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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask where you’d spend Christmas Day in europe

46 replies

Drpeppered · 12/09/2019 22:41

Posting in aibu for traffic.

If you were going to spend Christmas away from home, which city in Europe would you want to spend it in?

Me and DP are tired of the family drama, and are considering going away over the Christmas period and flying back on Boxing Day. Current front runner is Iceland, but concerned everything will be closed from Christmas Eve onwards. Would love to hear more suggestions and your reasons why.

OP posts:
jimmyhill · 12/09/2019 22:46

In Iceland, on Christmas Day, the sun rises at 1130am and sets at 3:30pm

carlywurly · 12/09/2019 22:47

I bet Prague or krakow would be lovely. Or Berlin

BigSandyBalls2015 · 12/09/2019 22:48

Budapest

carlywurly · 12/09/2019 22:48

We did this once and were surprised at how much was open. We had pizza on Christmas Day - it was lovely

EskewedBeef · 12/09/2019 22:49

Tallinn. It's really beautiful, and I imagine it will have a proper traditional Christmas feel.

15thOctober2019 · 12/09/2019 22:49

Fly on christmas day- cheapest day of the year.

lavenderbluedilly · 12/09/2019 22:49

One of my friends is doing this and has already booked a Blue Lagoon trip for Xmas day!

Original poster
Drpeppered · 12/09/2019 22:50

@jimmyhill not so bothered about lots of sunlight. We want somewhere which will be busy enough for us to have things to do (planning on going for 5/6 nights) but also lots of time to unwind and relax

Prague would be lovely but we’ve been before a few times. We’re planning 3 nights krakow in November already.

OP posts:
HappyHammy · 12/09/2019 22:54

The Scottish Highlands are lovely. London is my.choice this year.

sozzlechops · 12/09/2019 23:05

Copenhagen, Vienna, Ljubljana, and another vote for Budapest-all gorgeous at any time of yearSmile

paintedfences · 12/09/2019 23:08

VENICE. I have a Romantic Idea about it but it's not practical at the moment. Go in my stead op. Godspeed!

SyrilSneer · 12/09/2019 23:09

Lisbon. Nice mild weather and their main celebration is Christmas Eve. Everything reopens at midday on Christmas Day.

CountFosco · 12/09/2019 23:09

I was in Madrid in December and it was fab with the Christmas market and the Prado and other art galleries were deserted. It was bliss! Just to offer an alternative.

Yellowpolkadot · 12/09/2019 23:10

@15thOctober2019 in my head airports closed at Christmas 🤣 you have just enlightened me... scurries off to sky scanner

ValentineFizz · 12/09/2019 23:12

Tenerife (I know it's not a city)! Have been there for Christmas before, shorts & t-shirts for Christmas day, sangria in the 25'c heat, perfect Smile

zxcvhjkl · 12/09/2019 23:13

Vienna. In a horse drawn carriage. Under a rug.

JazzyGG · 12/09/2019 23:21

Disneyland! It's fab at Xmas.

Failing that wherever is hottest - Tenerife?

To be fair I'd go anywhere 😂

Crabbitstick · 12/09/2019 23:39

Berlin, amazing at Christmas time.

loveisanopensore · 12/09/2019 23:44

We went to Istanbul one year. Everything was open for sightseeing and we went for a fancy dinner in the evening.

willstarttomorrow · 13/09/2019 00:00

Saariselka in Finnish Lapland? It is the furthest north resort and quite a way into the the Arcric circle. We did this as a Santa trip when DD was 7, but booked flights/ acommodation etc indepently and chose it because it is not a mass tourist destination for short Santa trips. It is beautiful and resyful. Xmas is Finland is just a family day not massively commercial as in the UK. Late DH turned around to me as we came down the Fell from the traditional declaration of peace on Xmas eve and said everyone should do this. And he hated the idea of snowy holidays! Fly into Ivalo from Helsinki. A bus to the resort meets every flight. We had our own apartment and cooked our own xmas day meal (we joined a hotel gala on Xmas eve). Booked dog sledding etc in resort but mainly just loved being there. Took loads of booze though as so expensive! Enjoyed in front of the log burner each night.

ReanimatedSGB · 13/09/2019 00:15

Courtesy of lovely mother-out-law, I have had a couple of Christmases in Switzerland. One year we went to Interlaken, and last year we went to Vevey. Both towns had things open on Christmas day; we were on organised tours so got dinner in the hotel each night anyway. In Vevey, even the little supermarket across the road was open on Christmas day (though it closed early).

You don't get a lot of snow in the towns, and Vevey is quite mild (Interlaken was very frosty) but you're close enough to mountains, generally, to be able to get a few snowball fights in.

Brot64 · 13/09/2019 00:16

Munich, Vienna, Bern (priceless), Leipzig (very easy commute to nearing Hamburg, Berlin, Cuxhaven even Sylt ). Hallstaat is also amazing.

Only problem with Germany, Switzerland and Austria is that everything is pretty dead from midday 24th (which is Heiligabend and when gifting occurs) until 26th morning. By dead I mean everything closed aside from the petrol stations or in larger cities (very rare) a few small shops. You would need to go before the 23rd to enjoy the Christmas markets.

TheNanny23 · 13/09/2019 00:16

I don't know what it's like on Christmas day itself but we went to Nuremberg in December for the markets and loved it. The architecture is amazing and its such a beautiful medieval city; the vibe was traditional and festive without the tat.

Spanglybangles · 13/09/2019 01:04

Grindelwald, Switzerland. It’s the loveliest winter scene I’ve ever seen and I’d like to think it’s as magical as it looks.

To ask where you’d spend Christmas Day in europe
ReanimatedSGB · 13/09/2019 07:06

Ooh, Grindelwald. We rode round there in a horse-drawn carriage on Boxing Day.