Christmas doesn’t have to mean ugly sweaters and fighting over who makes the mashed potatoes.
For some of us, Christmas is the perfect time of year to fly off to somewhere new instead.
Whether you’re looking to relax on an island paradise or embrace a cultural getaway, there’s a holiday season vacation for everyone.
To help you choose yours, Kayak has released its list of the cheapest international destinations to visit this holiday season.
These are the 5 cheapest international destinations to visit this Christmas and, for budget travelers, a break down of exactly how much those flights will cost.
Nassau, The Bahamas
What could be more idyllic than Christmas in the Bahamas?
Nassau is one of the most well-connected Caribbean Island airports, and you can fly to Nassau nonstop from 17 different U.S. departure points.
The cheapest departure points in December are Miami, Boston, and Fort Lauderdale.
You can fly from Miami to Nassau, departing on December 19 and returning on December 26 for just $257.
This flight is operated by Bahamas Air. As an added bonus, the flight time on this route is just 1 hour, both inbound and outbound, making this an incredibly easy and convenient overseas trip.
To depart from Boston on the same dates would cost $354.
JetBlue operates this cheapest flight option.
The flight from Boston to Nassau takes 3 hours 38 minutes outbound and 3 hours 19 minutes inbound.
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico comes alive at Christmas time, and nowhere more so than Mexico City.
Think street processions, live music, fireworks, and other activities packed full of cultural significance.
You can fly nonstop to Mexico City from a whopping 26 different American departure airports. The cheapest of these at the time of writing is San Antonio.
Flying on December 19 and returning on December 26 will cost $485. These cheapest flights are with Volaris.
This route has an outbound flight time of 2 hours 9 minutes and an inbound flight time of 2 hours 1 minute.
Tulum, Mexico
Tulum’s international airport opened at the beginning of December last year, and opened up a whole new stretch of the Mexican Caribbean for holiday travel. It’s unique cultural traditions and laid-back vibe make Tulum a great place to spend Christmas.
This December you can fly to Tulum from the U.S. departure cities of Chicago, New York, Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, and Minneapolis.
The two cheapest departure airports at the time of writing are Chicago and New York.
You can fly with United Airlines from Chicago on December 19 to December 26 for $457. This flight has just over a 4 hour flight time.
From New York a nonstop return airfare for one person would cost $444 for the same dates. This flight is operated by JetBlue with an outbound flight time of 4 hours and 29 minutes and an inbound flight time of 3 hours and 53 minutes.
It’s worth noting that if you aren’t fixed to traveling over the main holiday period and could fly out the week before Christmas instead, those flight prices could be cut in half.
Reykjavik, Iceland
European travel doesn’t have a reputation for being affordable, but flying to Reykjavik is by far the cheapest European destination to visit this holiday season. And what a great place to spend Christmas!
The city is covered in festive lights, you can ice skate in the snow, and the city also hosts a lively Christmas market.
In December, you can fly nonstop to Reykjavik from Boston, New York, Washington DC, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, and Orlando.
The cheapest airport to fly from during this month is Boston.
Flying out to Reykjavik nonstop from Boston on December 19 and returning on December 27 would cost $519. This flight is operated by IcelandAir.
The outbound flight has a 5 hour 15 minute flight time and the inbound flight has a 5 hour 35 minute flight time.
Cancun, Mexico
One of America’s favorite vacation destinations is also an incredible place to spend the holiday season.
Cancun is a fun place to spend Christmas if you’re looking for Christmas-themed celebrations paired with sun, sea, and soft white sand.
Cancun is incredibly well connected, and you can fly nonstop to Cancun from a whopping 36 U.S. cities this December. The cheapest airports to choose right now are Chicago and Dallas.
Flying from Dallas from December 19 to December 26 will cost $317.
These nonstop flights are with Frontier Airlines and this route has an outbound flight time of 2 hours 53 minutes and an inbound flight time of 3 hours 3 minutes.
Flying from Chicago on the same dates would cost $345. This flight option is with Spirit Air and has an outbound and inbound flight time of 3 hours 52 minutes.
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