Europe in December ?

Heads up: most Christmas markets in Germany will close finally on Dec. 23.

For different (more religious) tastes of Christmas markets - compared to Berlin - you can consider Nuremberg, ore mountains area or Harz mountains (e. g. Goslar). If you like to try a more Northern market taste Lübeck is a good choice.

The Budapest markets are in full operation until about noon on Christmas eve. Then they run with out the food vendors until New Year day.

I lived in Germany for four years and hated those long cold winters.

We NEVER go to Europe in the Winter.

Since you have been to Europe in the winter, enjoyed it, and want to do it again. My take on the holidays

Did Rome and London for NYE and Christmas. Not impressed with either. Rome was downright barbaric. Budapest is pretty good for Christmas but for NYE, better if you are older and want something sort of luxury.

My favorite NYE was Sydney.

Have you thought about Iceland for NYE? It is a really big deal there with fireworks and bonfires all over. We have been to Iceland a number of times, and I am itching to go over NYE. Our adult kids went one year and absolutely loved it. Christmas markets are not really a thing there, but they do have some.

Otherwise What about Dresden or Prague for the Christmas markets? Or Munich and Salzburg? Each of these pair well together. We did the Munich and Salzburg markets this past December and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Here's an excellent thread from @JoAnne about German & French Christmas markets - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/more-2022-german-christmas-markets. So given what others have said, you might like to reverse the order & visit Christmas markets first before going somewhere else for NYE?

We've spent 6 nights leading up to NYE in Rome, it was delightful. But we had things like a walking food tour planned & didn't hang out RIGHT in the center once it got super crowded, Florence is smaller, so perhaps a bit easier to navigate, but remember the Italians will come flooding in for the holiday, the closer you get to NYE, the more jammed it will get. In Rome, we had pizza at 5PM & were back in our rooms safely out of the way of the partiers by 6PM!

Since you mentioned Berlin, may I ask what you liked about spending NYE there? Thanks.

Germany is hard to beat for Christmas markets, after all they were invented there. But if you're arriving on the 20th you will only catch the end of them as they usually close on the 22nd or 23rd.

For markets (and general Christmas feeling) that stay up a bit longer, consider an orthodox country that celebrate Christmas in January. Ukraine is unfortunately not a place I'd recommend at the moment, but consider Estonia. Tallinn has a nice Christmas market and it is in general a nice country to visit.

Many of the Christmas markets in Austria are open until January. I would figure out where you want to be for New Years and work backwards from there. Consider Salzburg for the Christmas markets.

https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/skiing-and-winter/christmas-markets

A few years ago we spent the first week of December visiting Christmas markets. We based in Colmar, France and also visited markets in nearby Route du Vin towns and well as Freiburg, Germany and Basel, Switzerland. The weather was mild, the driving was easy, and our group of 5 had a great time!

We spent mid-December thru Jan. 6 (Epiphany) in 2012/2013 in Italy, and it was spectacular! Started in Rome, then flew to Sicily for Christmas, took the car ferry back to the mainland and drove to Sorrento for New Year’s, finished in Rome for flight home. It was an ideal time to go.

Towns had Christmas Presepi and special lighting. Holiday baked goods were a treat. We went to the Vatican Museums and a truly had a quiet, non-crowded time in the Sistine Chapel, unlike the zoo when we returned there in October 2021. Pompeii and Ostia Antica were delightful, without crowds or stifling heat. I’d imagine that Florence could be wonderful, as well, but from my experience (yes, 11 years ago), starting your trip in Rome is an excellent idea.

Rome at Christmastime is delightful, with lights draped over the streets, presepi in the churches, and you can take in the Christmas trees at Vatican City and Piazza Venezia. The weather is usually good too. Last year Piazza Navona had a modest Christmas market for the first time since Covid. It's festive but not crowded and there are some beautiful lighting displays, ideal for strolling at night.