Twin sisters Sarah and Julie (Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen) are two naughty but sweet children who drive their work-obsessed divorced mother, Rhonda (Cynthia Geary), up the wall. They overhear her saying that they are a "handful" and she needs a "vacation". The girls decide to give Rhonda what she wants. They pack up their bags, and hop on their bicycles, determined to make it to their grandmother's house for Christmas. However, they aren't allowed to cross the street on their own. A city bus pulls up and they sneak on through the back door. During their bus ride, an elderly lady informs them that the bus only goes from uptown to downtown and back, and that Edgemont (where their grandmother lives) is several hours away.