Christmas or March break? The same trips, priced in both weeks

The same 7-night trip costs a median 23% more at Christmas than at spring break from Toronto (23% from Montréal): about CA$790 more for 2, or CA$1,420 for a family of 4.

Every autumn the same argument comes up: go at Christmas, or wait for March break? We priced it properly. The same 7-night trip to 48 destinations, in both weeks (Dec 19–26, 2026 and Mar 6–13, 2027), all-in: flights, the stay, food and getting around.

Some trips are cheaper at Christmas

Not everywhere: from Toronto, 7 of 48 places are cheaper at Christmas, led by New York (22% less), Washington DC (16% less), St. John's (15% less) and Las Vegas (12% less). The steepest Christmas premiums are Curaçao (+83%), Phuket (+82%) and Bali (+76%).

In 5 of these 6, the stay fell by more than the flight did. We report what the prices show, not why.

Where Christmas costs the most extra

The flight is only part of the bill

Flights are only part of the bill: a median 59% of the all-in cost at Christmas and 43% at spring break. The stay is 21%–30%, and food and getting around 20%–26%.

If you compare two trips on the fare alone, you are comparing about half the cost. Each destination's own page shows the split.

A family of four doesn't pay double

A family of 4 pays about 1.7–1.8× what a couple pays, not double, because kids share the room. The exception: at Christmas, 10 of 48 places need two rooms for 4 (6 at spring break).

Montréal or Toronto?

Flying from Montréal costs a median 8% more than from Toronto for the same trip; Montréal is cheaper for only 5 of 47 places.

From Montréal, Christmas costs a median 23% more than March break, and the trips that are cheaper at Christmas are San Diego, Vancouver, Washington DC, Las Vegas.

How this was measured

Real flight and accommodation prices that we check and store, plus a typical daily-spending figure for each place. Same trip, same city, both weeks, so the difference is the season. Medians, so one extreme trip doesn't move the result. Prices checked between Jul 26, 2026 and Nov 11, 2026; this article follows the stored prices, so its figures move when they are re-checked.

March break is priced here as one reference week in early March, so both cities compare on the same dates. Ontario's own break falls a week later and most of Québec's a week earlier; the break calendarhas each province's dates.

The table for every destination, from both cities, is on the Christmas vs spring break study page.