Christmas in Europe

ABOVE: Pasta crèche on the outside of a church in Venice, Italy.

The holiday season's arrival coincides with winter travel bargains. Leisure air fares can be amazingly cheap in November and much of December--so, if you have vacation days that you need to use before the end of the year, why not spend the pre-holiday season abroad? Search QIXO for low air fares, or check the ads in your local newspaper. Then use these idea-starters to plan your trip:

Shopping and pantomime in London

Load up on foodstuffs, sweaters, and other British goods. (Don't forget to take advantage of the 17.5% VAT refunds for overseas visitors.) Reserve seats for at least one Christmas pantomime, such as this year's successor to Aladdin and his Magical Lump! at the Brick Lane Music Hall or the family pantos listed in What's On Stage. If you can afford a 4- or 5-star hotel, you might look into Red Carnation's Christmas packages.

Shopping and Disneyland in Paris

Paris is always a shoppers' paradise, so enough about that: Let's join Mickey and Minnie at Disneyland Paris, where holiday events run from November 8 through January 4. If flying across the Atlantic to visit a Disney theme park seems strange, look at it this way: You can please the kids and satisfy your craving for Paree in one fell swoop, without exposing yourself to smog in Southern California or alligators in Florida.

Shopping the Christmas Markets of Austria

Salzburg, Austria has a delightful Christmas market, along with holiday concerts of classical music and traditional Adventsingen.

Shopping and sightseeing in Venice

Venice, Italy is delightful during the Christmas season. The weather is mild by the standards of New York or Chicago, yet it's cool enough to wear your new Italian loden coat or fun fur. (For a chuckle, watch the Italians--men and women alike--open their umbrellas at the first sign of a snowflake.) The candy shops and bakery windows are filled with goodies, including gift items like torrone (an Italian almond confection) and giant ornament balls filled with Perugina chocolate kisses. Book a flight to Venice's Marco Polo Airport, and see my Venice for Visitors "site within a site" for help in planning your trip.

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