Need Ideas for a Reasonable Winter Break Vacation

[kozachka]

Last night I priced a trip to ClubMed Cancun for the weeks that DS would be out of school for winter break (Dec 19 - Jan 3) and got quite a shock - almost $19K for a two week vacation for two adults and a child?! Or $6.5K for a week over Christmas?! Thanks but I'll pass. No matter how I sliced it, it was really expensive. I guess airlines and hotels are trying to make up for lost revenue. MIL offer of coming to FL is looking much more attractive all of a sudden, despite the very long flight, but I have yet to check the cost of flights.

We are in San Francisco Bay Area. Any ideas as to where we could go for a week - 10 days during winter break? We don't ski and were hoping for a beach vacation but with these prices (and no family in the area) chances are we will be drinking champagne at home on New Year's Eve.

[citymama]

What's your budget? Kauai or Big Island would be nice at that time of year. We managed to get all 3 of us tickets on frequent flier miles this summer and the hotel/condo rates were waaaay cheaper than last year, thanks to the recession. OTOH, we're not Club Med type travelers - we rented a spacious condo right on the water at one of the most beautiful and secluded beaches, in a resort with a pool and hot tub but not a 5 star all-inclusive fancy-schmancy place. We love going to Hawaii. The west coast of MX is another option - Cabo or Puerto Vallarta.

San Diego makes for a fairly inexpensive vacation too! Not quite as warm and beachy as one would want for winter though...

[graciebellesmomma]

holy cow!

we spend a month in maui each christmas.
we do take our daughter out of school for a week on each
end to get the good airfares. we pay about 1500.00, total, (we used to get airfare for under a thousand for all three of us until ata went under)
for airfare and rent a condo for 130.00 a night.
so we spend about 5500.00 for the entire month.
of course, we rent a car, and have food expenses etc.
i'd say we do it all for about 8000.00. for a month.

it can be done, you just have to bargain hunt for a reasonable
airfare, condo rate. we just get a one bedroom and bring
her aerobed.....works great for us.

[kozachka]

we do take our daughter out of school for a week on each
end to get the good airfares.

Can you take your child out of school just so that you could get cheaper airfare? I did not think that was an option. I am almost sure that I am getting such a horrendous quote for the trip involving New Year's Eve because of the return flight over the week-end right after NYE. DS is in 1st grade if it makes a difference.

[kozachka]

What's your budget? Kauai or Big Island would be nice at that time of year. We managed to get all 3 of us tickets on frequent flier miles this summer and the hotel/condo rates were waaaay cheaper than last year, thanks to the recession. OTOH, we're not Club Med type travelers - we rented a spacious condo right on the water at one of the most beautiful and secluded beaches, in a resort with a pool and hot tub but not a 5 star all-inclusive fancy-schmancy place. We love going to Hawaii. The west coast of MX is another option - Cabo or Puerto Vallarta.

San Diego makes for a fairly inexpensive vacation too! Not quite as warm and beachy as one would want for winter though...

I am not sure what our budget is but certainly less than $19K for two weeks. Need to talk to DH about it. I tend to research the heck out of any vacation and plan everything myself so I get very good deals. We don't care about really expensive hotels, a 3.5-4 star property would be ideal. Our budget will also depend on whether I get a job by than or not, which is one of the reasons I am looking at it right now. Me think that if I have a vacation arranged and paid for before I get a job, I'd be able to lock it in as part of the hiring package. That's what my friend did and it worked. The last three years I had a really difficult time getting out of the office and had to travel during holidays to maximize vacation time (and pay the premium for it). With DH being gone out of the country about 2/3 of the time and DS in school, it would be nice to get a proper vacation.

Sounds like we like different things. I'd be tearing my hair out if I were to spend a whole month in a condo on secluded beach with DH and DS. I know it sounds bad but I need to be around other people and either see something new/interesting or challenge myself in sports. We like active vacations. Not sure if you've been to ClubMed but it is not fancy, and is certainly not a 5 star hotel. You could sit by the pool and drink all day long but it would be a waste of time and money. I would have at least one, sometimes two classes (tennis and pilates) by the time I had breakfast when we went to ClubMed in Columbus Isle, Bahamas. All while DH was sleeping in late, which he would not have been able to do if there were no group classes. I'd take two or three more activities, not counting dancing in the club, before the day's end. DH would spend hours on a catamaran. If we were to pay for all these activities a-la cart plus room and board, it would be much more money and we would not do as many activities. Plus you meet so many interesting people there as you are forced to share a table with other guest. And when we went to ClubMed with DS there were all sort of activities for kids and great nightly shows.

The last few years DH and I went to Asia while DS stayed with MIL in FL. We went to Thailand, Vietnam, India, Malaysia and Cambodia. We stayed in all sort of hotels, ranging from very simple (as in less than $15 per night including breakfast) to upscale (Westin, Marriott and local boutiques) and it is not the chain hotels that we remember. The food, the history, art and, most importantly, people that we've met... well... Hawaii is nice but it simply can't compete in terms of exotic factor, it's just too similar to US :shrug:. We used to live in San Diego, and Hawaii was not that different to justify the extra flight time and premium on everything. Maybe we went to the wrong places (Maui and Honolulu). Or maybe it was the fact that we had to constantly attend to DS (who is far from an easy child), or that MIL joined us for the second part of the trip, it's just did not feel like a perfect vacation to us.

I do realize we are not going to climb Machu Picchu (which is on my list of things to do in this lifetime) with DS while he is six years old, but I do not want to fly somewhere for 3-4 hours and pay a ton of money to spend time cooking, cleaning and celebrating New Year's Eve in a condo. I can do that at home, which is what I think will happen :cry:.

[mytwosons]

What about a cruise? All my friends in SF have been cruising out of San Diego lately because it is just too cheap to pass up! Instead of a trip to Vegas, they hop on a cruise to Mexico.

ETA: There are many properties in Cancun. I would check with a travel agent since I'm sure you could stay at a very nice property for much cheaper than the clubmed rate.

[TwinFoxes]

Scottsdale might be nice...although it could fall into your fly three hours and cook into a condo category. It's kind of like a beach vacation without the beach...your hotel pool will have to step in as the beach :) There's great shoppping, and it's pretty (although if you live in SF, you already have a lot of great shopping.) Plus there's hiking in the gorgeous desert, and that time of year is a good time to do it.

Have you thought of going to a National Park? Lots to do, and educational for DS. Do you camp? Some have campgrounds. Some of them also have beautiful lodges. The one in Death Valley is supposed to be amazing. I think it's called Furnace Creek Lodge.

I think the cruise idea is a good one. You definitely wouldn't have to worry about cooking! I'm not sure if any of the longer cruises leave from SD, but you could always try Long Beach too. Maybe you could cruise to Hawaii, and fly back?

[fivi2]

Costa Rica? (I have never been, but it is one of my dream vacations). I don't know anything about rates/seasons, but it is supposed to be child friendly and easy to make as active or relaxed as you want.

[bubbaray]

Club Med is insanely expensive, but that does seem high for 3 guests.

We find Hawaii far more expensive than the PP, but definitely cheaper than Club Med. Generally, Mexico is cheaper than Hawaii. We've been to Manzanillo for Christmas and it was really nice.

[hobie]

Can you take your child out of school just so that you could get cheaper airfare? I did not think that was an option. I am almost sure that I am getting such a horrendous quote for the trip involving New Year's Eve because of the return flight over the week-end right after NYE. DS is in 1st grade if it makes a difference.

Sure you can take your kid out of school. You can even arrange w/ your teacher to get the homework early, so your DS doesn't miss out on anything.

My favorite memmory as a child, was when my Dad drove my brother and I to school one day, but he "forgot how to get there" and we ended up spending the day in SF...so much fun!!!

[mominma]

What about an all-inclusive resort in Mexico (maybe one of the Palace resorts) or a Cruise (which would have a kids program).

[Katigre]

We just booked a 7 night all-inclusive vacation on the Maya Riviera for $2,213.00 (includes flight, airport transport, and all meals. Doesn't include excursions to the mayan ruins). That is for two adults, one infant (basically free) and one child. We're going the week before Christmas.

I highly recommend www.cheapcaribbean.com, and then checking each location on www.tripadvisor.com

[kozachka]

Sure you can take your kid out of school. You can even arrange w/ your teacher to get the homework early, so your DS doesn't miss out on anything.

That is good to know. One of DH's clients is KLM so if we were to fly via Amsterdam, we would be paying only taxes for the airfare. It's on a stand-by basis, so if we can avoid the busiest days when everybody else is flying, than it could be much cheaper than flying regionally. I would love to take DS to see Santa Claus in Europe while he still sort of believes in that kind of thing but jet-leg is going to be tough. I am pretty sure DS can still fit into his LE winter jacket and bibs from last year so we'd only have to buy new boots for him. But it's going to be cold and tiring. I am pretty sure DH is not going to like that.

[kozachka]

What about a cruise? All my friends in SF have been cruising out of San Diego lately because it is just too cheap to pass up! Instead of a trip to Vegas, they hop on a cruise to Mexico.

ETA: There are many properties in Cancun. I would check with a travel agent since I'm sure you could stay at a very nice property for much cheaper than the clubmed rate.

That's a great idea! I've never been on a cruise so did not even think of it. I like the idea of seeing new places without having to pack and unpack all the time as well as built in company (and not having to cook, obviously). And I should definitely check other properties in Mexico. I've been to Mexico three times and loved it but did not realize that other places would also have a children program.

[mamalia]

Total opposite extreme from a sunny beach but how about yosemite or sequoia? There are lodges that have family programs. Here's one: http://www.montecitosequoia.com/activitieswinter.html

I'm watching Ken Burns' documentary on the National Parks...so extremely beautiful! If you want to check out his series for vacation ideas, PBS has them online until 10/9:
http://video.pbs.org/program/1072181584/

[kozachka]

Scottsdale might be nice... It's kind of like a beach vacation without the beach...

Have you thought of going to a National Park? Lots to do, and educational for DS. Do you camp? Some have campgrounds. Some of them also have beautiful lodges. The one in Death Valley is supposed to be amazing. I think it's called Furnace Creek Lodge.

I don't think Scottsdale would work for us. We have a covered pool in our apartment complex and we love, love, love water. Both DH and DS are hooked on fishing.

We camped a lot pre-DS and have been to a fair number of National Parks. We plan on doing it again now that DS is older but will probably wait till spring or even summer. It's been nine years since we camped in Yellowstone and I still vividly remember how cold it was at night in July. We could not sleep in our tent until the sun was up. And all the lodges were booked months in advance. We'd probably rent an RV this time around although DS is dreaming of sleeping in a tent.

[geochick]

When kids are out of school for holidays, resorts and air are expensive.

We ALWAYS take our kids out of school and travel the first week of December. It's CHEAP!!! Then we stay home during the holidays when everyone else is spending triple (or more!) what we paid at the same resort a few weeks before.

Anyway, our favorite resort in in the Mayan Riviera of Mexico (an hour SOUTH of Cancun). The resort we love is Grand Palladium. This year we found a killer deal at the White Sand section of this resort on AppleVacations.com for the first week of December. I love talking about this resort. PM me if you have questions.

Iberostar also has a fun resort for families (Lindo or Maya sections). Barcelo is supposed to be good too. These are all high-quality/budget friendly resort.

Check out these resorts on Apple Vacations.

ETA: FYI - We're staying at Grand Palladium the first week of December. The cost for us to be in a 1 bedroom suite for 2 adults/2 kids is $1200 (including taxes)! Our air was $400 each on a direct flight. By traveling this week, we save thousands. When my kids are older, I won't pull them out of school, but I don't worry much about preschool and kindergarten.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Nothing wrong with chilling at home on New Year's with a bottle of champagne. :) They are my favorite kinds of NYE.

I hope you find a vacation that works well for you. Otherwise, embrace the good things about staying home. I guess I am just feeling dreamy b/c I love the Bay Area and could easily kill a holiday break there hanging out. :)

Beth

[Momof3Labs]

You can even arrange w/ your teacher to get the homework early, so your DS doesn't miss out on anything.

Maybe. Our district policy is to give the work to the child after they return from their trip. It is a lot more work for the teacher to prepare a packet in advance.

[Katigre]

Anyway, our favorite resort in in the Mayan Riviera of Mexico (an hour SOUTH of Cancun). The resort we love is Grand Palladium. This year we found a killer deal at the White Sand section of this resort on AppleVacations.com for the first week of December. I love talking about this resort. PM me if you have questions.
I just searched the Grand Palladium on www.cheapcaribbean.com and from San Francisco it was a little under $2,000.00 for everything for three people. :)

[geochick]

I just searched the Grand Palladium on www.cheapcaribbean.com and from San Francisco it was a little under $2,000.00 for everything for three people. :)

There are rooms and there are rooms at Grand Palladium. There's Standard (regular motel size room), Junior Suite (motel size room with a couch sitting area), and Suite (living room, hall, bathroom, master bedroom).

Other places to look:
Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Funjet, AppleVacations, and Grand Palladium's parent site - Fiesta (can't book air through Fiesta)
http://www.fiestahotelgroup.com/index.php/en/reservas?plantilla=fiesta2&idioma=EN&action=buscar_hoteles2&caracteristicas[1]=7&caracteristicas[5]=50&f_ini_d=28&f_ini_m=11&f_ini_a=2009&noches=7

[citymama]

I think you could do a very relaxing, luxurious trip for $5K-6K. I think the toughest part will be airfares, so maybe that's where you should start - see where you can get decently priced flights, and then take it from there. Any of the main Hawaiian island and the western MX resort towns will have really nice resorts with lots of activity options. I think Maui might be right up your street!

[neeter]

What city is this in when I do a search? Sounds wonderful!!!


I just searched the Grand Palladium on www.cheapcaribbean.com and from San Francisco it was a little under $2,000.00 for everything for three people. :)

[geochick]

What city is this in when I do a search? Sounds wonderful!!!

Grand Palladium is next to a town called Akumal...near Puerto Adventuras. I don't know what it's under on each website. I usually choose Mexican Riviera or Cancun, then look for Grand Palladium. It's a mega resort with 4 resorts in 1...plus an adults only. The resort we like to book is White Sand.

HEre's a message board where people like to talk about it...
http://palladiumaddict.net/PAForum/viewforum.php?f=1

More info...including a resort map:
http://palladiumaddict.net/MRP/Files/SiteDirectory.html

We like it because they allow kids as young as 1 in the Kids Club. Most resorts start at age 4.

The beach is magical - powder white sand, tons of shade (trees and palapas), and 6" high waves(there's a nice reef to block big waves).

[Katigre]

On Cheap Caribbean you search under "Riviera Maya" for the resort she is talking about (you could also do other locations - I found that many of the resorts were chains with locations in various parts of Mexico and the Caribbean like the Dominican Republic).

[egoldber]

You very much need to check with your district. Ours is tolerant of a couple days before and after the holiday break (and honestly they do virtually nothing the week of break that includes Christmas) but not of 2 weeks. Ten days of unexcused absences would use up all the unexcused absences for the year.

And yes, traveling over the Christmas holidays to a resort area is very expensive.

[kozachka]

We just booked a 7 night all-inclusive vacation on the Maya Riviera for $2,213.00 (includes flight, airport transport, and all meals. Doesn't include excursions to the mayan ruins). That is for two adults, one infant (basically free) and one child. We're going the week before Christmas.

I highly recommend www.cheapcaribbean.com (http://www.cheapcaribbean.com), and then checking each location on www.tripadvisor.com (http://www.tripadvisor.com)

Sounds like you got a great deal! I will most definitely check out www.cheapcaribbean.com (http://www.cheapcaribbean.com) and I always check reviews and forums on TripAdvisor before booking anything.

[kozachka]

I think the toughest part will be airfares, so maybe that's where you should start - see where you can get decently priced flights, and then take it from there.

You are probably right. I will get on this Monday morning after DS goes to school and I chat with DH re: vacation options. Thanks for the suggestions so far.

[hellbennt]

I work in a public school...like beth, at my school you'd use up all your unexcused absences for the year and that could spell trouble...
when you go ask about abscences, maybe talk w/ the guidance counselor and speak in 'hypotheticals' - find out about excused abscences vs excused and how to go about it so as not to hurt your child's grades and promotion to the next grade