Best places to travel to for Christmas 2018
Christmas
Many families look forward to their Christmas break. There is no denying that no time of the year is as special as Christmas time, and being able to spend it in a foreign country adds to its magic. While the trip’s preparations may seem rather daunting at first, there is no doubt that a Christmas trip is one of the main highlights of the year.
You would want to go to a place which offers you the very best in terms of Christmas festivities, while you also have a relaxing time with your loved ones. There are various Christmas holiday destinations that are popular during the festive season. We will be discussing some of these, while trying to include something for everyone, both in terms of
So brace yourselves and check out the following to choose the perfect Christmas destination this year!
Malta – island on sea
Photograph by Ferenc Horvath via Unsplash
Malta
You might never have heard of this tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, but it is actually one of the best places you could go to for Christmas. In Malta Christmas is celebrated in a very sweet manner, making it the perfect destination for a family with kids. This island is predominantly Christian and so you will be cherishing the real value of Christmas. With Baby Jesus and the Nativity scene as the focal points, in Malta you will be able to savour some unique Christmas traditions as well as great food.
In Malta, you will notice that homes are very nicely decorated for Christmas. It seems that the Maltese people go out of their way to bring the Christmas spirit to every corner of the island. You will be able to
There is the statue of Baby Jesus beautifully decorated in each church, and in many villages and the Baby Jesus is also used for a traditional procession in the streets with the participation of many children. The traditional crib will also be found in all churches, as well as plenty of crib exhibitions in different areas of the various villages. These are very artistically made with some even being mechanised.
Gozo – Silhouette photography of person standing near mountain
Photograph by Remi Yuan via Unsplash
Speaking of the nativity scene, you just have to go to Gozo, which is Malta’s sister island. You can get there by ferry, from the Cirkewwa port. The ferry trip lasts about half an hour and it costs only Euro4.65 per adult and Euro1.15 per child. If you plan to hire a car from
Back to Malta, you will also be able to
Christmas in Malta is the perfect option for a family Christmas break. Prices are very competitive if you were to compare them with other Christmas destinations both in Europe and elsewhere. There are many hotels to choose from, most of which have very good reviews because the Maltese are renowned in the hospitality sector.
The cuisine in Malta is exceptional. You will find countless dining options in most areas, especially in the more touristic locations like St. Julian’s, Sliema, and St.Paul’s Bay. Since it is Christmas time you will be able to try out some traditional foods prepared especially during this period. These include the hot chestnut and cocoa soup (imbuljuta tal-qastan), and the treacle rings (qaghaq tal-ghasel). You will also find lots of mince pies, Christmas cakes and Christmas logs. Although not a Christmas food, you should make sure to try out the traditional Maltese pastizzi, made with ricotta or peas.
Sea beach water rocks
Photograph by NegativeSpace via Pexels
Another advantage of spending Christmas in Malta is that you will not have to worry about having your trip ruined by bad weather. The weather in Malta is typically very warm, and so even in late December you are bound to get warm sunny days with temperatures ranging around 11 and 16 degrees Celsius. A Christmas trip in Malta will not break the bank but it will definitely give you a very Christmassy break which will be remembered by all the family.
Malta travel information summary
Transportation
- Ferry: €1.15 (kid) – €4.65 (adult)
- Bus: €1.50 (per trip) – €39 (weekly travel card)
- Car (with driver): €15.70
Places to visit
- Gozo island
- St. John’s Co-Cathedral
- Manoel Theatre
- Malta Toy Museum
- St. Julian’s
- Sliema
- St.Paul’s Bay
Local cuisine
- Imbuljuta
tal –qastan qaghaq tal –ghasel - Maltese pastizzi
Hello Jack. I guess you are having a good time with the season. Thank you for sharing this information on the best places to travel to for Christmas 2018. Christmas is a period to celebrate the birth of the king. Better enjoyed with family and friends and best enjoyed traveling to places like you have recommended in this article.
Hi Barry, thanks for your comment. Wish you have a great time this Christmas!
On christmas may people like to have good time especially christians.Many prefer to travel in nice places or to visit their relatives.I passed through this post and found the most wonderful places anyone could want o visit .Malta is a beautiful place and i wish i could like to visit this place.
Many people would like to visit Malta
Thanks for your comment. Hope you can visit Malta soon 🙂
Oh yes, Malta has been on my bucket list for quite some time and to head there for Christmas would be heavenly! I did not know about Gozo, the sister island, so that was great information for me. A short ferry trip is not too bad. I am curious if you know what the Visa/Passport requirements are for U.S. Citizens? Also, do you know if cruises port here at all?
Thanks for your comment. FYI, you can visit Malta for 90 days without Visa and yes, there are plenty of beautiful cruise ports in Malta like The Grand Habour (Valletta) 🙂
HI Jack, really enjoyed your post. I was attracted to it after a conversation with my sister yesterday about travel and Christmas. Her kids have grown so she is a little bleh.. on Christmas at the moment as they don;t placce the same enthusiasm on it that they used to. What interests me though is how different we are depending on the side of the world you live on. You see it is summer here down under so we all look for winter destinations in search of that elusive white christmas.
I took my own kids to LA a few years back for Christmas and we booked a place for lunch up in Big Bear to get that White Xmas feeling. Trouble was, it was the warmest winter LA had experienced in 20 years so there was no snow. We ended up eating Xmas lunch on a beach in San Diego. That said, it is really hard to not like the look of Malta.. might have to add that to the list of destinations to escape our own winter and maybe have Chirstmas in July there…
Paul
Thanks for your comment, Paul. Wish you have a great Christmas time with the family this year 🙂
Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to write this detailed and informative recommendation for the best place to celebrate Christmas. I admit that I’ve never heard or considered traveling to Malta for Christmas. I love the scenery and architecture. I also like that you can buy a weekly bus pass instead of having to buy a book of tickets or use cash which can add up.
Thanks for sharing,
Marlinda
Thank you for your comment. 🙂
Congratulations Jack. It is a very helpful article. I have listened something about Malta but your description is very comprehensive. Probably for this Christmas I am a little bit late, but for sure it will be a destination of mine in the next year. Maybe not for Christmas but for summer. The sea is really beautiful and the Mediterranean cuisine is delicious. Best regards
Thank you, Leo. I am very glad that you like the post 🙂
Thank you for letting us know about Malta this holiday season. Although the island of Malta seems like a great holiday destination, my family is way to big to get everyone together for a Christmas adventure. My immediate family might be able to get away for a week another time during the year but as for Christmas, we will definitely be going to see grandma. Are there any other times of the year that you would suggest?
Hi, Micah, thanks for your comment. Even though the post is about places to travel during Christmas but you can still travel to Malta with the family during winter season 🙂 The temperature of Malta during Winter is 27°C which is perfect for travel.
I have never heard this place before, and when I look at this island on the map it is located in the south of Italy. So that if I want to go and visit Malta, where can I apply to a Visa. Is it Italy embassy?
Thanks for your comment, Decharat. US, Australian and Canadian nationals can stay in Malta for 90 days without a visa, and for EU nationals, you can stay there for an unlimited period (based on https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/europe/malta/passport-visa/). In case you need to apply for a Visa, you can find more information here https://identitymalta.com/visa-applications-information/ . Hope it helps 🙂
The child in me came out when I saw Toy Museum in your review of Malta! I am fascinated by toys of yesteryear and how much of a better quality they are from the toys we have today.
I think of Meccano – a great way to teach children engineering and mechanics and it was made of steel and lasted a lifetime.
Porcelain dolls were the rage and although they are delicate, their clothing and stuffing lasted a long time, I think their hair was also authentic.
How we have changed over the decades!
This is why we need to be reminded of how things ought to be done when we visit a Toy Muesum. I’d love to visit the one in Malta as you’ve described for us, but I’ll have to save up first.
Edu
Thanks for your comment. Hope you can visit Malta soon 🙂
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