Country inns can be wonderful places to spend the holidays.

As the old song says, "there’s no place like home for the holidays." But if you’ve celebrated Hanukkah or Christmas in the same place year after year, it might be time for a change of pace. Spending the holidays in a new place can add excitement and adventure to the season and allow you to build new traditions while keeping many of your old ones, too.

Ondine Cohane’s love of travel began at a young age and flourished when she traveled the world before settling down to write for magazines. Cohane has served as the Word of Mouth Editor for Conde Nast Traveler for two years and was involved in redesigning the section to include undiscovered hotels and restaurants. Here she offers ideas for celebrating the holidays away from home:

• Bring the gifts. It’s great to escape to a new destination at holiday time, but there’s always that longing for old traditions, too. One way to stay connected to past holidays is to bring decorations and presents to open, so that you have a little bit of home wherever you are.

• Bed and Breakfasts. Bed and breakfasts and quaint country inns can be wonderful places to spend the winter holidays. If you long to see the snow fall, pick rural destinations in places like Vermont or Colorado, where you can bundle up against the chill, spend a day skiing, or just stay inside by a romantic fire.

• A kitchen. Choosing a resort or cabin with a kitchen will provide you the opportunity to cook up a great holiday meal. You can even invite friends and family over to celebrate during dinner in exciting new surroundings.

• Be creative and flexible. The most important thing to remember when traveling at holiday time, says Cohane, is that you should be creative and flexible. Think of new ways to spend you holiday break, like at a Caribbean resort. You might go surfing or diving in the morning, and then eat a delicious holiday lunch and open presents as the tropical sun begins to set.

• The old and the new. We all cherish our family holiday traditions, but it’s fun to be open to new ideas as well. Mix a little of the traditional and the new-fangled this Christmas or Hanukkah, and bring your celebration to a special new destination!

Conde Nast Traveler
www.condenasttraveler.com

Bed And Breakfast.com: Christmas Travel
www.bedandbreakfast.com/report/nov-dec-01/tips.htm

Europe For Visitors: Christmas Season Getaways
europeforvisitors.com/europe/articles/christmas_getaways.htm

Yahoo Travel
travel.yahoo.com

Expedia
www.expedia.com