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What City In Europe for 8 days after Christmas?

My wife and I (from Seattle) will be visiting our daughter in New York for Christmas and would like to extend our vacation by going to Europe for about 8 more days (10 including travel days). We've been to Europe quite a few times but always during the summer months and we've usually combined visiting a city with renting a car and driving through the countryside. However, for this trip we just want to stay in a city. I suppose it's possible to visit two cities in the time that we have and take a train between the two but we don't want to spend too much of our time traveling and living out of a suitcase.

Does anyone have a suggestion of a fun place to be at that time of year? We're not interested in a New Years Eve Times Square kind of activity but any festivals going on at the time would be great. We're both classical musicians but that is not a determining factor. We know it will be cold but really would like to avoid a "Chicago style" winter experience for those of you who know what I mean.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Posted by
882 posts

It would be helpful to know where you have been, previously ("we've been to Europe quite a few times"). Needless to say, the farther south one travels, the warmer the winter will be. So...how about Greece, southern Italy, Portugal, southern or Mediterranean coastal Spain?

Posted by
5508 posts

Would you like to do a Minnesota Winter experience? ;)

You might try Barcelona. It is a very interesting city. The weather will be fairly temperate. Lots to do and you can be as wild or subdued as you want.

Posted by
162 posts

We've been to London, Paris and throughout Provence, most major cities in Italy, and some of Eastern Europe. We've haven't been to Spain yet and I would love to see Gaudi's creations so I like that idea a lot! My wife is also interested in going back to Paris or Prague. Not sure what they would be like during this time. Is there enough to see in Barcelona for 8 days or should we combine it with another city in Spain? I shouldn't have made the comment about the weather in my original post. We can certainly handle cold weather and snow. It's just hard to try to walk around anywhere when it's 20 below and the wind is blowing in your face. But I also know it's impossible to predict what Mother Nature will do.

Posted by
882 posts

You could divide your time between Barcelona and Madrid with side trips from each. It will be cooler in Madrid owing to the higher elevation - but eight days split between Barcelona and Madrid is the stuff that dreams are made of. The high speed AVE train connects them....another pleasant aspect. You could fly into one and fly out of the other. What is your "home" airport?

Posted by
5508 posts

There is also plenty to do in just Barcelona/Catalunya. You could take a 2-3 day trip to Girona, a spectacular, ancient walled city and hour from Barcelona, from there you could visit Besalu and Cadaques. You could also take a day trip to Montserrat, a monastery in the mountains. I was in Barcelona over New Years a couple years ago with my daughters. The weather was enjoyable for us, and its just a great area.

Posted by
162 posts

The side trips from Barcelona sound great. How is public transportation? Would we need a car?

Posted by
5508 posts

Public transportation is wonderful. We didn't use or want a car.

Posted by
465 posts

I spent a week in Istanbul at Christmas-time and it was wonderful! It can get chilly, but nothing like Chicago (or Minnesota). So many things to see and do, and a bit “exotic.”

Posted by
882 posts

So...you will be flying out of the New York area and returning to SeaTac, is that correct? I'll send you a private message regarding potential flight considerations, tour guides, etc.

Posted by
3049 posts

I second the Madrid/Barcelona recommendation. While I'm sure you could find enough to keep busy in Catalyna, splitting 10 days between those two areas seems just about perfect to get a good experience of both.

For winter city travel, I always want a city with lots of museums and good restaurants, which Madrid has more than Barcelona, which is why I'd recommend splitting the time. Another option for good food and museums is Bilbao, which I was surprised how much I enjoyed for the one, too-short night I got to spend there.

Also I was in Madrid in December once and it was in the high 60s and sunny. Can't guarantee that kind of weather, but you never know...

Posted by
5240 posts

We spent 10 days after last years Christmas Day in Mallorca. By mid morning I was in shorts and t-shirt (some of the lass hardened Europeans were in light jackets and jeans) but apparently the temperatures were slightly warmer than average. My brother was there the following week and it was a few degrees cooler. Palma is a great city, my favourite one in Spain however it's not very large and it would be difficult to stretch out 8 days there. There is much more to the island than Palma however and whilst you've stated that you're only interested in a city or two on this trip everywhere on the island is within 1 1/2 hours drive so there are some fantastic towns and villages to drive to, caves to visit, markets to browse etc. The only downside is that it isn't as lively as during the peak season and many restaurants will be closed.

Andalucia will be warmer, at least the lower level coastal areas and offers more in terms of cities to visit.

Posted by
850 posts

I also live in PNW. Allow me to make an alternate suggestion. Go to Vienna. More romantic than Paris, beautiful in the winter, and loads of stuff to do, including a major classical music scene. It's not Chi-town, although there probably will be snow. (I've lived on Lake Michigan also.)

An alternate, if you prefer smaller cities, suggestion would be Innsbruck and Salzburg. Walking old Innsbruck with snow falling is one of my fondest memories, and Salzburg should be a bucket list entry for anyone with a classical music interest. You don't have to spend a lot of time traveling; flying into either Munich or Vienna (cheaper flights) you're still only an hour or two on a train.

Posted by
8293 posts

Eight days in Malta might be an option. Mild winters.

Posted by
681 posts

Ok, reading all the suggestions makes me want to travel to Europe after Christmas instead of camping in the cold region of Florida. Enjoy any decision you make should be great.

Posted by
10124 posts

Paris is wonderful at Christmas. Museums are open, exhibitions are in full swing, music playing, restaurants, .... While Vienna has its charms, especially at Christmas, Paris is warmer than Vienna. I’ve celebrated New Years visiting my SIL who lives in Vienna, and we used to live in Paris. Costal vs continental temperatures. Vienna has the cold I used to feel coming off Lake Erie in Cleveland when I was a kid.

Posted by
12172 posts

It's still Christmas in Spain until the big day on Jan. 6 (Three Kings Day), Dec. 25 is just the "first day of Christmas".

Unfortunately Barcelona is the least religious city in the least religious part of Spain. If you want to enjoy Christmas celebrations try Valladolid, Burgos, or Salamanca. If you want Christmas but with better weather Sevilla is probably a better choice than Barcelona.

Posted by
5508 posts

When I planned a trip to Europe which started a couple days after Christmas until the end of January, I concentrated on areas that would be temperate (not winter) and areas that would be "winter". I tried to avoid places that would be what I would consider transitional weather. So I didn't want areas which tended toward damp, rainy, windy and chilly in January. I ended up going to Catalunya and Barcelona, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Luzern, Berner Oberland, Geneva and Paris. I choose Geneva only for one night to visit CERN and Paris because that's where I could get a reasonably priced, nonstop flight. For the most part, we succeeded with the objectives. We had spring like weather in Catalunya, sunny and highs of about 60 and some days higher. We got "winter" with snow in Salzburg, Munich and all of Switzerland except Geneva. Paris was sunny but chilly and windy. I would guess as a major center, Paris is lovely on and before Christmas and even up to New Year's. But, it was pretty quiet when we were there and we were frustrated that things were closing on and off due to extreme cold. ( mid 30s to mid 40s ;) ) Now a moot point, but the Notre Dame tower was closed on and off as were parts of the Eiffel tower. Thankfully, most cafes had heaters and wind shields in their outdoor seating. Switzerland, Salzburg, Munich were absolutely spectacular with a fair amount of snow. It was on the cold side, but we much prefer snow over wind and rain. Vienna was quite windy and chilly.

Posted by
3874 posts

Unfortunately Barcelona is the least religious city in the least religious part of Spain.

While we may not be the most religious (actual believers) city in Spain, in Barcelona we have some great Christmas/Three Kings traditions that we celebrate, with a Catalan flavour. While we do celebrate Christmas Day on 25th of December (dia de Nadal), the 5th and 6th of January are the main days (Tres Reis Mags). Another important date for us is Día de San Esteban on the 26th of December, which is a traditional Catalan holiday with San Esteban Canelons.

Specifically in Barcelona (and Catalonia) you will also find something called Tió de Nadal, which is like the Catalan version of Santa Claus separate from the Three Kings. While each family has it’s own Tió at home, one can find a giant Tió de Nadal in Plaça Nova.

Another big thing for us is our Christmas Markets The oldest one dates back to the 1700s and is called the Fira de Santa Llúcia. It comprises of around 100 stands. The market is set up in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona, in the Gothic Quarter, so it also has a unique setting.

On the 5th of January we also have our huge Three Kings’ Day Parade, just take a look for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?timecontinue=16&v=vg36v2I794

Posted by
1286 posts

Barcelona would be a good destination. Plenty to see, plus lots of options to get out of the big city for day-trips.

But I suggest Malaga. With its local traditions, Christmas markets, imported Father Christmas and Calle Larios light displays it's generally recognised as the Christmas & Epiphany capital of Spain. The weather should be fine, perhaps even eating outdoors during the afternoon. Whilst not as well-known as Murcia for cuisine, it's certainly a foody centre. And there is much to visit in the city - Roman, Moorish, mediaeval and modern - plus plenty of easy day-trip choices including Cordoba.

Posted by
162 posts

Slight change of plans. We will be leaving from Seattle on December 25 and returning on January 5. That means we will have 9 full days in Spain. We definitely want to spend time in Barcelona with some side day trips but want to include one other place. Madrid seems a little overwhelming but is probably the most practical travel-time wise. I don't want to waste a day or two traveling back and forth by train. The only other possibility (once again, timewise) would be to fly into either Madrid or Barcelona arriving in the morning and then take a train to an area relatively close -- and spend a few days there before going to Barcelona.
Any thoughts?

Posted by
5508 posts

Have you checked airfares? Sometimes prices will make the decision for you. I don't think you need to feel overwhelmed about Madrid. If you like to visit world class art museums then Madrid is worth a stop. Or if you are thinking about some daytrips to Toledo (I'd actually overnight in Toledo over Madrid, but people do it as a daytrip) or Segovia, then Madrid might be a great option for you. Some people (me) might say that Madrid is underwhelming. But, if you can get better fares thru Madrid, then absolutely, make it a part of your trip.

Posted by
11294 posts

Madrid actually has pretty easy logistics. While it's a huge city in total, the area of interest to most visitors is small. You can walk from the Royal Palace (western end of the "center") to the center of Retiro Park (eastern end of the "center") in under an hour (Google Maps says 41 minutes, but you have to account for the large crowds along the most direct routes). If you don't want to walk, or you want to go outside the center (say, to visit the Museo Sorolla), the metro is very efficient and not expensive; I often took it for short hops of a few stops. Finally, taxis are EVERYWHERE - just flag one down - and they have been reliable, at least in my experience. They use the meter, and any legitimate extra charges (say, for picking up at the train station or putting bags in the trunk) are listed on a placard in the back seat.

As a further bonus, sometimes airfares from New York, to Madrid are shockingly cheap. From JFK and Newark there are nonstop flights on several airlines (even in January), and this competition seems to bring down prices on this route. Prices to Barcelona can be similar - or can be higher, for no clear reason (well, there is less competition on that route). If you do want to see both cities, I'd definitely recommend flying into one and out of the other. Do check prices both ways (Madrid first vs. Barcelona first) before deciding; I saved $80 by doing this (for me, Madrid first was cheaper, but this was in September 2015).

Posted by
3049 posts

Also adding that "tourist Madrid" is entirely manageable. (Getting to the center from my friend's apartment in Madrid, not so much!)

The benefit of Madrid for this trip is that again, in case the weather is crap (and despite everyone sharing how weather was on their trip, including me, you cannot reliably plan on good winter weather anywhere in continental Europe in December, period) you have what I consider to be the most enjoyable art museum to visit in Europe, plus two other world class museums, plus a palace to tour, tapas tours, bullfighting bars - a lot that can be enjoyed inside if the weather doesn't cooperate. Add a day trip or overnight to Toledo, a couple days in Barcelona, and you've got a nice trip.

Public transit/walking between the major sights in Madrid is really manageable compared to other capitals. I didn't find Barcelona any less hectic or easier to get around...