Xmas holidays ideas in Europe?

Question

Looking for ideas for a 2 week holiday over Xmas.. Can be 2 different countries.. But in Europe please! or close by to the UK ..

Answer 1

Try the Christmas markets in Germany or Austria

Answer 2

How about going to North Africa and trying Tunisia.  Just over a 3 hour flight.

Answer 3

If you want warm weather then it has to be the Isla Canarias (Canary Islands). Tenerife or Gran Canaria. There are plenty of flights from the UK. If you go to Tenerife, choose the south of the island as it is drier. Near the mountains they can get heavy showers at that time of the year.

Answer 4

Prague! It's so lovely & magical at Christmas. There is an awesome market in the Old Town Square, and gorgeous Christmas trees there and in Wenceslas Square, and the city is festive and beautiful and the weather is fair. It's far less expensive than cities in Western Europe, and you can probably find a great deal.

Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic: make this a side trip from Prague. It's like being inside of a fairy tale.

I also absolutely love:

Salzburg: Phenomenally beautiful, and chock-full of Christmas festivities. There is a very good chance you'll have a white Christmas here. Be sure to explore the smaller towns in the Salzkammergut region. The first time I went there, when I was seven, I actually cried because it was just too beautiful to take in. (yeah, I know, I was a sap)

If you stay in Salzburg for Christmas you should def. go to Oberndorf for Christmas Eve. This is where Silent Night was written back in 1818 when rats ate through the organ cords on Christmas Eve and the minister composed the song, and every year there is a very pretty, peaceful, service outside the chapel.

Austria is much more expensive, though........

Germany has some amazing Christmas Markets, and the Romantic Road is magical. Stockholm is also so beautiful then (though it gets dark at 3!).

Check Rick Steve's Graffiti Wall for more info. They have a whole section on Christmas in Europe.

: )

Answer 5

There are a lot of great choices here for Christmas. Copenhagen is one of the top places. Tivoli park is open during the season - it has an extensive Christmas market with a building full of Christmas animations, ice skating, and the park attractions. There are other events throughout the city.

Skylark is absolutely right about Prague & Cesny Krumlov too. It is another great place. There's a Christmas market in the Old Town Square and another in Wenceslaus Square. Prague is a great place to visit anytime with the art and architecture, the performers on Charles Bridge and the castle. Try the honey wine and the Trdelnik to warm up when necessary.

Vienna also has a good Christmas market in front of the city hall. If you're taking children, there are activities for the kids inside the city hall while the market is running.

All the above have Christmas concerts during the season.

It's only 4.5 hours by train between Prague and Vienna - that would make a good two city combination. Budapest is another good option to team with Prague. They have some good Christmas markets too and the Spas are nice for relaxing after a cold day.