European Xmas flight help

I am seeing nonstop to Amsterdam for $1431, leave 12/22 return 1/1 or 1/5. Returning right after 1/1 is problematic as it is a week end. Paris and London are quite a bit higher. Look at flying from Vancouver if you can swing it. Flights in Canadian $ are a lot less these days.

I would definitely pick one of the direct flights to Europe from SEA so probably London, Amsterdam or Paris. The fewer changes you have the better off you will be during the holiday time.

Do be aware of transportation limitations in London for Dec 25 and 26.

I'm seeing Lufthansa to London $1195 if you fly back on New Year's Day. Also Delta non-stop to London 12/22 - 1/3 is $1836. Non-stop to Amsterdam, also 12/22 - 1/3 is $1846 on Delta.

Check out flight aggregators like Skyscanner.com, Google Flights, and Kayak.com. Flying Lufthansa, British Airways, Delta or Iceland Air straight to Europe from Seattle are my go-to options. Lufthansa and British Airways are more comfortable than Delta and Iceland Air's 757s are the most cramped.

Avoid connections in the east coast or midwest. Long travel times and many weather delays.

$2500 sounds unusually high even for that time period. Remember the further north you go especially Amsterdam will be colder and very short days. For example Amsterdam is as far north as the mid point between Seattle and Juneau. Paris is about the same as Montreal. Obviously the further south you go, the better chance for warmer weather. For example - Rome. Maybe fly into Paris if that is important and then fly to Rome and home from Rome.

London, Paris, or Amsterdam are great places to stay for the holidays, but keep in mind that the sights and restaurants can be closed not only on Christmas Day, but sometimes also the day after, Boxing Day in the UK. We've stayed in Paris twice over Christmas and had a fabulous time (especially New Years Eve), but we always rented an apartment so that we would have a real home for the holidays. Trying to find a restaurant that is open Christmas Day in Paris is just depressing. It's more fun to have your own meal in your own kitchen--even if that means just warming up a rotisserie chicken in a microwave.

The $2,500 price tag is high, even if that is for two people departing from Seattle, I think. Something in the $2,000 range seems more reasonable for Paris, Amsterdam or London. You might get a cheaper ticket to Frankfurt, even if it is farther East than those other cities, because a lot of business travelers land there, if you don't mind spending a night and taking a train back west.

I spent a Christmas holiday in Paris once. You'll love it! Half the tourists vs. other times of the year, and everything is open except on Christmas itself and New Years Day itself. I have also visited Amsterdam and London and enjoyed both, especially Amsterdam, but not during the holidays.

It's not last minute to plan a winter holiday trip. It's still October.

Before you book flights at any cost, check to see if hotels are still available. I checked several hotels yesterday in London that had nothing available for the time period you mentioned.

As there are hundreds of hotels in London, I'm sure there will be something for you. But if you are sure London will be your first destination, I'd find a hotel room soon, and make a reservation for the nights you'll be staying.

Thank you all! After more research on logistics we decided on flying to Berlin, take a train to Prague, then fly to Amsterdam and then home :)