Winter vacation ideas with kids

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for ideas on a trip post Xmas - so New Year's week with two adults and 4 kids (ages 11, 11, 11, 18) that won't break the bank (LOL, I know, it's the week after Xmas so everything is probably bank breaking). We all love warm tropical areas, aren't skiers, but not against colder areas. The younger kids would probably get bored at too many museums/monuments, enjoy swimming/snorkeling, aren't skiers (as mentioned), only a few will ice skate. We'd have 12/27 to 1/5 to travel. Where would you go? We've done a cruise before and aren't sure we want to do that again for the time being. We're open to domestic and international. TIA

[Anonymous]

Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Miami, Tucson

[Anonymous]

Puerto Rico.

Look up airfare on Google flight and use the Explore option. I've been looking and it's disheartening how expensive flights are.

[Anonymous]

What does “won’t break the bank” mean to you? It’s subjective. Flights and hotels/vacation rentals are heavily marked up that week as I’m sure you know.

[Anonymous]

OP here, maybe $10K max for airfare, hotel/resort/condo, and a car rental (if necessary).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, maybe $10K max for airfare, hotel/resort/condo, and a car rental (if necessary).

I think it's going to be easily $800-1k per person in airfare to leave the US, and I'd expect to pay at least $800/night for two modest hotel rooms or a condo that will hold you all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, maybe $10K max for airfare, hotel/resort/condo, and a car rental (if necessary).

That’s going to be really hard. Any decent hotel will be at least $1k a night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, maybe $10K max for airfare, hotel/resort/condo, and a car rental (if necessary).

That’s going to be really hard. Any decent hotel will be at least $1k a night.

That is bananas. No it won’t.

op - if you don’t have one, get a credit card with points. Use the points. That budget isn’t hard for most stuff (maybe not Asia or an African safari). You could go to Turks, Puerto Rico, etc. Orlando? Maybe southern Utah? Stuff like that.

[Anonymous]

I think you could do someplace like Tucson, especially if you find a vrbo house. There’s definitely stuff to keep you busy for a week especially if you do a couple day trips. I’m trying to think of other places like that — maybe San Diego or Santa Barbara? Or New Orleans? I don’t know about someplace like Mesa Verde, whether that would be too cold in winter.

Yellowstone in winter is supposed to be really awesome but Jackson might be expensive due to the skiers.

You might be able to find someplace in Mexico but it will be getting tighter and you might end up sacrificing on comfort.

We are also a family of 5 and travel at Christmas is just really tough. Most places literally double the prices for that week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, maybe $10K max for airfare, hotel/resort/condo, and a car rental (if necessary).

That’s going to be really hard. Any decent hotel will be at least $1k a night.

That is bananas. No it won’t.

op - if you don’t have one, get a credit card with points. Use the points. That budget isn’t hard for most stuff (maybe not Asia or an African safari). You could go to Turks, Puerto Rico, etc. Orlando? Maybe southern Utah? Stuff like that.

The problem is she’ll need two rooms, so 1K is realistic. Unless you have a big family, you don’t realize how expensive travle gets. OP you might want to check and see if Costco has any deals — they sometimes have very good rates for places like Puerto Rico or Jamaica.

[Anonymous]

I suggested Tucson and then I was curious so I tried to price it out:
$605 direct on SWA to PHX x 6 = $3630
Minivan rental $780
Vrbo (lots of different price points, but here's one -- you could probably do better than this but it has a pool, mountain views and is only $300/night) -- total $3782
https://www.vrbo.com/3758184?chkin=2024-12-27&chkout=2025-01-05&d1=2024-12-27&d2=2025-01-05&startDate=2024-12-27&endDate=2025-01-05&x_pwa=1&rfrr=HSR&pwa_ts=1723244276006&referrerUrl=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudnJiby5jb20vSG90ZWwtU2VhcmNo&useRewards=false&adults=2&children=1_13%2C1_15%2C1_16%2C1_17®ionId=553248635976475171&destination=The%20Foothills%2C%20Tucson%2C%20Arizona%2C%20United%20States%20of%20America&destType=BOUNDING_BOX&neighborhoodId=553248635974904701&latLong=32.33445%2C-110.92015&nightly_price=217%2C600&privacyTrackingState=CAN_TRACK&searchId=a473cdcd-c0b7-4be3-9a3e-4c421df0d7f4&sort=RECOMMENDED&top_dp=300&top_cur=USD&userIntent=&selectedRoomType=100982615&selectedRatePlan=0004ddb36aa575414fa9a791c6da1de4e082&expediaPropertyId=100982615&propertyName=Mountain%20view%20home%20with%20private%20pool%2C%20tranquil%20patio%20%26%20beautiful%20kitchen

For activities I would do:
Saguaro National Park
Sabino Canyon National Forest (there's a nice tram that goes up the canyon and then you can hike as you please, or another hike from the visitor's center that goes to waterfalls)
Sonoran Desert Museum
Day trip to Karchner Caverns and Bisbee and/or Tombstone (take the mine tour in Bisbee!)
Maybe day trip to Biosphere if they have it all open again
Pima Air & Space Museum
Maybe Titan Missal Silo Museum
Horseback riding
Maybe Old Tucson (watch the Stunt show!)
San Xavier Mission (get the fry bread and shop in the excellent jewelry and gift store)
Maybe walking or bike tour of the historic downtown Barrio
There might also be Christmas-y type things to enjoy

If your budget is tight, I would add up the prices of these things and then decide if you want to spend more or less on the house. I think the Desert Museum is the priciest of the things I listed, or horseback riding--many of the others are pretty cheap.

I bet you could do something similar for someplace like Santa Fe or other places in the Southwest. It's not going to be really warm (it's a little random with the weather at that time of year), but it will be pleasant and there's a lot to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, maybe $10K max for airfare, hotel/resort/condo, and a car rental (if necessary).

Oh sheesh. Your airfare for 6 people flying that time of year is probably going to be half of that alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, maybe $10K max for airfare, hotel/resort/condo, and a car rental (if necessary).

That’s going to be really hard. Any decent hotel will be at least $1k a night.

Only the tone deaf morons of DC would say that. That's just nuts.