How & Where to Watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Online
'Christmas Vacation' (1989) stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo. It's the perfect mix of festivities and family dysfunction for the holiday season. Whether you've never watched the film or it's a regular pick for the holidays, here's how and where to watch 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' online with a VPN.
If you’re looking for a classic comedy film for the festive season, look no further than ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,’ starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. It may be more than 30 years old, but the dysfunctional Griswold family may be relatable for some even now. Here’s how and where to watch ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ online from anywhere.
No matter what Clark (Chevy Chase) does, his bad luck follows. From Christmas lights not working to causing an awful amount of damage to the house, to his wife’s cousin Eddie showing up unexpectedly, Clark’s hopes of a traditional family Christmas don’t quite go to plan.
We found ‘Christmas Vacation’ on Max in the U.S. and other streaming services outside the U.S. If you want to watch it outside of your country, you’ll need to use a top VPN like NordVPN to bypass geoblocks. There are other movies in the franchise too, and this guide will show you where you can watch them all — including ‘Christmas Vacation 2’ (2003) and ‘Vacation’ (2015).

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Status checked 2025/03/19:
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10/01/2024 Facts checked
We verified the steps and updated the ranking to reflect current VPN performance, features and pricing.
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12/15/2024 Facts checked
Updated streaming options for Christmas 2024.
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02/02/2025 Facts checked
Added more information about the best VPNs for streaming movies from anywhere.
Where Is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Streaming?
You can watch ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ on Max in the U.S. Max (formerly known as HBO Max) is only available in the U.S. If you’re traveling outside of the country, you’ll need to use a VPN to unblock it. Keep in mind that Max requires a U.S. payment method to sign up. If you don’t have one, you can use a prepaid card like StatesCard.

We’ve provided a table to show you where else you can stream ‘Christmas Vacation’ online.
Streaming App | Country | Notes |
---|---|---|
Max | 🇺🇸 U.S. | N/A |
Amazon Prime Video | 🇳🇴 Norway 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇨🇭Switzerland 🇦🇹 Austria | Free 30-day trial* |
Binge | 🇦🇺 Australia | Free seven-day trial |
Stan | 🇦🇺 Australia | Free 30-day free trial |
Foxtel Now | 🇦🇺 Australia | N/A |
Crave | 🇨🇦 Canada | N/A |
You can also buy or rent ‘Christmas Vacation’ on services like Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube and Vudu.
Is Christmas Vacation on Netflix?
No, we didn’t find ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ in any Netflix library.
That’s not to say ‘Christmas Vacation’ won’t ever be available on Netflix, though, since the platform’s content is always changing. That’s why it’s a good idea to manually check for the content you want every now and then, and not only on your local library.
Netflix’s content varies by region, but you can easily switch to another country’s library by using a VPN. Just connect to a server in a different country and log in to your Netflix account like you normally do. Your connection will fool Netflix into thinking you’re located in that country and show you the content available there.
How to Watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Free Online With a VPN
This section provides steps to show you how to watch ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ on Amazon Prime Video for free using its free trial. The platform is available in most countries, but the free trial duration varies (30 days in the U.S. vs seven days in Norway), so it’s a good idea to sign up first and then use a VPN to switch to a different country library that includes ‘Christmas Vacation.’
The steps are pretty much the same for unblocking the film on any other service, including Netflix if it’s ever available there.
- Sign Up for a VPN
Go to nordvpn.com and get a 72% discounted plan risk-free. Its long term plans offer the best value for money.
- Install the VPN App
Download and install the VPN app onto the device you want to stream on. NordVPN is available for most devices. Once installed, open the app and log into your account.
- Connect to a Server
Connect to a server in a country where ‘Christmas Vacation’ is available on Prime, such as Norway, Denmark, Switzerland or Austria. You can search through NordVPN’s full server list by clicking the dots next to the country name.
- Go to Amazon Prime Video
Go to the Amazon Prime Video website and sign in to your account (or sign up for the free trial if you haven’t already).
- Start Streaming ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’
Search for ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ and start watching it on Amazon Prime Video.
The Best VPNs to Stream National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Whatever you intend to stream online, it’s crucial to opt for a VPN that has fast speeds, plenty of servers and the ability to unblock your streaming platform of choice. If you’re in a restricted country, security and obfuscated servers are also important. Here are our top recommendations.
1. NordVPN — Best VPN for Streaming


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NordVPN is the best VPN that can easily unblock streaming services, and it has servers in 60 countries for doing so. It also includes top-notch security, but obfuscation is only available on certain servers. All of NordVPN’s servers can be accessed via the usual server list or on its interactive server map. Just keep in mind that smaller screens can make it difficult to use.
As shown in our daily speed tests, NordVPN has the fastest average speeds, so you won’t have to worry about video quality or buffering. It also offers an affordable two-year plan, making it a better option if you’re on a low budget. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee to fall back on. You can learn more by reading our NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark — Best Unlimited Connection VPN for Streaming


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Surfshark is another strong VPN, with servers in 100 countries and the ability to access major streaming sites. It’s easily fast enough to handle a 4K stream without buffering and has plenty of servers you can try in case one gets blocked. Surfshark also offers a full security suite package in addition to the VPN.
What makes Surfshark stand out is how affordable it is. The VPN starts at $2.19 per month on a two-year plan. Even the full security suite is just $4.29 per month for two years. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out, and you can read our Surfshark review to learn more.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
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- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
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- Everything in One, plus Data removal Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
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3. ExpressVPN — Best Easy-to-Use VPN for Streaming


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ExpressVPN is capable of unblocking any streaming platform. So no matter where you’ll be streaming ‘Christmas Vacation,’ ExpressVPN has you covered. It has servers in 105 countries, so you can watch it pretty much anywhere it’s available. ExpressVPN is also easy to use and available on most devices.
However, it doesn’t have a very appealing price. You can bring the cost down to $4.99 per month by signing up for two years, though, and there’s a money-back guarantee in case you decide you don’t like it. Read our ExpressVPN review for more details.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Cast, Characters & Plot (No Spoilers)
‘Christmas Vacation’ is the third film in the Vacation series by National Lampoon magazine, following the Griswold family once again. As the Holiday season draws in, Clark wants nothing more than a traditional, family Christmas. He drags his wife, Ellen, and two children to pick out a perfect Christmas tree and sets about decorating their house with a tremendous number of lights and decorations.
It doesn’t take long for things to go awry, with the tree being too big, the Christmas lights failing to work, Ellen’s cousin Eddie arriving unannounced in his run-down RV and Clark not receiving his Christmas bonus as expected. Instead of a calm and cozy Christmas, it’s complete chaos, with freak accidents, explosions, the Santa Claus decoration catching fire and even a visit from the S.W.A.T. team.
It has just the right amount of slapstick humor, wit, satire and relatable circumstances with zany relatives. Here’s the cast list for ‘Christmas Holiday.’
Character | Performer |
---|---|
‘Clark Griswold’Clark Griswold’ | Chevy Chase |
‘Ellen Griswold’ | Beverly D’Angelo |
‘Audrey Griswold’ | Juliette Lewis |
‘Rusty Griswold’ | Johnny Galecki |
‘Clark Griswold Sr.’ | John Randolph |
‘Nora Griswold’ | Diane Ladd |
‘Art Smith’ | E.G. Marshall |
‘Frances Smith’ | Doris Roberts |
‘Cousin Eddie Johnson’ | Randy Quaid |
‘Cousin Catherine Johnson’ | Miriam Flynn |
‘Rocky Johnson’ | Cody Burger |
‘Ruby Sue Johnson’ | Ellen Hamilton Latzen |
‘Lewis’ | William Hickey |
‘Bethany’ | Mae Questel |
‘Bill’ | Sam McMurray |
‘Todd Chester’ | Nicholas Guest |
‘Margo Chester’ | Julia Louis-Dreyfus |
‘Mary’ | Nicolette Scorsese |
‘Frank Shirley’ | Brian Doyle-Murray |
Where Can I Watch All the Christmas Vacation Movies?
Though ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ (1989) is one of the most recognizable movies of the franchise, it’s actually the third installment. There are five original movies, a 2010 short and a 2015 reboot. Only two of them are Christmas editions and Chevy Chase stars in all but ‘Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure.’
We’ve provided a table to show you where you can watch all of them. The 2010 short ‘Hotel Hell Vacation’ is 14 minutes long and can be found on YouTube completely free. We couldn’t find ‘Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure’ streaming anywhere, but you can rent or buy it on certain services.
Movie | Netflix | Max (U.S.) | Amazon Prime Video | Binge/Stan/ Foxtel Now (Australia) | Crave (Canada) | Other/ Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) | Binge | N/A | ||||
National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985) | On Viaplay in Denmark, Finland and Norway | |||||
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) | 🇳🇴Norway 🇨🇭Swiss 🇩🇰Denmark 🇦🇹Austria | Binge, Stan, Foxtel Now, | Free on Internet Archive (but the quality isn’t very good) | |||
Vegas Vacation (1997) | Foxtel Now | N/A | ||||
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2 (2003) | N/A | |||||
Hotel Hell Vacation (2010)* | On YouTube for free | |||||
Vacation (2015) | 🇨🇦CA 🇦🇺Aussie 🇳🇿NZ | 🇳🇴Norway 🇩🇰Denmark 🇫🇮Finland 🇸🇪Sweden | Foxtel Now | On Max in Latin American Countries |
If you want to expand your holiday viewing beyond the ‘Vacation” series, you can check out our extensive guide on where to watch Christmas movies, both new and old.
Final Thoughts
We hope our guide has helped you catch some family humor for the festive season. The Griswold family is sure to bring some laughter, and you can watch it entirely free by using an Amazon Prime Video free trial and a VPN’s money-back guarantee.
NordVPN is the best choice. Curious about NordVPN? Its 30-day refund policy means you can explore all its features worry-free and decide if it’s the right fit for you. Whether you’re planning to stay home and binge-watch your favorite series or visit one of the best countries to celebrate Christmas, a VPN ensures you remain private and secure.
What’s your favorite National Lampoon film? Will you need to use a VPN to watch ‘Christmas Vacation?’ Let us know which one you pick in the comments section and, as always, thank you for reading.
FAQ: Watch ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’
Yes. It’s on Max in the U.S., Crave in Canada and Australian services Binge, Stan and Foxtel Now. You can also watch it on Prime in Nordic countries.
‘Christmas Vacation’ is available on Prime in certain countries, such as Austria, Norway, Switzerland and Denmark. If you’re not in any of those countries, you can use a VPN to unblock it.
‘Christmas Vacation’ is a comedy film built around sexual references and nudity, bad language, mild violence, and some references to alcohol, smoking and drugs, hence why it is rated a PG-13.