jacquie

I am away from home (Sydney) for the first time this Christmas and wanted ideas for where I could spend a few days over Christmas. I was thinking Paris. Has anyone got any information/ experience as to what Paris would be like at this time of year. Suggestions for alternative destinations would be appreciated. <BR> <BR>Thanks.

Patrick

Since you are used to summer Christmases, like I am (in Florida), I would opt for a white Christmas. Many years ago we flew to Lucerne for a week at Christmas picturing a storybook Swiss village with snow. The weather is foggy and rainy there -- seldom snows till January. I would opt for Scandinavia. Sweden has wonderful Christmas traditions and I would suspect that Stockholm is fantastic at Christmas. Maybe you could take a side trip and stay at that famous ice hotel in Sweden overnight. I would suspect that most mountain areas of Europe where you would have lovely snow would be too zoo-like with skiers over the holiday. Paris is wonderful any time of year, but I'd still opt for a white Christmas is Europe.

Angela

I would definately agree that Stockholm and Sweden are wonderful at Christmas - in fact any time. "Skansen" the Folk village in Stockholm has a wonderful craft market and other celebrations including the Light Festival around about the 14th December. The location of Stockholm is so beautiful. Germany also celebrates Christmas well, the old "Eastern" cities are pretty ie Weimar and Dresden. <BR>Angela

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

I vote for Salzburg or Luzern---both are <BR>magical towns for the holidays.

Carol

I spent Christmas in St. Johann in Tyrol in Austria, and it was wonderful, snowed all day.

lola

Spent Christmas is Madrid once--a week of fairs and fun and serenading singers with a Spanish twist. For New Year's you count down the last seconds by eating grapes. Much fun!!

jacquie

Thanks for the suggestions guys. It's definitely given me some ideas, especially as I just found out we have friends moving back to Paris early next year - we would probably get more out of Paris hanging out with them. A White Christmas sounds magical - now just have to check my map to see where all these places are. Are any of these places that would have a white Christmas relatively easy to get to (by international airport) as I will only have a few days? <BR> <BR>Thanks again