December city break

[CowboyBootsForAllOcassions]

Hi all,

Looking for any opinions of the best place to visit for a 2/3 night city break in mid-December...
Options are looking like Krakow, Milan or Rotterdam.

Any other places with decent fights we've already been to.

Anyone any insight on where would be a good option?

Thanks ☺️

Get the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. It doesn’t take very long https://winterfestivalamsterdam.com/

Thanks @Fivemoreminutes1 there's actually flights for amsterdam but we've been before so thought we'd try elsewhere... but hasnt considered that the winter markets etc would be on so would likely be a very different experience

Krakow is really good for a weekend at any time of the year - and in December the Christmas Market will be on.

I really liked Frankfurt in December...nice Christmas market (big enough but not too big, in the pretty square) good shopping and a compact city to walk around. Stayed in the Holiday Inn Express which is 5mins from railway station...railway takes you directly from inside the airport to city 👍

I would say NY every time if you can stretch to that - wonderful place, great at Xmas, easy airport train, awesome eating and sightseeing. I think those Nordic airlines are doing some cheap deals so give it a look

Rotterdam doesn't really have an Xmas market. I really like Rotterdam but its 2 hours on the train for me, we went last December and I could cope with the winter cold and damp. Krakow would be my choice.

my partner and I went to Krakow in February this year (the coldest month of the year, i know😅). We went because my maternity was coming to an end and it was the only time we could get away. It was amazing!! Beautiful city, people are lovely, sights were amazing & the centre was great for popping back and forth to. One morning it was -12 but it was a still, nice cold! Not what we get here in Scotland with wind & rain. I have heard their christmas markets are lovely too!

we went to London in December 2022 - was great, fab sights & visited Winter Wonderland & Covent Garden which were nice if you’re looking to do Christmasy thing.

we’re currently looking to go to Milan over New Year - just reading up about it now and seems to be a nice city to visit during December.

hope this helps @CowboyBootsForAllOcassions

I also really liked krakow!

Also Malaga or Seville? Not so cold but lovely old cities with beautiful Xmas lights and market.

I'd not do NYC for 2/3 nights just because there's so much to see/ do and it's more expensive to get there - so I'd want longer there. Plus I had horrendous jet lag so struggled with that for 2 days!

We love a December city break and have been to the following and loved them all:

Krakow
Prague
Budapest
Lisbon
London
New York
Frankfurt
Galway
Dublin
Paris

This year we're considering Copenhagen or Vienna

We did Lisbon - huge mix of weather from T-shirt and loose trousers to fog and rain.

Prague is nice, cold but you know it and wrap up.

Frankfurt can work as their publich transport network is great to discover other cities as well.

Hamburg with day trips to Lübeck and Lüneburg

Krawkow is on my list with Munich and Vienna.

Thanks everyone...! Hubby fancies Milan and I'm thinking krakow... the debate continues!

We LOVED Krakow and hated Vienna who were having restrictions on their Christmas lighting due to the "energy crisis".

I’ve been to Aachen, Bruges, Berlin, Tallinn and Ghent at that time of year. I enjoyed all of them but found Tallinn especially charming and really interesting. It was cold but not unbearably so, and it was geared up for the cold. Everywhere was really well heated and cosy indoors.
Aachen was also a surprise gem.

Edinburgh. Much cheaper

Nuremberg. Most Christmassy place ever.

I was going to say Reykjavik. Have you been there in winter?

We stayed about 4 days in Dec 1 year. Northern lights, blue lagoon and The Golden circle tour were my highlights. Plus just walking around the city, seeing Christmas lights etc.

Edinburgh cheap? 😂

Anyway, my favourites for that time of year are Vienna and Amsterdam.

Lisbon is for spring/summer.

Amsterdam is beautiful in Winter. The last time I was there during Winter they had lights strung across the canals, was really lovely. And its a nice dry fresh cold compared to the damp we feel in the UK. Cheap flights, lots of hotel options, and very easy to get around the city on foot/by bike. Would highly recommend.

Have also been to Krakow in Winter and it was great. If you feel the cold, fur is very cheap in the markets in the main square. Picked myself up two rabbit fur hats on my last trip for about €40 and they had muffs and scarves for very good prices. I would have bought a coat but there's no way I would have fit it in my case!

Hope you have a nice trip wherever you end up!

Wrocław. Very cheap, amazing architecture reminiscent of Nuremberg and an excellent Christmas market.

Half of Wrocław centre was destroyed in WW2. You wouldn’t know now!

Milan has a lot going for it. Not just the Duomo and the glorious shopping arcade nearby. If you like art it’s fantastic and has some fabulous churches. I think Vienna is Christmassy. It’s a very attractive city centre. I’d also add in Copenhagen. Expensive but Danes do everything well and it’s a relatively small city.

https://www.thelocal.at/20220810/vienna-forced-to-dim-street-lighting-and-christmas-illuminations

I would check about Vienna for this year. Last year was very disappointing.

Thanks all...! After looking some more, the best flights we can get for our dates seem to be Amsterdam! Which we've been to before, albeit not at Christmas time but hey ho... I suppose a break is a break!

If you are considering Amsterdam, my big vote goes to Haarlem close by. They have a fantastic Xmas Market but it is only on one weekend in December. If it lines up with your travel dates you should go. It's fabulous!

Would really recommend Den Haag, Utrecht or Maastricht, all easy to get to from Amsterdam. I like Amsterdam but prefer the other Dutch cities.

Cologne is always my choice for a December weekend away.