New Year’s Eve celebrations come in all sorts of shapes and sizes at bed and breakfasts. Some inns cater a cozy, quiet, affair while others deck the halls, pop multiple bottles of champagne, and turn up the music. Here are some bed and breakfasts ready and willing to help you ring in the New Year in style.

Candlelit Affair. The Candlelight-Inn in North Wildwood, New Jersey, offers a weekend of calm and quiet in a charming Queen Anne Victorian. Enjoy a traditional candlelight breakfast on the morning of New Year’s Eve. Later sip tea, nibble on an assortment of hors d’oeuvres and sweets as the clock nears midnight. Complimentary champagne is provided for you to share in the privacy of your room or out in the hot tub under the stars. The next day, brunch marks the start of a new calendar page. A two night minimum stay is required; mention BnBFinder and receive a third night stay at half price.

Rustic Celebration. Tucked in the Ozark Mountains near Branson, Missouri, is a sprawling 10,000 sq. ft. log bed and breakfast offering a colorful New Year’s display. At the stroke of midnight, step onto the deck at the White River Lodge, cozy-up by the outdoor fireplace and watch spectacular fireworks above the lake. There’s also an outdoor hot tub. If you’d rather stay indoors, the inn features large windows, its own movie theater with projection TV, billiards table and fitness room with sauna. A late breakfast is served on January 1st.  Stay at the inn any day between December 25th and January 1st and save $10 per night off the regular rate. You may also save an additional 10% on two or more nights as part of an “End of Decade Special.”

Wine and Dine. Dust off your evening dress, grab a black tie, and head over to the Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Winery in Orange, Virginia, for a five-course feast, live music, and award-winning local wines. The New Year’s Eve dinner includes risotto and salt crusted fish, among other chef-prepared dishes. Naturally, each course is paired with a Barboursville wine. After dinner return to your starting point at the Holladay House Bed and Breakfast for a sparkling wine toast. The next morning, a late gourmet breakfast will be served at the inn. Details for more wineries, art galleries, and Civil War battlefields are available from the innkeeper. The inn itself, a Federal-style 1830s home, is a historic Main Street landmark.

Loud & Festive. For a big time party, head to Jackson Square in New Orleans where the French Quarter is packed with revelers eager to count down the seconds to 2011. Don’t expect your run of the mill, ball drop. In ‘Nawlins it’s a lighted ball or gumbo pot or “Baby Bacchus,”  that drops from a perch atop Jax Brewery, followed by fireworks over the Mississippi River. After, head to Bourbon Street and party till the early morning hours or hop on a streetcar, back to Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast for a trip back in time. The 1891 Thomas Sully mansion offers turn-of-the-century charm to match its historic location. It also offers insider connections – the innkeepers often help guests secure “hard to get” reservations into local restaurants and cultural events.

Regardless of your party-style and budget, bed and breakfasts offer a wide array of ways to celebrate the New Year. Whether you’re looking to get out of town or save on airfare and stay within driving distance, a one or two night getaway is a value-packed way to start 2011 feeling refreshed and reinvigorated.

To find the right New Year’s getaway for you, visit the New Year’s specials page.

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Christmas time with the whole family can be très joyeux, especially in Montreal. This French-speaking island is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest in the province of Quebec. Revelers can expect a village-style Christmas loaded with merriment, fireworks, twinkling lights and fabulous free activities.

In fact, every Saturday night in December the sky lights up with spectacular fireworks, set to holiday music, over the Quays skating rink and the St. Lawrence River by the Old Port. The TELUS Fire on Ice, an annual tradition, is free and takes place every Saturday at 8 pm in December and on January 8th.

Another yearly tradition, also free, is the Christmas tree display at Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts. From now through January 2nd you can view more than 35 trees decorated by volunteers from various ethnic groups.

If you’re in the mood for a little music, stop by the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel and listen to some Christmas carols. Historic vignettes on the origins of the music, songs and customs of Christmas will add a special touch to each performance, there’s complimentary admission every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. through December 31st.

And of course, no Christmas trip is complete without Santa. At the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum children are invited to solve the mystery of exactly who is the real Santa. While visiting archaeological remains, children will encounter four Christmas characters who will explain how the holidays are celebrated in their parts of the world. Remaining dates:
December 18th and 19th, December 23rd, December 26th, and December 28th to December 31st.

There are many free and inexpensive ways to spend your days while in Montreal. Here are some family-friendly inns near all the action, where breakfast is also on the house:

Good Enough to Eat. Located the edge of the Plateau, one of North America’s hippest neighborhoods is the Gingerbread Manor B&B, a Victorian manor, circa1885. Romantic couples, vacationers and families will enjoy daily gourmet breakfasts at the inn and modern amenities. Nearby restaurants and cafés offer plenty of tempting choices. Close to the village, the Latin Quarter and Montreal’s famous underground city, the inn is also steps from BYOB (bring your own bottle) restaurants.

Studio-Style Stays. Situated in Montreal’s east Village is a 100-year old stone house known as B&B Le Cartier. The inn offers double and queen studio suites or standard rooms with cable TV, High speed Wi-Fi, and a guest kitchenette to prepare meals whenever you’d like. A self-serve continental breakfast is available each day. This B&B is about a 20-minute walk to main city attractions and less than a minute to the subway.

Holiday Home. Le Gîte Bed & Breakfast Inn is in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Royal– the most dynamic neighborhood in Montreal. Just steps from shops, pubs and restaurants, the inn is also walking distance to movie theaters, art galleries and museums. Perks at the B&B include a beautiful terrace, free WiFi, complimentary use of the laundry room, and gourmet breakfasts daily.

Holiday activities in Montreal are plentiful – restaurants, galleries, events and exhibits are in full swing though the city is always bustling with things to do. To find more Montreal bed and breakfasts visit our Montreal page. If you’re traveling elsewhere in Canada check out our bed and breakfasts in Canada search feature to find an inn that fits your criteria.

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Looking for the perfect gift can be a less than perfect journey, especially when you’re caught off guard. We’ve all been there.

Sometimes it’s a relative you didn’t think would be in town, a boss you didn’t know believed in the holiday spirit, or a friend that you weren’t exactly planning to swap gifts with. Don’t panic. When the toughest person on your list suddenly surprises you, you can see their gift and raise it too. There’s nothing like experience. In fact, this holiday season, it’s time to share that knowledge.

A BnBFinder.com Gift Certificate let’s you give the recipient a chance to choose their own adventure, whether that’s a snowshoe and fondue trek or a tropical escape. Gift certificates are available on-the-spot online via voucher and can be mailed to you in advance too, which means you’ll never be caught empty-handed. There are no expiration dates and no black out dates. BnBFinder.com Gift Certificates start for as little as $20 and you set the amount you’d like to give.

Welcome at more than 1500 B&Bs and inns in the U.S., Canada and beyond, the gift certificates are a quick fix and guaranteed to be unlike any other. Plus, there are no blackout dates and no expiration dates. Gift certificates start at $20. It’s also one of the few presents likely to yield a thank you twice – once when you gift it and once again after the recipient redeems it. Tuck a gift certificate in your pocket or order online in a pinch… either way you’ll have the best gift this year, even if you’re caught off guard.

For more information on BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificates visit the BnBFinder Gift Certificate page.

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