Xmas City Break
Discussion
Hi All,
My wife and I are considering a city break between Xmas and New Year, and could do with some advice / opinions…
Are most major cities actually open / functioning during this period, or can we expect to see shops, bars & restaurants closed during this period?
Any recommendations would be good. We really loved Berlin, and would be happy to hear of any recommendations from from those of you who have done this sort of trip at this time of year.
Thanks
Darren
My wife and I are considering a city break between Xmas and New Year, and could do with some advice / opinions…
Are most major cities actually open / functioning during this period, or can we expect to see shops, bars & restaurants closed during this period?
Any recommendations would be good. We really loved Berlin, and would be happy to hear of any recommendations from from those of you who have done this sort of trip at this time of year.
Thanks
Darren
Budapest gets my vote when you consider price, attractions/sight seeing, nightlife etc. Prague is stunning but it doesn't have the nightlife options of Budapest and I found it to be more touristy.
Krakow also worth considering, lovely place and more compact. Tourist prices only seemed to be on the main square but that was 8 years ago.
If you want Christmas markets then Germany do this very well, we grabbed some very cheap flights and hotel rooms to Nuremberg. Lovely city centre if a little boring at night.
Krakow also worth considering, lovely place and more compact. Tourist prices only seemed to be on the main square but that was 8 years ago.
If you want Christmas markets then Germany do this very well, we grabbed some very cheap flights and hotel rooms to Nuremberg. Lovely city centre if a little boring at night.
RichFN2 said:
If you want Christmas markets then Germany do this very well, we grabbed some very cheap flights and hotel rooms to Nuremberg. Lovely city centre if a little boring at night.
Just note that most Christmas markets in Germany (and France and Luxembourg) close on 24 Dec, so dates of the planned trip might be a factor. Certainly in Poland, and probably elsewhere in eastern Europe, they can be open until 31 Dec. I'll throw a couple more in the mix..
Krakow - great city, absolutely recommended. I went a few years ago in the spring, did the Auschwitz tour, salt mines etc. My sister and mum went last year for Christmas, also loved it, but trying to squeeze in those same tours / visits around Xmas time was bit chaotic. So I would recommend it for Xmas as it's a really nice little city for it, but if you'd like to do the other things there then it would probably be better in more mild months.
Vilnius, Lithuania - I went a few years ago, bit of a less obvious choice for sure, it's not as commercially Christmas-y as other European cities but maybe it's better for that. Compact city with a nice relaxed market, lots of really nice food and drink around, some good little museums (former KGB HQ was really interesting) and lovely people. Very affordable too (£116 return flight, £154 AirBnB for 4 nights!)
Cologne - great city for markets, there's around 10 dotted around the city if I recall, a big one opposite the cathedral with choirs singing, one with an ice rink running around it. Pretty textbook German city at Christmas, can't knock it.
Alternatively if you want to stay local, I did Glasgow last year at the last minute. Typical luck, they'd actually cancelled the Xmas market for that year
but it's still a great city, loads to see and do, some superb restaurants (best steak I've ever eaten) and the museums (Kelvingrove) are excellent.
Krakow - great city, absolutely recommended. I went a few years ago in the spring, did the Auschwitz tour, salt mines etc. My sister and mum went last year for Christmas, also loved it, but trying to squeeze in those same tours / visits around Xmas time was bit chaotic. So I would recommend it for Xmas as it's a really nice little city for it, but if you'd like to do the other things there then it would probably be better in more mild months.
Vilnius, Lithuania - I went a few years ago, bit of a less obvious choice for sure, it's not as commercially Christmas-y as other European cities but maybe it's better for that. Compact city with a nice relaxed market, lots of really nice food and drink around, some good little museums (former KGB HQ was really interesting) and lovely people. Very affordable too (£116 return flight, £154 AirBnB for 4 nights!)
Cologne - great city for markets, there's around 10 dotted around the city if I recall, a big one opposite the cathedral with choirs singing, one with an ice rink running around it. Pretty textbook German city at Christmas, can't knock it.
Alternatively if you want to stay local, I did Glasgow last year at the last minute. Typical luck, they'd actually cancelled the Xmas market for that year
but it's still a great city, loads to see and do, some superb restaurants (best steak I've ever eaten) and the museums (Kelvingrove) are excellent.Waitforme said:
Barcelona. Great city any time of the year. Big Christmas market if that’s you thing.
Easy transport from the airport.
That reminded me of a poor decision I made about 15 years ago: I booked Ryanair from Stansted to Barcelona. A mate who lived near Barcelona told me it'd be a 30 Euro taxi ride to Las Ramblas, where we were staying. Well, the taxi driver seemed lost, driving many miles in the wilderness before eventually arriving at our destination 110 Euros later. I think you know where this is heading - good old Ryanair, 'king Barcelona - Girona!Easy transport from the airport.
djsmith74 said:
Thanks for all the replies and suggestions everyone. It looks like we have decided on Venice! It's not the default choice I know, but it should be nice and quiet and be a relaxing break for a few days.
I’ve visited Venice before in November for work and it’s pretty grim at that time of year. Very few tourists, miserable foggy weather (common for northern Italy), I’d keep looking if I were you.Percy Cushion said:
djsmith74 said:
Thanks for all the replies and suggestions everyone. It looks like we have decided on Venice! It's not the default choice I know, but it should be nice and quiet and be a relaxing break for a few days.
I’ve visited Venice before in November for work and it’s pretty grim at that time of year. Very few tourists, miserable foggy weather (common for northern Italy), I’d keep looking if I were you.CharlesdeGaulle said:
Percy Cushion said:
djsmith74 said:
Thanks for all the replies and suggestions everyone. It looks like we have decided on Venice! It's not the default choice I know, but it should be nice and quiet and be a relaxing break for a few days.
I’ve visited Venice before in November for work and it’s pretty grim at that time of year. Very few tourists, miserable foggy weather (common for northern Italy), I’d keep looking if I were you.djsmith74 said:
Reading my original post, I didn’t make any reference to Xmas Markets? I was just asking if the shops, bars and restaurants were open during this period. Appreciate the comment about Venice being grim, and will relay that back to the other half. Thanks.
Apologies, you're absolutely correct. The markets comment was something that came out later, possibly from me. I was in Mestre, just outside Venice, a few weeks back. It was warm, sunny and lively and was a thoroughly appealing place to spend some time. I'm not sure I'd describe Venice as 'grim' any time of the year, but I'd agree that it's not that appealing in the depths of winter. It'll neither be warm enough to contrast with UK, nor winter-focussed enough to be an attractive Christmas destination. Of course it does still have the basic appeal that attracts so many tourists, but you won't be seeing it anywhere near its best. I think you can do a lot better than that.
CharlesdeGaulle said:
djsmith74 said:
Reading my original post, I didn’t make any reference to Xmas Markets? I was just asking if the shops, bars and restaurants were open during this period. Appreciate the comment about Venice being grim, and will relay that back to the other half. Thanks.
Apologies, you're absolutely correct. The markets comment was something that came out later, possibly from me. I was in Mestre, just outside Venice, a few weeks back. It was warm, sunny and lively and was a thoroughly appealing place to spend some time. I'm not sure I'd describe Venice as 'grim' any time of the year, but I'd agree that it's not that appealing in the depths of winter. It'll neither be warm enough to contrast with UK, nor winter-focussed enough to be an attractive Christmas destination. Of course it does still have the basic appeal that attracts so many tourists, but you won't be seeing it anywhere near its best. I think you can do a lot better than that.
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