Swap turkey and tinsel for wine and spa treatments in sunny Lanzarote. Finca Malvasia offers stylish two-bedroom apartments in the middle of a working vineyard, with a stunning backdrop of volcanic mountains.

You can laze by the pool, sample the estate's award-winning wines or try something more active; everything from surfing to painting lessons can be arranged. For complete relaxation, there's also a spa where you can book massages or unwind with a yoga session.

Viva Las Vegas

Giant glittering Christmas trees, fake snow and real reindeer; there's nothing quite like the glitz and strangeness of Las Vegas in the festive season.

The hotels along the neon-lit Strip offer everything from shows and rollercoasters to gondola rides in mini Venice. Eating out is a real treat, and with the pound's strength against the dollar you can afford the best.

Your holiday: Seven nights at the four-star Palms Casino Resort with Greenbee Direct Travel, starting 19 December, costs from £550 per person (twin share). This includes return flights from Heathrow and room-only accommodation. Car hire is not included, but can be added for around £17 a day. Visit www.greenbee.com

Tinsel in Transylvania

Enjoy an authentic Romanian Christmas in the foothills of the snow-clad Carpathian Mountains. The Machine House is a beautiful and historic six-roomed guesthouse surrounded by parkland and forest.

Fill it with your friends for a magical few days of visiting picturesque wooden villages for carol singing and mulled wine or sitting down to a traditional feast of pig, bacon and cabbage roll washed down with plum brandy.

Your holiday: Seven nights at the Machine House costs from £599 per person, based on 12 people sharing. This includes return flights from Heathrow, private transfers and breakfast. Call Black Tomato on 020 7610 9008 or visit www.blacktomato.co.uk

ivillage uk

Christmas breaks

Pampering for grown-ups

Viva Las Vegas

Tinsel in Transylvania