Where Should Go (Parameters Given)

[Anonymous]

Hello, DCUM!

Getting a later start than we usually would on planning a winter break vacation. How about supplying us with ideas and get us started?

We would like to get out of the US. We are hoping for a plane ride 7 hours or less, which I know limits us a lot, but we only have one week we can all be away together because of competing responsibilities and we would prefer not to have a ton of that in travel time to get there. This is a trip for 3 adults and three kids - one will be a freshman in college, two will be seniors in college.

Weather can be pretty much anything. We are interested in history, architecture, food, local culture. We are fine mixing in nature activities and enjoy all sorts of outdoorsy things but it doesn’t have to be the focus. Off the beaten path is fine.

Ideas?

[Anonymous]

Costa Rica
Caribbean
Belize
Ecuador or Colombia if adventurous
Iceland
Ireland (just a hair over 7 hours)
Vancouver
Mexico City

[Anonymous]

Are you ok with cold? Winter is cold. If you want Europe, I'd do London or Switzerland around Christmas time because the lights and markets are lovely. I personally prefer to stay cold weather around Xmas to enjoy the holiday spirit (or go skiing).

If Christmas or cold are not your thing, the alts to that (in direct flights) would be: Mexico City and surrounding area; Panama City with 2-3 day trips out of the city if you're up for a car (though it's rainy season Nov-Dec); or Bogota.

All of those have direct flights which make for easy transit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you ok with cold? Winter is cold. If you want Europe, I'd do London or Switzerland around Christmas time because the lights and markets are lovely. I personally prefer to stay cold weather around Xmas to enjoy the holiday spirit (or go skiing).

If Christmas or cold are not your thing, the alts to that (in direct flights) would be: Mexico City and surrounding area; Panama City with 2-3 day trips out of the city if you're up for a car (though it's rainy season Nov-Dec); or Bogota.

All of those have direct flights which make for easy transit.

Mexico City will be cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you ok with cold? Winter is cold. If you want Europe, I'd do London or Switzerland around Christmas time because the lights and markets are lovely. I personally prefer to stay cold weather around Xmas to enjoy the holiday spirit (or go skiing).

If Christmas or cold are not your thing, the alts to that (in direct flights) would be: Mexico City and surrounding area; Panama City with 2-3 day trips out of the city if you're up for a car (though it's rainy season Nov-Dec); or Bogota.

All of those have direct flights which make for easy transit.

Mexico City will be cold.

I've been to Mexico many times at Christmas. CDMX is not cold - particularly not by E coast standards, and when compared to London and Switzerland for Christmas celebrations. It might get chilly at night but really not too much. I'd take a sweater and maybe a light jacket

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you ok with cold? Winter is cold. If you want Europe, I'd do London or Switzerland around Christmas time because the lights and markets are lovely. I personally prefer to stay cold weather around Xmas to enjoy the holiday spirit (or go skiing).

If Christmas or cold are not your thing, the alts to that (in direct flights) would be: Mexico City and surrounding area; Panama City with 2-3 day trips out of the city if you're up for a car (though it's rainy season Nov-Dec); or Bogota.

All of those have direct flights which make for easy transit.

Following. Tell me more about Mexico City vs Panama City vs Bogota

[Anonymous]

NP -- haven't been to Panama City or Bogota but love Mexico City. I used to go for work, years ago, and it was always pretty temperate. I think it's maybe between 45-70 in the winter. Altitude was not that big of a deal for me.

Two years ago we went with our 2 teens and teenage nephew and we all had a great time, ate like kings for 10 days (side trip to San Miguel de Allende for the film festival in the summer) and no one got sick. We were feeding three hungry kids so I feel like we ate at 40% of the restaurants in the city. Stayed at the Red Tree House in Condesa; they have hotel rooms but also a few apartments in a building next door. We had the 3-bedroom so there was plenty of space for everyone, but we could walk to the RTH garden for breakfast, which was pretty good each day.

Condesa/Roma are very easy and safe to navigate on foot, and Ubers are everywhere should you wish to go farther afield. Food is great in CDMX and things are open late. You can head to Tenochtitlan one day to see the pyramids, see Frida Kahlo's house, visit the market in Coyoacan, floating gardens at Xochimilco should be pretty festive for the holidays, the Archeological Museum is nice, you can also just sit on a bench in the Parque Mexico in Condesa and watch life roll by, dogwalkers, balloon sellers, etc.

Centro is also quite interesting but quite crowded and doesn't have the street trees and more relaxed vibe of Condesa/Roma/Coyoacan -- you can see ruins of the old Aztec heart of the city right there, the main square, many beautiful and ornate colonial palaces that are now bakeries, bookshops, restaurants etc. Some nice hotels but in terms of night time safety I am not sure I'd want to stay there unless I was ubering everywhere.

Have a great trip wherever you decide to go! It's really fun to see the holidays --any of them-- in another country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP -- haven't been to Panama City or Bogota but love Mexico City. I used to go for work, years ago, and it was always pretty temperate. I think it's maybe between 45-70 in the winter. Altitude was not that big of a deal for me.

Two years ago we went with our 2 teens and teenage nephew and we all had a great time, ate like kings for 10 days (side trip to San Miguel de Allende for the film festival in the summer) and no one got sick. We were feeding three hungry kids so I feel like we ate at 40% of the restaurants in the city. Stayed at the Red Tree House in Condesa; they have hotel rooms but also a few apartments in a building next door. We had the 3-bedroom so there was plenty of space for everyone, but we could walk to the RTH garden for breakfast, which was pretty good each day.

Condesa/Roma are very easy and safe to navigate on foot, and Ubers are everywhere should you wish to go farther afield. Food is great in CDMX and things are open late. You can head to Tenochtitlan one day to see the pyramids, see Frida Kahlo's house, visit the market in Coyoacan, floating gardens at Xochimilco should be pretty festive for the holidays, the Archeological Museum is nice, you can also just sit on a bench in the Parque Mexico in Condesa and watch life roll by, dogwalkers, balloon sellers, etc.

Centro is also quite interesting but quite crowded and doesn't have the street trees and more relaxed vibe of Condesa/Roma/Coyoacan -- you can see ruins of the old Aztec heart of the city right there, the main square, many beautiful and ornate colonial palaces that are now bakeries, bookshops, restaurants etc. Some nice hotels but in terms of night time safety I am not sure I'd want to stay there unless I was ubering everywhere.

Have a great trip wherever you decide to go! It's really fun to see the holidays --any of them-- in another country.

Thank you so much for this. I haven't been to Cdmx but this makes me want to go!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you ok with cold? Winter is cold. If you want Europe, I'd do London or Switzerland around Christmas time because the lights and markets are lovely. I personally prefer to stay cold weather around Xmas to enjoy the holiday spirit (or go skiing).

If Christmas or cold are not your thing, the alts to that (in direct flights) would be: Mexico City and surrounding area; Panama City with 2-3 day trips out of the city if you're up for a car (though it's rainy season Nov-Dec); or Bogota.

All of those have direct flights which make for easy transit.

Following. Tell me more about Mexico City vs Panama City vs Bogota

what in particular? I have been to all three. In order of preference, I choose: Panama City, Bogota, CDMX.
I know that everyone raves about CDMX these days but I just use CDMX as an airport transit to surrounding towns. I love Mexico, am Mexican American, and have been to MX countless times (places other than CDMX). I prefer Cuernavaca or GDL over CDMX because the pollution honestly kills me. My nose does nothing but drip, my eyes itch, and the smog gives me migraines. It's a big city and if that's not your thing, you may enjoy 2-3 days in CDMX, 1 day to Teotihuacan, 1 - 2 days to Taxco (there are lots of day tours) or Cuernavaca, and/or to Cholula. It might be a ton of time in the car but I personally would do this type of itinerary with my kids to get out and see "real Mexico". Tepotzlan is also not far. It's designated as one of the pueblos magicos. I like taking my kids there to get a better sense of Mexico than CDMX. Next time we spent more nights in Taxco.

Bogota is a great place to spend maybe 3 days but then you feel like you need to get out of the city. There are lots of options for day trips to parks and/or fincas outside the city, or you can add another flight to Cartagena, if you have that time. It is very user/pedestrian friendly but I found the issues with fake bills/pick pocketing to be far more in Colombia than in Mx. Right now they're having a VZ migrant issue. It wouldn't keep me from going (I might head down for Xmas) but just FYI. I normally drive in countries for travel but in Colombia I will likely get a driver.

Panama is easily one of my favorites with kids/families. Infrastructure is good, country is one of safest in LATAM, it's easy to drive/navigate, English widely spoken but it is very expensive. You'll have to contend with US prices on everything. Maybe 1-2 days in the city but then I'd recommend a tour to Soberania National Park (drive yourself if you can). The park is very much worth it, and then head to Gamboa Reserve for the tours that they offer. You can also drive to Portabelo on the Caribbean side for scuba or snorkeling, or stick to the Pacific coast for surfing.

My kids preferred Panama over Mex, though for family/nostalgia reasons I will always pick Mex. In sum, all three are fantastic locals for a Dec vacation.