Stayed home for the holidays last year? It might be time for a great escape. Put in for vacation time, gather up your car rental coupons, and decide where you'll be traveling to this Christmas.
Puerto Rico
With its own way of celebrating the holidays, your vacation in Puerto Rico will be filled with storytelling, ethnic food, and an ancient city lit up with Christmas lights more beautiful than you've ever seen. Local cuisine includes roast suckling pig, pork "pastries" wrapped in plantain leaves, coconut pudding, and their own "Coquito" eggnog made with rum, cinnamon, cloves, coconut, and egg. The reyes magos (Three Kings) add another spiritual layer to holiday celebrations.
Alaska
Not everybody wants to escape to warm weather for Christmas. If you love the cold, book a trip to Alaska, home to the Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska. The biggest perk of visiting at the end of December is seeing the Northern Lights, which are at their most beautiful that time of year.
Colorado
Skiers can't do much better than gliding down a Colorado slope on Christmas morning. Plus, doesn't "Christmastime in Aspen" have a nice ring to it? If you want to get off the mountain for a day, rent an affordable car and explore the area's chic towns. Adding to the holiday feel is the fact that Colorado is where NORAD resides, the governmental agency that keeps track of Santa's course on Christmas Eve.
Chicago
A lot of people think of New York as Christmas' greatest city, but Chicago has a ton to offer, too. Since "The Windy City" is certainly not a misnomer, you'll want a rental car to get you to and from the hotspots, which include the Magnificent Mile's millions of twinkling lights and the Christkindlmarkt, which celebrates the city's German heritage.
Christmas is peak travel season. The earlier you book your rental car and accommodations, the better rates you'll find. Off-peak days around the holiday can also yield surprisingly good deals.
Find affordable rentals from independent agencies for your holiday escape.