DQOTD: Christmas Travel - Yay or Nay?

[Nettio]

My apologies for getting my question up mid-way through the day. I'm in full blown travel preparation mode today which is the inspiration for today's question:

Do your travel plans require you travel to visit family or friends? Or are you perfectly content staying home for the holidays?

When I was growing up we traveled 8-10 hours every other Christmas to see all our grandparents and family. Now that they're older and can't travel, almost every year has become a travel year.

This year's plan involves me flying home to Northern CA tomorrow, then a week later making the trek down to Southern CA where we'll spend a few days with each side of the family (and hopefully a stop at Disneyland!) before we drive back in time for New Years. Then I eventually fly back to CO, just in time for my DH's to come home for two weeks from Afghanistan. I think I'm worn out just thinking about it.

So let's hear about all your holiday travel plans...

[jessica31876]

no real travel plans. We do go to my husbands parents house but they live like four miles away so that isnt really traveling. I typically stay home anyhow because I dont get along with some of his family and prefer to just avoid them so no conflict occurs.

[Jennilyn]

We used to have to drive to my parents house an hour away, but because we moved close to them and my ILs are coming to see us instead of us going to them, we don't have to drive much at all this year! Yay!! First time in 13 years I think!

[MamaBee]

We stay close to home... and everyone comes to our house. My parents are divorced, so it's just my mom and step dad on my side of the family... so they join my husband's family at our house on Christmas Day. Then some time between Christmas and New Year's we'll go to my dad who lives 30 min away.

[ColleenSwerb]

We alternate whose family we are with for the holidays. I much prefer holidays with my side of the family, because it only involves driving to NY. After that, the most we have to travel is 20 minutes, but usually everyone ends up at my parents house at some point.

This year Christmas will be with Jordan's side of the family. That entails driving to Western PA, then driving to Pittsburgh, then driving to central PA, and then driving home. It's like 13 hours of driving around and I hate it.

I can't wait to have kids and then demand that everyone comes to us, LOL!

[Julie Billingsley]

If I could travel somewhere fun like Disney World for a Christmas vacation, then I'd be all for it. Otherwise keep me home and we'll go to my inlaw's for Christmas day because they are local.

[tuneskids]

our closest family is about 3-4 hours away, so someone is always traveling. This year, we are not doing our customary 10 hour drive to go visit my Mom & stepdad and my ILs. This year, the ILs are coming here for a change! I am actually excited about it.

Growing up though, I never travelled at Christmas, at least not far (my grandparents moved an hour out of town just before I started jr high).

[heathergw]

We alternate which family we spend Christmas with and each of them are about 3 hours from here and other than the year Moriah was born we travel every year. I'd rather stay home though.

[xboxmom]

I chose yes we travel but I would love to just stay home. I am actually pretty bummed about our trip back to Utah for Christmas. Don't get me wrong I love seeing family but this year they have all chosen to go to St. George Utah so it wont even be in a house we grew up in. Some strang condo and no Christmas tree I am bummed.

[jaylensmom]

No traveling for me...I like to stay home...I'm not too organized so I can't imagine trying to get everything for my son someplace other that home...I would like to go somewhere where it snows one Christmas when he gets older...

[carriesmom]

I would rather stay at home but we usually travel to one set of family for Christmas. This time it is my parent's who are about 4 hours away but my brother and his wife will be here from Athens, GA and we haven't seen them since they got married so that is nice. Next year I'm thinking of just staying home.

[pewtertm]

This year we're going to Houston to spend Christmas with my mom. The past several years, she and my grandma have come and spent a week with us during the holidays, but since they're not coming this year, we're going down there.

[Stacey42]

We visit my parents for a week either at Thanksgiving or Christmas. This year was a Thanksgiving year. Next year it will be Christmas.

I don't mind because it is a 10 day vacation for us not one or two very busy days and since I buy 95% of the gifts online I can have everything shipped there & no worries about the kids finding stuff. My only issue is we host a New Year's Eve party every year because it is DH's b-day and some years we get home Dec 29th leaving me little time to prepare.

[crystalbella77]

if I could go anywhere at all for the holidays I would looooove that! we are staying home this year though!

[emmasmommy]

All of our family is within 15 minutes of us so we do travel...just not far

[kristine]

We are travelling this year. I don't really mind, but I prefer to stay home - but that is mainly because when we do travel it is to the UK, and I prefer christmas in Norway. SO is from the UK, and I have managed to avoid going for christmas for the past two years, so I had no choice this year

Also, my brother is off travelling for nine months with his girlfriend, and my parents are meeting up with him in Cambodia (no idea how to spell that) for christmas, so there's not much point in us staying here - I do have a grandma and aunties, but it's not really the same without my close family. We are going to my parents house (20 minutes away) on Sunday for a pre-christmas dinner with everyone though, so that should be good

[Leila]

I'm stuck between being in love with staying home and really wish we COULD travel, especially this year. This will be our third Christmas at home, and I'd really just love to go see my MIL (in NV) and my Grammy (in NJ). Unfortunately, neither is happening unless we have an anonymous benefactor give us travel money.

[Sharon Kay]

The furthest we have to drive is one hour (each way) to sister's house and we only do that like every other year...so not sure if this year is one of those years or not...family hasn't discussed it yet...but it wouldn't be until later on Christmas Day or the next day. I am perfectly happy with having family in town and not traveling around!

[~Julie~]

We stay pretty close to home for the holidays. We go to my moms on Christmas day which is about 15 min away and then after the holidays we go to my aunt's house who is like 20 min away.

[oohlala]

Growing up a military brat, we always tried to get home for the holidays.
Now we live near family. I love the holidays together, but would D-I-E die for a Christmas Vacation. I love Disney world, or I would love to go to the mountains and have a cozy Christmas.

[lizzyfizzy]

home for the holidays for me. nothing beats it.

[ajf9597]

Nope, no travel for me

[supertwinkle]

We live in San Diego, so usually we can convince our family to come to us. Otherwise, we just spend Christmas by ourselves. I don't like to travel during the holidays, because everyone else is traveling.

[lovely1m]

I sorta travel, but not really. All of my family lives 200-300 miles away, so I drive to visit them.

[newfiemountiewife]

Like Fizz, we don't go anywhere either. This is my family, and we stay here, at my home. My family is all over the place, and we like to stay home and try to enjoy the time off, and spend time with the kids. I generally get the same amount of time off that the kids do, so we play with their Christmas toys LOL.

I really like to stay home. It's easier for people to come to me, if they want to see the kids!

[nun69]

being in the military any chance I can travel to see family at XMAS, we TRAVEL! so for the past 7 years being stateside, we go to my in laws about 5 hours away...we travel around the 22nd and come home a couple of days after XMAS...I LOVE having LOTS and LOTS of family around for XMAS and seeing my kids faces! I live about 3 miles from my gandparents growing up and it was ALWAYS tradition to go there on XMAS day, so I like my kids to grow with that as well! I hope nest year we have our very own home and everyone will come visit US for XMAS!!!! I would LOVE to fly my mom out so she could be with my kids for XMAS {she is in VA and has never spent XMAS with my kids~}...

[suze]

I have to travel. My husband and I don't have children and I come from a separated family so we go to everyone else.

my Christmas schedule is insane

23- I work 8 hr. day and 1 hour drive then 2 hour drive to my moms
24- mom's house then 5 hour drive to in-laws
25- In-laws house. 3 hour drive back home
26- Get together party for my dad at my house
27- 30 min drive for husbands grandparents
28,29,30 <----Sleep! lol we are going to be worn out!

[rachaelsscraps]

We have a ton of family to visit on Christmas, but I wouldn't consider it traveling because we all live within an hour of each other. I would love to take a trip with everyone sometime around the holidays, but not on Christmas... I love staying home and letting my kids open their gifts by the tree... nothing beats being at home Christmas morning!

[chloe]

I love to travel because that means I'm able to see my friends and family that I don't see for the rest of the year. This year's program is just as crazy as usual to me:

24th: 5 hours train trip to Switzerland, celebrate Christmas with Mom and brother
25th: celebrate with Mom and brother again or go skiing
26th: celebrate Mom's 60th birthday
27th: celebrate with friends at midday and with dad at night
28th: go to my grandparents' (2 1/2 hours car trip) and see some family and celebrate with them
30th: go back to my mom's
31st: go back home and celebrate new year's eve with DBF

I'll be exhausted, not even sure I'll be able to stay awake until midnight! LOL

[clearskies]

This year we are actually staying home and I'm rather excited about it. Only the second year in our married life that we've done so. Last year we met up with my family in Las Vegas. Fun, but kind of weird to leave the snow for Christmas. Anyway, seeing as we have snow on the ground, I'm looking forward to my first white Christmas.