Christmas 2016
 

Hi All,

Last time we met Bev and I were going to Eastern Europe and were given lots of advice and help from the Fodor community. Although strange to say nobody suggested having a "beer spa" in Prague - great experience. If anybody wants any info let us know.
We are now looking to have a Christmas in Europe - we are Aussies so cold Christmases are somewhat alien to us. We are used to sun and 35 degrees centigrade temps.
We plan to start in Paris early December, other musts are Strasbourg, Berlin, Regensburg, maybe Bruges and Lille.
Time in Europe probably 4 weeks. We have a son who lives in Amsterdam who has a Finish girlfriend so will definitely be visiting Ams and Rovaneimi.
Any help would be appreciated

How about a weeklong river cruise to the Christmas markets

Be sure to hit every Christmas market you can. A few in Germany serve Glühbier, which is a Belgian Kriek (normally Liefmans) served hot. It's quite tasty.

Well, I would love to visit more towns in Alsace at Christmas time...I think some of the smaller towns would be wonderful. We regret not spending more time in Strasbourg. I think adding a few Alsatian Browns would be so fun and festive.

Thanks for your replies. rncheryl, river cruising is not our thing at the moment would rather spend some time in the towns we visit.
Bev and I have put together our first draft. We understand that it's going to be cold and Lapland extremely cold and our itinerary choice revolves a lot around our son and Christmas markets and of course Santa.
Leave Brisbane 3 December fly to Berlin, spend 7 days in Germany - 3 in Berlin, the balance Regensburg, Rothenburg and Cologne. Strasbourg 3 days, then Reims 1 day and 2 days in Paris. Have spent time in Paris previous trip ut thought it would be good to see in winter. Then 4 days in Belgium, probably Ghent and Bruges. Next will be Finland for Christmas, couple days in Helsinki (have previously visited) and 3 days in Finnish Lapland. Then to Amsterdam for a couple of days. Fly out about 1 Jan, couple of days in Dubai or Abu Dhabi (depending on carrier)to thaw out before back to Brisbane for late Christmas with daughter, son-in-law and grandkids and my 65th birthday
Cheers and thanks for any help.

Ok, looks like nobody has any interest or perhaps have not travelled in Europe at Christmas time. Thanks to those that did respond. We'll now look through some trip reports for help.
Cheers, Bev and Glenn

So I gather it's NL between christmas and january 1? New year's eve in Amsterdam is massive and there will be a lot to do around the city and outside of it.

I'm not a fan of christmas markets, but, as it's the christmas holidays, the city will be festive and laid back and enjoying itself.

However, if I read your basic itinerary, you'll only be in NL for one night?

Hi Menachem,

Thanks for your reply. Our son lives in Amsterdam and we hope to spend probably 3 days there. This may happen at the beginning of our holiday or the end, we now think we'll leave Europe 3 January. Our itinerary is very flexible except the time we are in Finland with our son and his girlfriend at her parents. We need to be Helsinki for Christmas and then Lapland for 2 or 3 days.
Cheers, Bev and Glenn

We had a wonderful white Christmas in Bavaria a few years ago. We stayed in some Romantic Road villages like Rothenburg, Dinkelsbuhl and Fussen/Hohenschwangau, and it was like a vintage Christmas card come to life everywhere we went. Even in the heavy snow, the roads were good to drive on too, despite our nervousness about ice etc. For Australians, it was an extraordinary experience (especially compared to our Christmas Day 37C heat this year!). We also drove to Salzburg for a few days, and that was stunning too.

I would not try to visit every Christmas market. After two or three, they really all look alike.

@GlennBev

Both the start of december (St Nicholas) and the end Christmas) are festive, with a sort of "dead period" in between. But it's more a "stay at home and celebrate" thing. However, shops are fully in gear, because it's the main shopping month.

For things to do, I would suggest the end of your holidays for Amsterdam, coinciding with completely crazy NYE.

We spent two Christmases in Salzburg (1999 and 2003) and loved it. Both trips also included time in Munich and Oberammergau and surrounding areas. The second year we also went to Vienna and Prague. These are wonderful areas for the holiday season. Salzburg was a magical place to spend the few days right around Christmas, and we've always enjoyed attending a classical concert in a historic place.

Now we live part-time in Provence in the south of France and have spent several Christmases there. There are some very strong holiday traditions in Provence, particularly around the Christmas crèches in many churches and the santon nativity figurines. We've also seen an increase in Christmas markets, though not as interesting as what you'd find in other areas.

This year we plan to spend part of December visiting Alsace, Bavaria and Salzburg before returning to Provence for Christmas.

Enjoy your explorations of Europe at this special time of year. Just be sure to take a warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves!

Kathy