It might seem a bit early to start thinking about Christmas and winter travel, but certain tours and dates sell out quite quickly, says Caroline O’Toole, head of cruises and luxury holidays at JWT Travel.
Magical Lapland
“If you are thinking about Lapland and you know you want to travel this year, we would recommend getting in touch as soon as possible, or you might need to leave your visit to Santa for 2026,” she explains.
A holiday to Lapland is a truly magical trip for children of all ages. The highlight of this unforgettable experience to Lapland’s wonderland is meeting its most famous resident: Santa.
In addition to meeting Santa, the elves at their workshop and Mrs Claus, there are also many amazing winter sports and thrilling activities to enjoy while in stunning Lapland, from snowshoeing to ice karting or skiing.
Christmas markets
River cruises over the Christmas period and into New Year are also high in demand.
JWT Travel has a selection of very special Christmas markets river cruises and escorted tours available for 2025.
Some of the favourites include the four-night Enchanting Rhine Yuletide Markets river cruise from Cologne; a seven-night Christmas on the Danube and Yuletide markets river cruise on the Danube specially for solo travellers.
Winter sun cruises
There are plenty of options for winter sun cruise escapes with Morocco and the Canaries, Asia and the Caribbean being the most popular destinations.
“I had the pleasure to visit Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay, their private island in the Bahamas last year and it has everything for cruises of all ages. A Caribbean winter cruise is a fantastic family adventure,” says Caroline.
Visit JWT Cruises on Upper Salthill Road from Monday to Friday; and Saturday by appointment. JWT Travel is licensed by the Irish Aviation Authority TA 0804 TO 273. To book or arrange a private consultation contact jwttravel.ie/jwt-cruises, email cruises@jwttravel.ie, or call 091 394484.
