Every week our Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don’t have to. This week: Mini-breaks to Christmas shoppers
Holidays that allow you to shop till you drop are back. This could be the year to travel abroad to stock up on Christmas gifts, as there are concerns about empty shelves in Britain.
New York is a festive favorite. After the US reopens to double-jabbed Brits starting November 8, it’s a good idea to start at the iconic department shops.
Festive favourite: Enjoy the brilliant window displays along New York’s Fifth Avenue
There’s 100-year-old Macy’s on Herald Square, where the window displays are a tourist attraction in their own right, and Bloomingdale’s, famous for its ‘little brown bag’ and where Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York plays every morning as the doors open to customers.
Shoppers are greeted by style advisors and beauty consultants at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Fancy breakfast at Tiffany’s? The original Fifth Avenue store is under wraps for a refurb, but its temporary home is still worth a visit – the atrium has a stack of Tiffany boxes piled 40ft high in a replica of the Empire State Building.
Paris’s marble-clad Galeries Lafayette
Fly with Virgin Atlantic from London and enjoy three nights at the Row NYC hotel near the Rockefeller Center’s ice rink from £595pp (virginholidays.co.uk).
Alternatively, upgrade with four nights at the Double Tree by Hilton on Times Square with British Airways Club Class flights for fast-track through security and VIP lounge access, plus flat beds and fine dining in the air, from £1,619pp (ba.com).
Los Angeles offers sunshine and celebrity sightings that will make your shopping trip even more enjoyable.
Give your credit card a workout in the flagship stores of top designers on Rodeo Drive, then wander along to House of Bijan to see what’s parked outside ‘the most expensive menswear store in the world’.
It’s appointment-only to go inside, though. A five-night break with flights and accommodation in the heart of Beverly Hills at Loews Hollywood (famous for its rooftop pool) costs from £1,199pp (travelbag.co.uk).
In Dubai, home to the mega-mall, you’ll find the world’s largest with 1,200 shops and hundreds of places to eat and drink. There’s also an aquarium and ice rink.
Are you looking for a bargain? The Dubai Outlet Mall offers deep discounts in 200 stores. Five nights at Movenpick Hotel, flying from London or Manchester, costs from £1,072pp (emiratesholidays.com).
Germany is home to some of the most beautiful and historic Christmas markets. Cologne is shown here
Nearer to home, the Champs-Elysees lights in Paris twinkle in December. There is also plenty of glamour in the Galeries Lafayette marble halls. Eurostar return plus a two-night hotel stay costs from £152pp (eurostar.com).
Europe’s Christmas markets are perfect for unique gifts, and Germany hosts some of the oldest and most beautiful, including Rudesheim, Koblenz, Bonn and Cologne.
Tour them all on a five-night Enchanting Rhine & Yuletide Markets river cruise from £699pp, including flights and luxurious cabins (rivieratravel.co.uk).