7 Autism-Friendly Holiday Vacation Ideas for Families
The holidays can be a great time to take a family vacation, whether you want to escape somewhere warm, experience Christmas in a new destination, or skip some of the holiday chaos at home altogether. But when you’re traveling with an autistic child, choosing where to go can take a little more thought. Holiday crowds, unfamiliar foods, changes in routine, weather, transportation, and the amount of activity at a destination can all affect how well a trip works for your family. The good news is that there isn’t one “best” holiday destination for autistic families. Some autistic travelers may love the lights, crowds, and excitement of a Christmas market, while others might be happiest spending the week swimming at a quiet resort. Need help preparing for holiday travel? Check out my guide to holiday travel with an autistic child for tips on crowds, routines, travel days, accommodations, and building downtime into your vacation. Take a Christmas Cruise A cruise can be a great holiday vacation for autistic families, especially if your child does well with having a familiar home base throughout the trip. You unpack once, sleep in the same room every night, and can choose how much—or how little—you want to do each day. During the holidays, many cruise lines decorate their ships and offer seasonal activities, special meals, shows, and other Christmas celebrations. You can enjoy the holiday atmosphere without having to plan every activity yourself. Cruises can also offer plenty of food choices, entertainment, pools, kids’ clubs, and quieter places to take a break. And if everyone needs some downtime, your cabin is never very far away. Autism travel tip: Holiday sailings can be busy, so don’t assume a Christmas cruise will automatically be calm just because you’re on a ship. Think about ship size, cabin location, dining arrangements, crowds, and what autism or accessibility support the cruise line offers. I especially recommend looking at Royal Caribbean for autistic families because of the autism-friendly services available onboard, and some sailings also offer additional support through Autism on the Seas. Escape to an All-Inclusive Resort If your family’s idea of a holiday vacation involves warm weather, swimming, and absolutely no snow, an all-inclusive resort can be a great option. One thing I like about all-inclusive resorts for autistic families is how much of the vacation happens in one place. Your room, restaurants, pools, beach, activities, and entertainment are usually all located within the resort, which can mean fewer transportation changes and less running around. Having multiple restaurants and casual dining options can also be helpful if your autistic child has specific food preferences. Depending on the resort, you may also have access to room service, buffets, or quick-service options when sitting through a longer restaurant meal isn’t going to work. Autism travel tip: “All-inclusive” doesn’t automatically mean autism-friendly. Resorts can vary tremendously in size, noise level, crowds, room locations, food options, kids’ clubs, and accessibility support. I always recommend looking beyond the pretty beach pictures and thinking about how the resort will actually work for your autistic traveler. And remember—you don’t have to participate in every activity. If your family’s perfect Christmas Day is swimming, eating something familiar, and spending the afternoon on the beach, that counts as Christmas too. Spend the Holidays at a Theme Park If your autistic child loves theme parks, spending the holidays at one can be an incredible vacation. Disney World, Universal Orlando, and other theme parks go all out for the season with decorations, holiday entertainment, special food, and seasonal events. Theme parks can also work well for autistic travelers who enjoy knowing what to expect. If your child already knows their favorite rides, characters, restaurants, or areas of the park, those familiar experiences can still be part of the trip even when everything is decorated for the holidays. The biggest thing to consider is crowds. Christmas and New Year’s are some of the busiest times of the year at major theme parks. Lines can be longer, restaurants busier, and simply moving through the parks can take more time. Autism travel tip: Don’t plan a holiday theme park trip around trying to accomplish everything. Choose your family’s priorities, take breaks, and consider staying close enough to the parks that returning to your hotel in the middle of the day is realistic. If your autistic traveler loves holiday lights, characters, rides, and all the excitement, the busy atmosphere may be completely worth it. Planning an Orlando trip? Check out my autism-friendly guides to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando for more tips. And if your child doesn’t enjoy crowds? You can still experience many holiday decorations and seasonal activities before the busiest Christmas week arrives. Plan a Ski or Snow Vacation For some families, the perfect holiday vacation means snow, mountains, hot chocolate, and actually needing a winter coat. A ski or snow vacation can be a great choice, especially for autistic travelers who love outdoor activities and winter weather. And you don’t necessarily have to ski. Many mountain destinations offer activities like snow tubing, sledding, scenic gondola rides, ice skating, or simply spending time together in a cabin or resort. Staying somewhere with a kitchen can also be helpful if your autistic child prefers familiar foods or your family would rather have a quiet Christmas dinner instead of dealing with a busy restaurant. Autism travel tip: Think about the sensory experience beyond the snow itself. Ski resorts can mean bulky clothing, helmets, ski boots, crowded rental areas, lift lines, and unfamiliar equipment. If your child hasn’t experienced those things before, it may help to practice wearing winter gear at home and look at photos or videos of the resort before your trip. You also don’t have to spend every day on the mountain. Build in a slower day to relax, explore the area, or just enjoy the snow without having an activity scheduled. Experience Christmas in Europe If your family loves Christmas lights, historic cities, festive food, and holiday traditions, Europe