Travel Destinations Between Christmas and New Year's

How about Barcelona?! I've only been in Sept. and Oct. but would happily return at Christmas if we didn't have family obligations at home. If you Google "Christmas & New Years in Barcelona", there's a blog with some ideas and photos you might find of interest.

Barcelona is on the list though I'm also curious to try new countries!

Hi,
New Year's proper is widely celebrated and usually a ton of fun in ex-Soviet countries (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus). Might turn out a bit on the cold side, though - but it only adds to the festive mood.
I would celebrate Christmas somewhere in the Netherlands or Germany and then head straight to Moscow or Kiev for the 31st.

A few years ago, we spent Christmas in Rome and then New Years in Florence - had a blast! There was plenty of things open in both cities and the weather was great - not too cold and fortunately, little rain!

I would consider Sorrento, Italy and it's wonderful Christmas celebrations.

Great suggestions so far but to clarify, I will arrive after Christmas.

After Christmas and through Epiphany, January 6, there's a lot of celebrating and atmosphere in the Catholic countries. Rome and/or Florence make a winning combo with great museums and historical sites, lovely holiday lighting, and not bad weather.

In most of Europe, the entire Christmas season is celebrated through January 6, so you will have some "Christmas time" depending on where you decide to go.

My theory on winter travel is go where the winter is long and hard. There you will find winter celebrated as opposed to endured.

There is more to Christmas than the markets, but the celebrations, street movement and lights make a great focal point for a trip.

In Central Europe the Christmas Markets and festivities generally begin mid to late November and run till new year, although sometimes in diminished capacties after Christmas eve. Every location will be different. I know for instance that the Budapest Christmas markets run till New Year, but the food vendors close after Christmas day http://budapestchristmas.com/
and celebrations in Munich pretty much wrap up on Christmas eve. https://www.bavaria.by/christmas-market-in-munich-bavaria .

There are a number of good websites that cover the markets and celdbrations in Europe. Do some research to see what is going on this year.

In Lviv and Kyiv the celebrations start in early December, but pick up even more on the 7th of January (their Christmas Day) and run strong for the following week.

We are doing New Year in Budapest again this year, and then orthodox Christmas in Lviv and Kyiv. Because of our schedules, like yours, we've celebrated Orthodox Christmas on holiday a couple of times.

https://ukraine-kiev-tour.com/2017/lviv-christmas-new-year-program.html

http://www.activeukraine.com/ukraine-christmas-five-reasons-to-spend-your-christmas-in-ukraine/

Thank you all for the suggestions so far. I'm bummed about the German Christmas markets but so far sounds like Barcelona and Rome may be my best bets? How about Paris?

Hi Zach - I just posted a reply to someone else's question referring to travel options around that time of year, so I'll cut and paste my answer again here, with a few modifications:

We had a fantastic trip 5 years ago starting in Rome, then took a cheap flight to Sicily, then back to the mainland to visit Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. This took us 3 weeks, so you'd probably want to only consider a portion of it. The trip was affordable, enjoyable, uncrowded, and not 96 degrees hot as it might have been in the middle of summer! Sicily has a few cities, but it's mostly countryside, with ancient Greek and Roman archaeological sites, fabulous mountain scenery, a few museums, incredible food, and again, in December it's not unbearably hot or crowded! We were on the move, driving a rental car in a counter-clockwise direction. We actually skipped the city of Palermo (the airport was many miles west of the city itself), but visited Erice, Agrigento, Syracusa, Modica, and lots more. The highways are toll-free and easy to navigate. Some country roads are narrower.

Rick doesn't include Sicily in his guidebook, but he did film a Sicily episode years ago, and inspired by that, and relying on a great Lonely Planet guidebook, we had a relaxed yet full experience, including a stay at the mountain agritourismo B&B featured in Rick's video.

We wrapped up our third week back on the mainland, driving up the boot to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast and Naples/Pompeii. That was actually after Christmas, and people's fireworks displays on New Year's eve, shot off all across the sky was a great way to see in the New Year. Again, not crowded, not too hot, and all wonderful. For Sicily, if you want to see much, a rental car worked best for us.

Thank you Cyn. That's really helpful. I'd be traveling alone so easiest to avoid places that require a car. But it sounds like maybe Italy generally may be a good call?

Definitely, Zach. If you based yourself in Sorrento, you could use trains to connect with Naples, Pompeii, Ercolano (Herculaneum). Tour companies or private drivers can give you a drive along the Amalfi Coast, without the traffic jams and crowds that back things up in the summer. It gets dark a lot earlier that time of year, but there's plenty of light during the day.

The Christmas season in Italy lasts all the way through Epiphany on January 6.

Paris was my absolute first though. It's a glaring omission from your been-to list. Even if the markets are finished, the lights and decorations will still be up.

Good recommendations and just to point out what Lee said - this period in Germany is deader than dead. Normally I encourage travelers to come to Germany, but honestly no one should try to visit here between 22 December and 6 January. Much of that period is official holidays when everything is closed and even when things are officially open many shops, restaurants, etc have taken off.

So this is kinda left-field, but any thoughts on Riga/Tallin? I've been recommended that. It's down to there or Paris at the moment.

Actually, Riga is high in my list for a winter visit; especsilly as it pairs with some other interesting places via discount carrier; and I want to see it before things happen that may make it less attractive to visit. If still possible, my guess is we will be there Christmas 2018.