I skip family gatherings to solo travel. The perks are so good that I won't be home for the holidays anytime soon.

05.12.2024 - 13:59 / insider.com / Christmas Eve

In 2017, I decided to take my first-ever solo trip — a weeklong jaunt to London during Christmas.

I was single for the first time in a while, with no real holiday plans, and some "free" vacation days since my office was closed for the week.

I didn't expect my first trip to plant the seed for an annual tradition, but now, I spend the holidays on vacation every year.

Here are some of the biggest perks to traveling solo during this time of year.

Traveling around the holidays can get expensive, and airports are usually as busy as ever on days leading up to major holidays.

However, I've found you can score cheap flights when you're willing to travel on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, or New Year's Day.

For example, on my first Christmas trip in 2017, I flew from Los Angeles to London on Christmas Eve (with a return on New Year's Eve) for less than $900. An added bonus? Getting to see New Year's Eve fireworks as we flew over LA.

Christmas isn't the only holiday for cheap flights, either. In 2022, I flew from Palm Springs to Puerto Vallarta over Thanksgiving for less than $500 — about $300 cheaper than non-holiday weeks at the time.

During my trip to London, I booked a day trip to Stonehenge for the day after Christmas. However, I failed to realize December 26 is Boxing Day, a major holiday in the UK.

This worked out incredibly well, as our tour bus was only half-full, and Stonehenge itself was nearly empty.

Aside from major shopping destinations like Oxford Street or Harrod's, London also felt less crowded, and it was easy to get last-minute access to tours and museums.

I've found that it's not just major cities that see fewer crowds, either. When I spend Christmas at a beachfront resort in Mexico, it's the only time of year I don't have to wake up early to find a chair by the pool.

One of the biggest perks of traveling during the holidays is skipping the inevitable family drama. Whether it's politics, a passive-aggressive slight, or a family grudge that spans generations, holiday get-togethers tend to be a powder keg just waiting for a spark.

After years of therapy and a lot of healing work, I've fallen in love with prioritizing my peace — even if that means skipping a family holiday.

With today's technology, I can always join the major moments via video call. If things get heated, it's easy enough to hang up and get right back to vacation mode.