Where Long Islanders are going this holiday season, according to travel agents

With Christmas and New Year’s Day falling midweek, travelers have extra flexibility for extended trips this holiday season — but soaring airfare and convenience are top of mind.

"People are gravitating toward what I call ‘comfort travel," says Linh Trieu, of Truescapes. "With global events and the government shutdown on their minds, many Long Islanders are choosing destinations that feel closer or more accessible, like long festive weekends in New York City."

Nicole Brown, of Wonderland and Beyond Travel in Islip, says,  "Even if there’s a great sale, airfare is high, so families are weighing travel costs and timing. Many are staying closer or opting for shorter trips."

New York City and nearby

For those looking to embrace the season without boarding a plane, the greater New York region remains the most popular pick, especially for families seeking quick, festive escapes.

Classic city traditions such as ice skating at Rockefeller Center, perusing the holiday windows along Fifth Avenue and shopping at smaller neighborhood markets offer a dose of cheer with minimal planning.

Performing arts are also part of the draw. The Met Opera’s The Magic Flute (30 Lincoln Center Plaza, 212-362-6000, metopera.org), runs until Jan. 3 and is designed for families, featuring free activity books, themed photo-ops and face painting before select performances. Tickets start at $35.

Hotels are leaning into holiday programming. The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad (25 W 28th St., 212-404-8400, ritzcarlton.com) hosts weekend Suite Tea Parties, adds seasonal pastries to its Club Lounge and offers in-room holiday trees. The hotel is steps from Madison Square Park, where the Dec. 9 tree lighting brings live music and winter treats.

Beyond the city, upstate New York lodges, including Mohonk Mountain House (1000 Mountain Rest Rd., 888-976-2943, mohonk.com) in New Paltz, and resorts across the Poconos, including Camelback Resort (193 Resort Dr., 855-515-1283, camelbackresort.com), remain top picks for those seeking adventures like hiking trails, snow tubing with a mix of indoor pools and relaxation without a long journey.

Cruises and theme parks

Cruising continues to surge among Long Islanders, especially with easy access to ships departing from Manhattan and Brooklyn piers, Cape Liberty and Florida ports. Popular lines include Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, with the latter featuring newer mega ships, such as Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas.

Brown said many families build mini vacations around their cruise. "A lot of people fly out a few days early to places like Cape Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale. It creates two vacations in one." January round-trip flights from MacArthur Islip Airport to Orlando can run as low as $80, making Florida sailings particularly appealing.

Theme parks are also high on wish lists. Universal Orlando’s new Epic Universe (1001 Epic Blvd., 407-363-8000, universalorlando.com), which opened in May, has dominated conversations, Brown says. Seasonal shows like "The Grinch" at Islands of Adventure remain perennial favorites around the holidays. She added that many of these trips are being booked as holiday gifts. "Instead of giving gifts to wrap, families are opting for the gift of travel," she says. "Stocking stuffers are sunscreen and flip-flops."

Caribbean and Mexico

Warm-weather destinations remain popular with travelers willing to fly despite higher fares. Travel advisers say clients are still seeking value in the Caribbean and Mexico, with many opting for shorter trips instead of traditional weeklong stays.

From Kennedy Airport, JetBlue flights to Nassau start around $330 in early December and climb to nearly $1,000 during Christmas week. Resorts such as Grand Hyatt Baha Mar (1 Baha Mar Blvd., 844- 709-3850, hyatt.com) begin around $300 per night in December and January, but rates can jump to about $600 during holiday periods.

St. Lucia continues to draw Long Islanders with flights starting near $500 in January and reaching about $1,400 over New Year’s weekend. The island offers a wide range of accommodations, from cozy villas at Oasis Marigot (oasismarigot.com), starting around $300 a night, to luxury stays at Jade Mountain Resort (jademountain.com), where rates begin at roughly $2,000.

In Cancun and Riviera Maya, travelers will find some of the broadest pricing options. Airfare generally ranges from $400 to $750, depending on dates. Boutique properties like Casa Tortugas (casatortugas.com) start near $160 a night, while larger all-inclusive resorts such as Live Aqua (fiestamericanatravelty.com) average closer to $500.

A European holiday

For those wanting an international holiday without the logistics of multiple stops, European Christmas river cruises are trending. Trieu says many Long Islanders are booking itineraries that combine sightseeing with Christmas markets in Germany, Austria, France and the Netherlands. "These cruises are a wonderful way to experience iconic markets without the stress of planning multiple trips," she says.

Popular itineraries include seven-night Rhine River cruises from Viking (vikingrivercruises.com) departing from Amsterdam or Basel, with stops in Cologne, Strasbourg and Rüdesheim. Prices begin around $1,200 per person for an inside cabin. Seine River cruises departing from Paris and visiting Rouen and Normandy markets start around $1,300. Trieu says some early-December sailings still have last-minute availability, especially for travelers with flexible dates.

Holiday travel tips

Travel insurance is recommended, especially for those flying through winter weather. For exclusive promotions or packaged savings, working with an agent can make the trip more cost-effective, according to both Trieu and Brown.