D.C. a cheaper holiday alternative to NYC

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

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New York is a popular holiday destination for a reason. It’s got the shopping and the shows, and for many it’s a trip that defines the season. But it’s also pretty much guaranteed to be a pricey excursion. Though it’s no NYC, D.C. also gets into the holiday spirit and has plenty of winter activities such as ice skating, shopping, and concerts. Hotel rates tend to be lower than in New York, especially on weekends. There are plenty of free museums, and holiday performances tend to cost less in D.C. than they would in New York.

For more information about either destination, visit SmarterTravel.com’s New York City guide or the Washington, D.C. guide.

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