This is the perfect time to think ahead instead—specifically, to New Year’s Eve next year! With an entire year to plan (almost), you can be sure to make it a truly perfect night to remember. By starting the planning process now, you can easily map out every detail of the night, from your first adult beverage of the evening to who, exactly, you want to kiss at the stroke of midnight. Start by choosing the ideal venue for your epic New Year’s Eve celebration. There are party spots all across the seven continents, but year after year, these five places are known to throw the best New Year’s Eve bashes. Grab your passport, visa and your travel insurance policy—because you never know what could happen on the craziest night of the year, and it’s always good to be prepared—and usher in 2014 in one of the following destinations.
1. New York City is the Cadillac of New Year’s Eve destinations. Revelers have watched the ball drop in Times Square for 100 years. With over a million people crowding the streets to get a glimpse of that famous ball, it’s going to be a bit cramped, and the weather in the northeast can be cold, but that shouldn’t deter you from experiencing New Year’s Eve in New York at least once in your life. New York is the city that never sleeps, so once the ball drops head over to the Meatpacking District for some dancing.
2. Beach parties. Bikinis. The Copacabana. This is what you’ll find if you head down to Rio, the sun-drenched capital of Brazil. With Carnival, bossa nova and a laid-back attitude, you could make the case it’s always New Year’s Eve in Rio. However, given that the city is hosting the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, this is referred to as Brazil’s Golden Decade. In other words, the music’s going to be a little louder and the parties a little wilder to welcome next year.
, one of the city’s megaclubs, and get your groove on to some dub-step.
4. If you’re flush with time and money, why not head to Sydney, Australia? It’s the first city on the planet to ring in the New Year, and Sydney’s also enjoying summertime at the end of December. Be sure to pack the sunglasses.
5. Las Vegas is the largest adult playground in the world, and the city rolls out the red carpet for New Year’s Eve. Raucous and wild, the Strip is closed to traffic and becomes a teeming street party. Fireworks are launched from seven different hotels. And that’s just the beginning.
Wherever you decide to break out the bubbly next year, remember that hotel prices and entertainment cover charges skyrocket on New Year’s Eve. Now’s the time to start looking for a great deal on travel to your chosen destination. Regardless of where you choose to ring in the new year, planning ahead is the key to making sure your next New Year’s Eve is the best one yet.
