the picturesque vistas of the Canadian Rockies and take part in winter activities like snowboarding, sledding or a little light combat with a snowball fight. Ski through the snowfields by day and curl up by the fireside of an evening at one of North America's premier ski resorts like Whistler, Aspen or Vail. Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year in New York where snow blankets the streets of Manhattan and the Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree competes against the bright city skyline. Visit Fifth Avenue to see the annual department store holiday windows or take a romantic horse-drawn carriage through glittering Central Park.

Rug up in London as you explore the streets to the tune of carollers, take in a show and slice the ice at an open-air ice-skating rink. Alternatively, consider a Caribbean or Canary Island Christmas to swap the snow for the sand and enjoy the festive ambience in warmer weather. Flight Centre has a great range of cheap holidays to keep the budget in check while still allowing you to spoil yourself and your loved ones with a memorable Christmas holiday.