The Best Budget Trips for Winter Break • The Blonde Abroad

Updated: November 2022

Looking to get out of dodge for winter break? For the US college crowd, school breaks can be anywhere from one to three weeks. But between rent, tuition, books, and of course, food, the real question is where can you afford to get away to?!

Here are my recommendations for the best budget winter break destinations!

Beach Destinations

Forget the stress of finals while your soak up some sun! The golden sands of Southern California and Florida (specifically, my favorite area, Miami!) beckon you to their pristine shores and invite you to relax.

Winter is the low season in both destinations, which means hotels are more affordable to book than ever. Bike down the boardwalks, fill up on some delicious Mexican or Cuban food, lounge at the beaches, and enjoy some world-class nightlife!

San Diego has a ton of holiday events, including their annual Parade of Lights on the San Diego Bay, and Balboa Park is always decked out in holiday cheer. Los Angeles has so much to offer the holiday tourist as well.

The Ultimate Guide to South Beach, Miami in a Weekend

The Ultimate 4-Day Los Angeles Itinerary

Las Vegas

Adopt the life of a high roller for a few days in Las Vegas! Though Neon City is known for its excessive spending and gambling, you can still enjoy all the Strip has to offer on a budget.

Breakfast buffets and friendly hostels are a great way to maintain your budget while savoring Vegas’s hottest casinos and nightclubs. Watch the Bellagio Fountain show which goes off every half hour, stroll down Fremont Street, and check out happy hour specials!

The Ultimate Girlfriend Getaway Guide to Las Vegas

Girls’ Trip Guide to Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve

Canada

Want a white Christmas? Head up to visit the northerly neighbors in Canada! Montreal, Whistler, or Mont Tremblant should be your first stop—both have the charm of the old world with the festive spirit of the new. Hit the ski slopes, practice your mad snowboarding skills, or have a peaceful afternoon ice skating, which is free at certain rinks around the city in winter.

Youth hostels are a-plenty and very affordable, around $20-30 USD, if you’re traveling on a budget. Plus—good news for the sophomore—the drinking age is 18, so you can sample those classy cocktails you’ve always wanted to try!

Visiting Mont Tremblant, Quebec in the Winter

10 Tips for Your First Trip to Canada

Mexico

Still looking for some sunshine? Take a week or two from your winter holidays to fly down to Mexico! Snorkel and party on the beaches, relax on Isla Holbox, explore the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula, or opt for the more easygoing Punta Mita or Sayulita.

For nightlife destinations, Tulum and Playa Del Carmen are very popular—complete with Caribbean pristine waters and Mayan ruins to explore.

10 Places to Visit in Mexico (That Aren’t Tulum)

Top Ten Things to Do in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

Puerto Rico

For my American friends, enjoy the feel of another country without a passport! Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan, is adorable and colorful, and you can spend hours wandering through the colorful streets of the old city.

Nurture your spirit of adventure in the El Yunque Rainforest or the bioluminescent bays just off the coast. Practice your Spanish, and enjoy cheap accommodation, local flavor, and great beaches!

The Ultimate Guide to Puerto Rico in Three Days

What are your favorite destinations to visit in the winter?

Instagram

Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

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Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

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January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

Sun-drenched mornings, salty air, and the kind of place that makes you instantly exhale @waldorfastoriacostarica ✌️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Our stay at this brand-new property was truly a dream — sweeping ocean views, elevated design, and more pools than I’ve ever seen at a hotel in my entire life.

From award-winning wellness to coconuts by the pool, every detail felt thoughtful and intentional.

🧖‍♀️ The Spa
Recently named Costa Rica’s Best Resort Spa, this sanctuary blends modern wellness with local healing traditions — volcanic mud rituals, rainforest-inspired therapies, and grounding treatments that leave you floating.

🛎️ Amenities
World-class service, beachfront access, a stunning collection of pools (truly — endless), curated experiences, and those sweet elevated touches everywhere you turn. Newly opened, yet already operating like a seasoned 5-star icon.

💦 Kids’ Club
One of the coolest spaces for littles — crafts, games, toys, and outdoor play areas that made traveling with Oliver feel easy (and fun for him, too).

🥥 The Food & Coffee
Fresh, locally sourced Costa Rican flavors with elevated execution. Oceanfront bites, poolside snacks, handcrafted coffee experiences, and yes… plenty of coconuts.

🌿 Sustainability
Proud holders of the Bandera Azul Ecológica for conservation and environmental efforts — luxury and responsibility beautifully intertwined.

We truly cannot wait to come back. ✨

If you’re looking for a luxury, family-friendly escape in Costa Rica — this is your spot.

A huge thank you to @waldorfastoriacostarica for hosting us on this sunshine-soaked getaway.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#costarica #waldorfastoria #luxuryfamilytravel #familytravel

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A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18380851606081524

A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

512 20

Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18083248064243187

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

Cancel reply

eden

These are some great ideas! Vegas is a fun option during the winter given the low prices. I’d love to head to Montreal this winter. Have a nice weekend 🙂

http://www.mintnotion.com

December 5, 2015 at 2:24 pm · Reply

Kiersten Rich

Thanks Eden!

December 6, 2015 at 1:19 pm · Reply

Bryan

Winter is actually peak season in South Florida. Orlando isn’t so busy, but that isn’t the case for West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. So if you are thinking about catching some rays on our beaches, just know that you will be doing so along with all the other snowbirds who came down to get warm.

Great post!

December 15, 2015 at 3:41 am · Reply

Kiersten Rich

Thanks Bryan!

December 15, 2015 at 10:32 am · Reply

Newer

Here are my recommendations for the best budget winter break destinations!

Beach Destinations

Read More: 10 Day California Coast Road Trip Itinerary

Las Vegas

Read More: Bucket List for Your First Trip to Las Vegas

Canada

Read Next: The Ultimate Montreal Travel Guide

Mexico

Read Next: The Ultimate Tulum Travel Guide

Puerto Rico

Read Next: The Ultimate Puerto Rico Travel Guide

What are your favorite destinations to visit in the winter?

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