Where to take your family for the holidays

When people picture a winter family trip, they usually picture a beach. This year, try heading the other way. Europe, Canada and the northeastern U.S. are wonderful in December, and outside the holiday weeks themselves they're often quieter and easier on the budget than in summer. You won't be fighting for the good restaurant tables, and the holidays feel a little more like the holidays when it's snowing outside.

Here are four hotels I'd look at for a family Christmas or New Year.

Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay, France

About an hour southwest of Paris, this restored 12th-century abbey is now a countryside estate that manages to feel like a family summer camp and a five-star hotel at the same time. There are farm animals the kids can visit, bikes for riding around the lake, padel courts that float on the water, a private cinema, a game room and a Kids Club. While they're busy, you can swim in the heated outdoor pool or book the spa.

The dining hall, with its vaulted stone ceilings, looks like it belongs at Hogwarts, and the whole estate dresses up for the holidays with trees and wreaths. Ask about the Christmas and New Year's programs when you book, since the details change each year.

Estelle Manor, England

If London is on your list, add a few days in the Oxfordshire countryside. Estelle Manor is a Jacobean-revival country house with 108 rooms and suites, four restaurants and Eynsham Baths, a Roman-inspired spa of about 32,000 square feet with five pools. It's the kind of place where you come in from a cold walk in the woods to a fire and a pot of tea.

Estelle has hosted festive Christmas and New Year's celebrations, with Champagne and long holiday lunches. Check this year's program early, because holiday dates fill first.

Twin Farms, Vermont

For a classic New England Christmas, Twin Farms is hard to beat: wood fires, decorated trees and snow on the hills. It's all-inclusive and adults-focused, so it suits families with older kids. Guests need to be at least 14, except during the resort's designated family weeks or when one group books the whole property.

There's skiing and snowshoeing close by, and slower afternoons with puzzles and watercolors if that's more your speed. Ask me about the Farmhouse Suites, which have a double-sided fireplace between the living room and bedroom.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Canada

For a truly white Christmas, the Chateau sits right on Lake Louise in Banff National Park, looking across the frozen lake to Victoria Glacier. The hotel clears the lake for skating, there are sleigh rides along the shore, and from mid-December the Ice Bar on the lake serves drinks in the cold, weather permitting. Spend the mornings skiing at Lake Louise and the evenings warming up inside.

A few tips for holiday trips

• Book early. Christmas and New Year's weeks fill first, especially family rooms and connecting rooms.
• Check the holiday program before you book. Festive dinners and New Year's parties often need reservations, and some are an extra charge.
• Leave a buffer day. Winter weather can slow flights, so arriving a day early takes the pressure off.
• Pack for the cold, not just the dinners. Kids will want boots and gloves for the snow, not just something nice for Christmas Eve.

Let's plan your holiday

Whether it's a snowy Vermont farmhouse or a European Christmas, I'd love to help you plan it. There's no fee for my planning, and when you book a partner hotel through me you'll typically get perks like daily breakfast and a hotel credit, when available.