Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year  whether you are celebrating it or not, it is the perfect opportunity to cosy up with loved ones and friends over the long weekends that take us through to New Year. If you are out of holiday leave or cannot work a trip to Europe into your schedule, it does not mean you are out of luck though. There are plenty of Christmas Getaway options right here in the UK. The Peak District is one of the prime holiday destinations in the UK throughout the year, with Christmas bringing in a crowd of very jolly holiday makers. With over five hundred square miles of Lord Of The Rings inspired land available for walks, hikes or rides in the Peak District National Park, there is still an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the fresh air  it will just be a little fresher in winter. It is a touch of the old countryside that takes us back to a time before there were high rise buildings and tube stations. A Christmas train journey to the Scottish Highlands will show you a side of your own neighbourhood that often remains unseen. With routes starting in Glasgow or Edinburgh, you can choose your route based on which Highland sights you would like to see. Along the way you will pass an endless slide show of unnamed lochs, fields and also hillsides that show off some of the most picturesque viewpoints in Scotland. The slow and relaxing train ride is contrasted by some pretty festive on-board entertainment. Right at your final destination you can take walks along the sweeping mountainsides, which are snow laden during the festive season and as enchanting today as they were a thousand years ago. A Christmas Carol is one of the most loved English Christmas stories of all time, and with Rochester being the final resting place of Charles Dickens, it seems only fitting that the city celebrates the festive season with a festival in his honour. With its cathedral, castle and medieval architecture, Rochester becomes a perfect backdrop for the Charles Dickens Christmas festival, which sets the tone for a magical season. The streets comes alive with performers, markets, pantomimes and even artificial snow. The overall effect turns the clocks back two hundred years during the festive season, bringing the world of the most loved English author back to life for a spell. Southwold may be the quintessential English seaside destination, but it does not need to be summer for the town to come alive. Over Christmas streets of this quaint village are decorated and lively, as the town square becomes one big market. 
