Renting Vacation Homes: Tips for Budget Family Travel Planners

A lot of families are harried, with work, stress, and over-scheduled children getting in the way of genuine familyRental Properties for Budget Family Vacations (homeaway.com) togetherness.  We often depend on family vacations to bring us together. Be it relaxing by a lake or actively exploring a new country, an annual family vacation is one of the best ways to build strong family ties. It’s a shame that economic worries are relegating annual family trips to the backburner: Those valued experiences should never be disregarded in their importance. With budget being a concern, vacation rental properties provide a money-saving alternative. I spoke with Justin Halloran, VP of Global Initiatives for HomeAway, about tips regarding rental vacation houses for families on a budget.

Many families are reducing or even eliminating their travel budgets this year.  What are the benefits of vacation rental properties for families?

With vacation rentals, the space is key for families:  Kids can run freely. Parents can enjoy their own room and don’t have to split the kids between two double beds and if you’re traveling with older kids you are saved the expense of booking multiple hotel rooms.   I personally find having a kitchen the best feature in vacation rentals.  Kitchens allow you to save a lot of money by avoiding the outrageous costs of mini bars, room service and eating out for every meal. Staying in for breakfast and letting the kids stay in their pajamas is just so much easier and more fun.  Plus, when you recall your favorite family vacations you never picture your family crammed into a hotel room.  But if you stay in a vacation rental, I bet you will have lasting memories of your family sitting around the table during a meal, talking, laughing and feeling a true sense of relaxation and contentment.

HomeAway offers these cost-cutting tips for that family vacation:

* Stay closer to home- drive instead of fly
* Stay in a vacation rental instead of a hotel
* Travel with extended family or another family to split costs and double the fun
* Save money and your sanity by preparing meals in your vacation rental instead of always going to a restaurant
* Check HomeAway.com for Special Offers and VacationRentals.com for deals and freebies

What are some of the most popular places for HomeAway vacation homes for families?

rent a vacation property in Hawaii (homeaway.com)Vacation rentals are always a better option in accommodations for traveling families because they get come with more privacy, amenities and multiple bedrooms. However, some of the most-popular destinations for family travel include: Destin and Orlando, FL (Disney is always tops for families), Hilton Head SC, Cape Cod MA, San Diego CA and Outer Banks, NC.  Here’s a list of vacation rentals that show the perks and variety of family-friendly vacation rentals on HomAway.

What are some tips or suggestions you’d give to first-time vacation home renters?

Here are a few helpful tips for first-time renters, but for a full breakdown of how to rent a vacation rental check out our how-to list.

* Book with a reputable site with a substantial inventory.  Using sites like HomeAway.com, VRBO.com or VacationRentals.com, travelers can easily find and compare thousands of properties from around the globe.  The more choices that are available, the more likely you’ll be able to find a property that has availability and meets your needs and budget.
* Talk to the homeowner—Once you find a home that you think may work, contact the property owner or manager directly to ask questions about the rental and the area to make sure its suitable for your group.  Having a conversation with the owner may enable you to negotiate a price that’s more within your budget, find out great local spots to check out while visiting, or if it turns out they’re booked, they may be able to refer you to another property nearby.
* Read reviews—Sites like HomeAway.com feature reviews from previous guests, which can come in handy for getting a first-hand account of the property
* Register your trip—All of the properties listed on the HomeAway sites are protected by the HomeAway Rental Guarantee.  Travelers who register for the free-guarantee are covered up to $5,000 in the event that the vacation rental book is determined to be not-legitimate.
* Get it in writing—Make sure you have a rental agreement that clearly states the homeowner’s rules and policies regarding check-in/out times, cancellations, etc.
* If possible, pay by credit card.

These are some valuable tips, Justin. Thank you for describing the advantages of renting vacation houses for family travel planners on a budget.

family vacations with rental homes (homeaway.com)

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July 3, 2009 | Filed Under Budget Travel, Family Travel | 6 Comments 

Your Questions Answered: Great Vacation for Special-Needs Kids

Recently this note was emailed to us via our Ask page:

sxc.huHere is a big one. We have an 18-year-old son with autism and a daughter also with special needs. Despite the autism, he is very social wanting to play with younger children, which can make a family destination stressful for us.  Any suggestions? We usually do beach vacations in Michigan and have done Florida before. We live in the Chicago area. I also think a connecting flight would be hard for us. Any “special” all inclusives you may know about?

This one was a tough one for the Mamas, as it’s not a travel niche we’re familiar with. The first thought that came to my mind, however, was the Azul property that I deemed the best family-friendly resort in the Riviera Maya: Azul Beach. With just 97 rooms, this property is small and easy to navigate. Here, the very friendly and accommodating staff gets to you know you (and your children) quickly, addressing you by name. I think if I had special-needs kids, I’d feel a great sense of peace, knowing that I was at a place where the staff cares about you and is very cognizant of making guests feel at home. Again, with special-needs children, I’d rather stay at a small resort than a big one, where my family and I are just “numbers.” Finally, there are non-stop flights from Chicago to Cancun (and then the resort is a short 2o-minute drive away).

Another close-to-home option might be an indoor waterpark resort. Now, these resorts — with enclosed, massive waterparks — could be totally inappropriate, depending on the abilities and personalities of your children. The water-play areas can be very loud (chaotic in fact) which can be overwhelming to any child. However, indoor waterpark resorts are incredibly convenient — all of your entertainment, from family-friendly dining to the waterpark to arcades and other diversions, is inside the resort. No need to venture off. Check out the various locations of the Great Wolf Lodge. Find many other resorts in Sandusky, Ohio, and Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

As far as other options go, you might check out this list of travel resources for children with special needs from Babycenter.com. Then there’s an entire site called Autism Travel that is dedicated to helping parents of kids with autism plan family trips.

Still another consideration: have you thought about a cruise? Accessible travel writer Candy Harrington suggested a Caribbean cruise. She took the time to write the following:

Personally I would recommend Royal Caribbean, as they have an excellent Adventure Ocean Program for kids from 3-17. Yes, I know your reader’s son is 18, but he is considered a special-needs child so they may make an exception for him. I’ve seen this done in the past, and so has my travel agent friend Connie George (who handles accessible travel). Basically you need to contact the special-needs department at the cruise line  to make sure that this will happen. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, you should work with a travel agent who is used to doing this type of thing.

royalcaribbeanI also highly recommend the Royal Caribbean ships as, they offer lots of fun things to do. This is especially true of the newer Freedom Class ships, which have lots of cool features like the H2O zone water park, the Surfrider, a rock climbing wall and even a miniature golf course. Lot’s of fun for the whole family. And while the kids are in the Adventure Ocean Program, mom can enjoy the spa services. Plus there are lots of fun things to do ashore as a family.

You just can’t get more all inclusive than a cruise. And many Caribbean cruises stop on a private island; since this family has enjoyed beach vacations before, that seems like a good match for them. Plus, with RCI departures from Newark, Miami and Baltimore, it’s easy to find a departure city with direct air service from Chicago.

Wow, Candy! Thanks for your insight. If any other folks-in-the-know or travel agents have suggestions for our reader, please let us know via the comments below. We’d welcome any other recommendations regarding suggestions for a top-notch resort vacation for a family with special-needs kids. Travel agents and travel experts, please chime in!

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July 2, 2009 | Filed Under Family Travel, Travel News | 2 Comments 

Win a Spa Getaway Vacation in Napa Valley, CA

Quick - who here loves California’s wine country, spa treatments, and long weekend getaways? Really? Me too! Imagine that. I’m excited because one of my favorite resources for luxury family vacations, Ciao Bambino, is running a giveaway that seems tailor-made for me: A 3-night stay for a family of 4 in Napa Valley’s Solage Calistoga, plus a (get this) MUDSLIDE spa treatment for two. No wonder I’m excited.

Win a Spa Getaway (ciaobambino.com)

Honestly, part of me considered keeping quiet about this - giving myself a better chance to win - but then, that wouldn’t be fair. Solage Calistoga, after all, is a beautiful resort that is really child-friendly, somewhat of a rarity in upscale Napa Valley. Wine tastings and romantic getaways are more typical of Napa Valley vacations.

Just fill in this form to enter, and good luck. I entered too. The contest run ends July 17, 2009.

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July 1, 2009 | Filed Under Destinations, Family Travel, Luxury Travel, Travel News | 3 Comments 

Family Friendly: Loews Lake Las Vegas

Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort Is there such a thing as family-friendly Las Vegas? That’s a question many parents ask as they begin to research their vacation options. I’m here (really, I’m here in Las Vegas right now) to tell you Yes! Las Vegas can be family-friendly - especially if you stay at Loews Lake Las Vegas  Resort in Henderson, only 17 miles from the strip.

What makes Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort so family-friendly? Let me count the ways…

1. Playground. As soon as we arrived, the kids made a beeline for the Playground outdoor nautical-themed playground which sits next to one of the pools and the basketball/tennis court.

2. Beach. You can see the full beach in the top photo (taken from our room). There are tons of sand toys for the kids to play with and the kids especially have fun trying to “catch” the fish swimming along the shore.Beach

3. Fantastic pools and water slide. This Loews has two pools, the shallower of the two is the landing pool for the water slide and is where most of the kids swim. This pool is  loaded with pool toys like kickboards and noodles. Small cabanas line this pool and are available for rent as are the larger cabanas surrounding the upper, more mellow pool. We enjoyed one of the larger cabanas for a day and thoroughly enjoyed the misters, cabana fan and mini fridge for keeping our water cool. There’s also a safe to keep your valuables so you don’t have to worry when you’re off enjoying the pools. I highly recommend  renting a cabana during your stay. It’s a great place to kick back and lets the kids relax in between water slide rides and swimming.

4. Summerfest on the Lake. From now though September 7, 2009 Loews Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort Lake Las Vegas is offering weekends of fun for the kids. Kid’s Concierge, set up in the lobby, is the place to stop and sign up and learn more about the weekend activities and grab a snack. Some of the kid and family friendly activities you will want to check out are:

SushiSkool is a fabulous program where kids aged five and up learn how toSushiSKool create their own sushi rolls. The class is held every 1st, 3rd and 4th Saturday at 3pm. Cost is $20 and while the kids are in session the parents can hang out and enjoy wine and sushi for $25 (one adult per enrolled student).

Friday night parents can enjoy Date Night Movies and on Saturday night families can partake in Dive-In Movies at the pool. Both Friday and Saturdays evenings families can create memories with Smores on the Sand ($5 per packet). A fire pit is set up, ready and waiting to greet some unsuspecting marshmallows.

5. Kids Club. This it the ultimate reason to stay here if you want the opportunity to experience the glitz and glamor of Vegas without hauling the kids along. Kids ages 3-12 (if they’re potty trained) can experience several different activities (swimming, hiking, fishing, arts and crafts!) from morning to afternoon to night. Traditional kid-friendly meals are served.

The best part, Kids Club is the only fully licensed resort childcare facility in the city. What does this mean? Loews Kids Club is the only property that allows parents to leave the resort property while the kids are in the facility’s care (so go pop a few quarters into a machine at Mandalay Bay or watch Bette Milder sing her heart out). We took advantage of this wonderful opportunity and went over to the nearby Lake Las Vegas Village and enjoyed a wine bar, had a kid-free dinner, played a few slots and listened to live jazz - all while our kids had an absolute blast. They chowed on mac n cheese and pizza, made glow-in-the-dark bracelets and went out on an evening frog hunt - the highlight of their stay.

No matter what your thought is on Las Vegas being family-friendly or not, I am extremly impressed with the family-friendliness of Lowes Lake Las Vegas and recommend it to any family thinking about hitting Las Vegas for  vacation.

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June 29, 2009 | Filed Under Family Travel | 7 Comments 

Twilight Tour Video - Family Vacation in Olympic National Park

Parents and children flock happily to the US National Parks every summer for family vacations. But what about that cranky, out-of-sorts teenager? Adolescents can be real downers during a family vacation, what with texting, eye rolls, and “I just wanna be with my friends.” That’s why families with teens should strongly consider Olympic National Park. This is where the Twilight book and movie series takes place, after all - Forks is right in the National Park. In fact, several Twilight locations are specifically designated as such now, such as Edward Cullen’s and Bella Snow’s houses.

Dazzled by Twilight is a store and tour bus operated by Annette Root, and she’s as passionate a Twilight fan as they come (Team Edward, I believe, but I’m not sure). She hired a fantastic Twilight guide, Travis, to show my group around. Yes, the group was all women - coincidence? I think not. Twilight fans skew strongly female. Check out the video below: Since the Dazzled by Twilight Tour is sure to be every teenager’s highlight of an Olympic National Park family vacation, I don’t give too much away.

Twilight may be why your surly teenager suddenly wants to visit Edward Cullen from Twilight in Forks, WAOlympic National Park, but Forks is not only the setting for the incredibly popular vampire romance series. A true story, passed down orally throughout the years, was retold by my group’s travel guide in the Forks Timber Museum - yes, a dose of reality for the family may just cure that sense of being overpowered by vampire lore. For someone like me, that’s just what the doctor ordered.

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June 25, 2009 | Filed Under Budget Travel, Destinations, Family Travel, Videos | 10 Comments 

Children and Flying - Unaccompanied Minors

By now most of us with an interest in air travel have heard the news about that 10-yr-old unaccompanied minor who was put on the wrong plane at Logan Airport. This was due to errors and miscommunication of Continental Airlines staff at the gate, and you don’t have to be a parent to imagine the heart-stopping fear that the child’s parents must have felt before she turned up in Newark.  After the sympathetic anxiety resides, though, parents should consider that this sort of complete mess-up is incredibly rare. After all, unaccompanied minors fly every day. How do we decide when our children are ready to fly without us?

Children Can Fly Solo on Airplanes (swiss_a320 via Flickr)

Kids have varying degrees of independence, needless to say. One 10-yr old could happily skip aboard a plane, while another may cower and cling.  The major guideline is simple: No child under 5 years old can fly as an unaccompanied minor. Airlines wisely have age restrictions with types of flights allowed broken down by age group. For example, United Airlines clearly states that 5- to 7-year-olds (the youngest age group allowed to be unaccompanied minors) may only fly on nonstop flights. Southwest doesn’t delineate age groups in such detail as United, but has a policy for children age 5-11, with kids 12 and up having aged into their Youth Fare. Most airlines have additional fees for unaccompanied minors.

Now, I can’t imagine having a 5-yr-old child of mine fly unaccompanied, but that may speak more to the relative dependence - and whine factor - of my kids when they were that age. Other young children may be capable of much more! …And other parents too; a big element of “being ready” to fly as unaccompanied minors has to do with parent readiness. My 10-yr-old may feel ready to fly solo, but me? Not so much. As a matter of fact, I’m hoping that someday in the distant future, her husband will agree with me that living in her childhood bedroom as a married couple is a TOTALLY awesome idea.

In the meantime, Continental Airlines made a huge mistake, no doubt about it. It’ll be interesting to see the fallout, if any. After all, the policies regarding unaccompanied minors are already pretty straightforward. We can’t ever eliminate the chance of human error, either…so, what do you think? Are people going to change the way they let their children travel?

(Bob Richards, via Flickr)

UPDATE - Maybe it’s just Continental Airlines: The Associated Press is reporting that the same day that the 10-yr-old girl got on the wrong flight, another unaccompanied minor was also misdirected by staff at Continental. In this case, an 8-yr-old girl intending to fly to Charlotte, NC, ended up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The AP quotes her mother as saying, “I’ve never seen so much incompetence in all my life.”

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June 17, 2009 | Filed Under Family Travel, Flying High, Travel News | 6 Comments 

Stellar Staff at Family-Friendly Elk Mountain Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado

dude1The perks of my job as a travel writer are many. Namely, I get to experience places that I might not normally visit on my own. Take, for example, my family’s recent stay at the incredibly family-friendly dude ranch, Elk Mountain Ranch, in the San Isabel National Forest in south-central Colorado. I’m not a horse person, and neither are my kids, so we wouldn’t naturally choose a dude ranch for our vacation (though we love the all-inclusive concept at Mexican resorts). But when the opportunity to visit one for a story assignment came up, I sure wasn’t going to turn it down!

We had an absolute ball — from learning how to ride (all of us but my husband, who grew up around horses) to enjoying nature in  pristine spot in Colorado to indulging in some of the best family-style, home-cooked meals I’ve had in a long time.

But what really stood out at Elk Mountain Ranch is the genuine hospitality of its owners, Tom & Sue Murphy, and the wonderfully accommodating and friendly staff. (Here’s another perk of travel writing — meeting all sorts of fabulous people I wouldn’t otherwise meet!)

dude2Owners Tom and Sue go out of their way to welcome guests to the ranch; it’s their home, too: their house is a stone’s throw from the comfortable main lodge. Both of them sit with guests at dinner every night, never tiring of answering questions about the ranch and their history there (they met as employees back in the mid-1980s!). Both of them work the ranch every day: Tom delivers a thorough “horse orientation” talk before the week’s first trail ride, detailing the finer points how to treat a new-to-you horse. He’s also out there teaching young children in the arena,  helping to send older kids and adults off on their trail rides, cooking brunch over an open campfire, and playing “fat bat baseball” at more than 10,000 feet!

Hands-on Sue drives the van to remote lunch locations, so that children can meet their parents in the middle of a trail ride. She oversees the goings-on in the kitchen, as well as the children’s program. She took the time to help my daughter brush her favorite horse and get milk bottles so she could feed the baby goats. While we were there, Sue not only regularly played Uno with the kids in the main lodge before dinner was served, but she accompanied a children’s  “field trip” to the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Pool. Not one to sit on the sidelines, she was in the pool playing Marco Polo with the kids and giving them rides on the floaty noodles. She offered to keep an extra eyeball on my two children while I enjoyed a quiet, kid-free soak in the “extra hot” pool. If that’s not accommodating, I don’t know what is!

dude33And the staff… the wranglers who led our trail rides (and drove the hayride tractor, and taught roping to the kids, and took a group fishing, and led a marksmanship tournament) were out-of-this-world polite, friendly and downright darling. (I love being called “ma’am.”) I cannot express my appreciation enough to Mike and Caleb who patiently led my trail rides. (How many times did Mike have to remind me how to guide Flint back on the trail?)

The young ladies who run the kitchen, wait tables and work the children’s program are also genuinely friendly and eager to get to know the guests. Always smiling and courteous, they go out of your way to make sure your every need is met (I think they are the speediest servers in the West). I sound positively ancient when I write this, but their parents did an outstanding job raising them!

Clearly, the owners and staff at Elk Mountain Ranch made my family’s stay incredibly pleasurable. But there are so many more reasons to consider a vacation here, from its wonderfully remote location in the mountains, to the comfortable lodging, to, once again, the amazing food. But the number-one reason I’d book a stay at the family-friendly Elk Mountain Ranch is its stellar customer service.

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June 14, 2009 | Filed Under Destinations, Family Travel | 5 Comments 

Travel Writer Gone Bad: Setting off a Hotel Fire Alarm

Within an hour of arriving at the Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa in Avon, Colorado, my husband (dear, sweet husband) managed to set off our condo’s fire alarm. Yep, in an effort to make this weekend as economical as possible, we packed a cooler full of dinner ingredients. In frying the sides of a burrito in a skillet (is this a chimichanga?), smoke ensued. The super-loud fire alarm kept buzzing for at least 25 minutes! We headed to the (lovely) outdoor pool to escape the ear-splitting noise. But not before we ate the yummy burritos!

Thanks to the Westin for hosting our stay — our two-bedroom suite with full kitchen, balcony facing Beaver Creek Mountain, classy modern decor and big ol’ master bathroom is fabulous. I’m guessing after tonight we won’t be invited back. So we’ll certainly enjoy the property while we can!

The video here is “catching” for me; try watching it directly on YouTube for a cleaner version.

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June 12, 2009 | Filed Under Destinations, Family Travel | 7 Comments 

Top Attractions in Las Vegas for School-Age Kids

On my most recent trip to Las Vegas, I found myself saying to my husband more than once, “Oh, the kids would have liked this!” That’s because we happened to take in a handful of family-friendly attractions while we were there — without our children!  I’m not a big proponent of vacationing with kids in Las Vegas; do you really want to explain the why people are handing out “XXX Girls!” cards on the street? But if you’re road-tripping through Sin City with kids in mysteretow, or if you’re attending a Vegas convention and want to bring the whole family along, here are some of the top activities and attractions in Las Vegas for school-age children:

Cirque du Soleil: If you have a child age eight and up who is involved in theatre, dance or gymnastics, I’d bite the bullet and spend the big bucks ($100 or more) to take him or her to a Cirque du Soleil performance. While I sat mesmerized during The Beatles LOVE (at the Mirage), I couldn’t help but think of my nine-year-old daughter, who would have absolutely appreciated all of the special effects, the music and especially the excellent hip-hop dancing and incredible acrobatics. Just make sure you book tickets for the earlier evening shows (around 7 or 7:30 p.m.) ; and avoid the R-rated, sexy Zumanity. (Mystere and O are other shows I can personally recommend. The music and sound effects can be loud; best to leave kids with sensitive ears at home.)

sharkreefShark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay: Compare the Shark Reef exhibit to, say, the New England Aquarium, and you’ll be disappointed. But, consider that this attraction is just one section of the (albeit massive) Mandalay Bay resort property, and it’s rather impressive. About 2,000 creatures in 1.6 million gallons of seawater make their home here, including piranahs, jellyfish, rays, sea turtles, Komodo Dragons, and, naturally, sharks. I like the audio tour (see photo) that’s included with admission; at each exhibit, touch a button to learn more about the animal — no reading required. Another plus: the aquarium emphasizes conservation of earth’s natural resources; signs (reading required) teach about environmental education. Admission is $16.95 for adults; ages 5 to 12, $10.95.

skeletalmusclesBODIES…The Exhibition at the Luxor: This human anatomy exhibit is fascinating. See real firsthand the inner workings of human bodies that have been polymer preserved — with exhibits detailing the respiratory, circulatory and muscular systems. Cool stuff! I saw several tween-age children here, and none were pointing and giggling at the, er, private parts on display. An option audio tour offers fascinating educational information in vocabulary that’s toned down and appropriate for kids (hubby and I actually liked listening to the kids’ less-technical version better). Choose whether or not you want to walk through the preserved fetuses; this section is totally optional (but, to me, one of the most interesting exhibits). Also see a set of smokers’ lungs; if that won’t encourage you to quit, I don’t know what will. Adult admission is $31; children ages 4 to 12 is $23. (Though, I likely wouldn’t recommend to kids under age seven.)

Titanic, The Artifact Exhibition at the Luxor: My seven-year-old son became fascinated by the ill-fated ship after reading Tonight on the Titanic from the Magic Tree House series of books. He was thoroughly bummed he missed out on this exhibit of actual items retrieved from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Staterooms and hallways are re-created at this Luxor attraction, and we entered a room kept at frigid temperatures so that we could touch a giant “iceberg.” We read of actual passengers’ stories on the Titanic — sad tales of families who were planning on making new lives in America, but never made it,  and we looked at hundreds of artifacts, such as dishware, passengers’ clothing and luggage, and one 15-ton piece of the ship’s starboard hull. I think this is an excellent way for kids to learn about a tragic event in world history — seeing these artifacts up close is much more interactive than reading of the disaster in history books. Admission is $27 for adults; $20 for children.

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June 10, 2009 | Filed Under Destinations, Family Travel | 6 Comments 

What’s Open on Christmas Day in NYC?

Your Questions Answered: A little while ago, one of our readers wrote to ask about Christmas in New York City. Specifically, she wanted to know what would be open on Christmas Day in NYC: It would be her last day in the city, as she has a nighttime flight home and some time to spend strolling around by herself. Well, the Mudslide family spent a lot of Christmases in New York City, so I’m happy to help her figure out how to fill the last day of her vacation with NYC activities!

Radio City Christmas Spectacular in NYC (radiocitychristmas.com)

  • Sure, not EVERYTHING’S open in NYC on Christmas Day, but you’d be surprised at what IS. Since you’re not leaving until nighttime, you have all day to wander the chilly streets and take in the sights. Radio City Christmas Spectacular has shows at 1PM, 4PM and 7PM - plan ahead, buy a ticket, and watch one of the most famous Christmas time shows in the world. Who hasn’t heard of the Rockettes?
  • If you’ve already seen the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Show, or if you’re just not that interested in it, there are several Broadway theaters that aren’t dark (i.e. closed) on Christmas Day. This changes year to year, of course, so check playbill.com to see what your options are.
  • Why not see NYC on Christmas Day from up high? The Empire States Building is open until early Empire State Bldg. is open on Christmas Day (wikipedia.com)afternoon (last year it opened from 10AM-2PM) and Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center is open all day.
  • Also at Rockefeller Center, the ice skating rink is open all day, straight through to midnight on Christmas Day. Other ice skating rinks that are open on Christmas Day include the Wollman Rink in Central Park and the Pond - well, it’s presumably a frozen pond by late December - in Bryant Park. Both remain open through the late evening.
  • Now, tons of restaurants stay open during Christmas Day in NYC. If you want to splurge, consider making a reservation at the Rainbow Room. Yes, this is in Rockefeller Center, like the Rink and the Top of the Rock - this restaurant is pretty fancy, though, and men need to wear jackets. If you’re wearing what you want to fly home in (meaning comfortable clothes), then The Rainbow Room Grand Holiday Buffet may not be the smart choice for you. Chinatown restaurants are by and large open. A great resource for dining is Open Table. It has updated lists of the restaurants in NYC that are open on Christmas Day.
  • And, you know, it IS Christmas Day. If you so choose, there are religious services (and special concerts) in churches all over New York City. St. Patrick’s Cathedral Christmas Day Mass is celebrated nearly every hour on the hour until 1PM. and St. John the Divine hosts annual Christmas Day concerts - usually one mid-afternoon and one at night. The Trinity Wall Street has a late morning Holy Eucharist on Christmas Day too, although St. Paul’s Chapel itself is closed on Christmas Day.

He Knows What To Do in NYC on Christmas Day! (TapRootDancer via flickr.com)B. wrote back and said, in part, “…Going to NYC at Christmas time  has been a dream for years and I’m going alone as no one else thinks it’s such a wonderful idea!! (I think it’s just because it’s so cold). But I love Xmas lights and all the excitement. I’m all ready to go shopping and see the sights…Thanks again for all your information.” You’re welcome, B. The Traveling Mamas hope you have a wonderful Christmas in New York.

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June 8, 2009 | Filed Under Destinations, Family Travel, Luxury Travel | 4 Comments 

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