Christmas in New York really starts on the fourth Thursday of November when the fantastic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade starts at 77th Street and Central Park West. On Thursday 26th November 2009 as the shops open, this enormous parade celebrating its 83rd event of impressive floats, enormous balloons, marching bands, troops of clowns and TV characters, will follow a new Thanksgiving Day Parade route through New York. This year the route starts at its usual point but then turns east onto Central Park South instead of Broadway. See the Macys website for full details.

Another symbol of Christmas in New York is the huge Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Centre, to be lit on Thursday 3rd December. The tree overlooks the outdoor ice rink (West 48th & West 51st Streets).  Must do visits include watching the festive decorative windows of Saks on Fifth Avenue, Barney’s on Madison, Macy’s on Herald Square (take the kids to Santa Land whilst there) and Lord & Taylor’s Christmas themed windows.

Big and little children will enjoy choosing or buying Christmas presents at the biggest toy shop in the world, FAO Schwartz on Fifth Avenue (near 58th Street), a (hopefully) snow covered Central Park, the Laser Light show at Grand Central Station and the spectacular Times Square. On Friday’s until mid January, listen to live music for the lighting ceremony for the UNICEF Snowflake at 6pm, and prebook tickets for the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden for the Cirque du Soleil winter themed Wintuk show.

For a truly authentic Christmas in New York, A Cathedral Christmas Concert is being performed on Saturday 12 December at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine by the Cathedral’s Choir with the American Classical Orchestra. Alternatively, prebook tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the Music Hall on Avenue of the Americas where you will watch spectacular dance performances suitable for the whole family, from mid November to the end of December.

There are lots of cheap winter deals available online.  Choose winter package holidays or make your own dynamic packages, putting together flights, transfers, car hire, accommodation and insurance.

Today (5th November), I found the following cheap and reduced deals online.

The Thomas Cook brand Airtours, is offering self catering holidays to Gran Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands from £217 per person. For seven nights departing on Monday 23rd November, stay in the busy and popular seaside resort of Maspalomas in a studio with bath, shower, WC and balcony or terrace.

Airtours are also currently offering the four star Benalmadena Palace in the Costa del Sol for £123 per person for seven nights with flights from Manchester on Sunday 6th December staying in a self catering studio.

Thomson Holidays are also offering holidays to Gran Canaria from £125 per person flying either from Gatwick or Luton on 14 December, staying in a 3T self catering apartment for 7 nights. Depart Gatwick on 1st or 8th December and for just £132 per person based on four people sharing an apartment, you can travel to Malta for 7 or 14 nights.

Cosmos have last minute holidays to Kenya. Leave Gatwick on 23 November and for just £285.50 per person you could stay at the three star Reef Hotel in Nyali Beach for 7 nights on bed and breakfast basis.  Meals are included on the flight, but don’t forget you need a visa either purchased from the Kenyan High Commission or on arrival at Mombassa.

Travelling further afield, Virgin Holidays are also selling holidays at low cost prices.  Stock up on your winter wardrobe in New York with 3 nights staying at four star W New York costing just £649 per person for 3 nights departing on 14 December, a saving of £370 per person.  Ten nights in Thailand are going for £882 per person staying at the five star Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa in Pattaya, departing between 7 November and 4 December, a saving of £497 per person.

There are many excellent low cost and reduced priced hotel offers in the UK too.  Premier Inn are offering deals at over 500 hotels in the UK from just £29 per night as long as you book 21 days in advance, on selected days for two or more nights before end of January (check premierinn.com for full terms and conditions).  Best Western are offering saving of up to 50%, free nights and free wine, in separate offers around Christmas time, as well as last minute offers for the coming weekend.

October is ideal for city break holidays throughout Europe and North America, but where to go?

A weekend of two or three days in either Paris or New York really isn’t long enough, but you are guaranteed a fantastic time full of activities, beautiful scenery and architecture, outstanding major attractions (Empire State Building or Eiffel Tower for example), incredible shopping and the most fabulous restaurants and cafes.

A city break in New York is never to be forgotten, and in the fall, Central Park is presented in a fine display of gold, russet and reds. Around Halloween (31st October) is the perfect time to take the family on holiday to The Big Apple, as all the shops and houses are beautifully decorated with cobwebs and pumpkins, or the 2nd Monday of October (12th in 2009) when the spectacular Columbus Day Parade with over 35,000 participants starts on Fifth Avenue at 44th Street at 11.45am following a route taking around 3 hours to 79th Street.

Paris in October is delightful as the city quietens in the lull before Christmas, making for leisurely and enjoyable visits to the French capital’s many fantastic museums and galleries such as the famous Louvre (Musée du Louvre) near the Palais Royal Mussee du Louvre metro station on Line 1 or the Musee d’Orsay in the Saint Germain des Pres area on the metro Line 12 at Solferino station or RER Line C; Musee d’Orsay station. The shops are more accessible without the crowds, so be sure to head to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore and Rue de la Paix for chic Paris designer stores and around Boulevard Haussmann for department shops galore, or Avenue des Champs Elysees and Les Halles for trendy shops and chain stores.