Sometimes you want to spend the holidays feeling like you’re at home, but not being at your home.

Catch our drift?

Thankfully, small towns can bridge that unique yearning — giving us the warmth and comfort of home along with a refreshing change of scenery. If you’re looking for holiday travel destinations that offer a departure from big, loud trips we have a few small town trips worth unwrapping this season.

So, pack your map apps and travel insurance plan, and get in gear for these holiday travel road trips.

Langley, British Columbia (Canada)

It’s the holiday treat that can be a little sweet, sappy — and tacky even.

We’re not talking about holiday trees, lights, or even fruitcakes. We’re talking about movies, specifically Hallmark’s special brand of holiday cinema.

While some may call Hallmark’s parade of holiday flicks a guilty pleasure, the numbers suggest they’ve become much more. Last year during October through December, they drew more female viewers (18 to 54 years old) than ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox when airing.¹ With titles including “Moonlight & Mistletoe” and “Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen,” these  movies follow a recipe: one cup holiday magic, two tablespoons of romance, and a sprinkle of Candace Cameron Bure (or Lacey Chabert). Many have something else in common, too: Fort Eustice, British Columbia.

The Vancouver suburb has played the backdrop for more than 30 holiday-themed movies over the past two decades, including “Christmas Homecoming” and “The Nine Lives of Christmas Firehouse.” (2) And if you’re a big fan of these flicks, you can take your own DIY tour of their sets, including seeing the aforementioned home and firehouse. (IveSceneItOnHallmark.com does a great job of being your tour guide.)³

While you’re there for holiday travel, swing by the Hudson Bay Company’s fur trading post — an outpost of the centuries old fur trading business that’s now a National Historic Site. Because if there’s something that can warm up on those chilly winter nights more than a Hallmark holiday movie, it’s a custom coat fashioned out of racoon pelts.

Hocking Hills, Ohio

Is your New year’s resolution to spend more time outdoors? To up your exercise? To hang out with family?

Hocking Hills, Ohio just might be where you need to be for the New Year. Here the locals partake in Hogmanay, the Scottish celebration for the last day of the year. And while some of the New Year’s staples are present — including eating, drinking, and being merry — there are some unexpected wrinkles awaiting visitors to this southeastern Ohio region.⁴

How about kicking off the New Year with some time outdoors? Simply lace up and show up for the traditional First Day Hike, a 2.5-mile trek led by a local naturalist through Conkle’s Hollow, a gorge that’s part of a state nature preserve.⁵

(Of course, that hike may be a bit tougher if you stayed up for the two-hour New Year’s train ride and fireworks show, a tandem celebration where the kiddos are served pizza and pop in one coach section, and the adults enjoy wine and cheese in another.)⁶

Hocking Hills and the state park that goes by the same name are known for their numerous natural attractions, from Old Man’s Cave to canoeing and zip lines. So, if you’re looking to start the New Year with a resolute weekend trip exploring the Great Outdoors, book a cabin in Hocking Hills and bring your boots. This is holiday travel where  — if you’re doing it right — you might get a little muddy.⁷

Helen, Georgia

The Alps are a picture-perfect background for the winter holidays — snow-capped peaks rising above idyllic Bavarian towns below. Thanks to the tiny populace of Helen, Georgia, you can recreate this experience smack dab in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains — no passport or time change required. The northeast Georgia town is known for its Christkindlmarkt, or Christmas market, where you can find ornaments, unique decorations, treats, and more.

Thanks to the festively lit alpine-style homes and authentic Bavarian food it looks, feels, and tastes like you’ve been transported 5,000 miles east. It’s like visiting a snow globe — without the snow. Plus, with plenty of nearby trails and the neighboring Chattahoochee National Forest, you can walk off those rich Christmas cookies and steins filled with Hefewizen while enjoying a pretty sweet view.^{8, 9}

Small towns can throw a party, but they also don’t always pack all the amenities of bigger cities. One way you can pack peace of mind that someone is always in your corner when your holiday travel is delayed or you just can’t find a rental car within 100 miles is by getting a travel insurance plan through Allianz Global Assistance. We think you’ll find a plan that fits your budget and itinerary. And we also think you’ll find our team of travel experts to be similar to those small town folks you’re visiting: friendly, helpful, and always welcoming.

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