This year is my first Christmas abroad.
When we decided to come spend (at least) a year in Prague, we knew that we definitely wouldn’t be able to go back to the United States for Christmas. I admit I wasn’t too sad about this fact at the time–I mean, Christmas in Europe? How could I really be sad about that?
As Christmas gets closer, though, I realize that it is my first real one away from familiar family and traditions. I haven’t spent the last few Christmases at home (a.k.a. Montana) anyway–the last two were spent in the Seattle area with E’s family–so I didn’t think it would bother me.
Once Thanksgiving came around, it really hit me how hard I might actually find it to be in a foreign country for this festive season. I won’t get to see my family, or do any of my usual traditions.
What does one do when they’re feeling blue about spending Christmas away from family?
Why, book a trip of course!
Now that I’m seeing Prague at Christmastime I’m a little sad about missing it here–but our trip (that is finally mostly planned) will be incredible.
Our itinerary is….
(photo credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 )
I am so happy to finally be sharing this with you–it took us forever to decide where we wanted to spend Christmas. We were originally thinking just Germany because, well, German Christmas markets, but I read that the country kind of closes down on the 24th and it can be difficult for travelers. We found a really cheap plane ticket between Prague and Belgium (thank you, Ryan Air!) and then another cheap one home from Paris. Since I have always dreamed of spending New Year’s Eve in Paris (cliché, I know) it seemed like a no-brainer. We will be spending a week there since we’ve never been and we want to take it at a more relaxed pace.
We chose Bruges for actual Christmas because it’s one of our favorite little cities and it will be fun to see it all decked out for Christmas, and it will also feel a little familiar, almost like home.
It’s proved to be quite a challenge logistically–and we still have a day/night in between Bruges and Paris that we need to fill! I’m thinking Ghent or Luxembourg. Ghent looks absolutely charming and is close to Bruges–but I’m not sure how many other chances we will have to visit Luxembourg.
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So, dear readers, I need your help!
Have you been to any of these places? Do you have any tips or must-sees for me? And, what would you do with an extra day between Bruges and Paris? Any and all suggestions very welcome!
Linking up with Emma & friends for The Festive Season and Adelina & friends for the #SundayTraveler.
This trip sounds utterly delicious – I’d personally plump for Luxembourg!
That itinerary sounds AMAZING! I can’t wait to see your photos and hear your stories from this trip. I’ve never been to Ghent or Luxmebourg (although Luxembourg might be on our itinerary this spring) so I’m not much help choosing between the two.
I have been to Paris and I think your plan to spend a week there is a good one. That’ll give you enough time to wander and stroll, yet still see plenty of the sights. If you have the time Versailles is really beautiful, though a little out of the city itself. And Paris for New Year’s. Yep, that is the way to go.
I think you guys will be having such a great time you won’t have time to miss home too much.
Hi Stacey! Thanks so much for your tip about Versailles–we were able to make it and it was a great choice! I’m so glad we stayed a week because even with that much time I felt kind of overwhelmed…there is just SO much to see there!
But, we were so busy, I hardly felt homesick at all, so you’re right, that was a silver lining :). Plus, we were busy seeing amazing things so it was a great choice for our first Christmas abroad!
Thanks so much for reading, hope you had a happy holidays! xo
What an awesome holiday! I hope my email is a little helpful 🙂 We are heading to Cologne this weekend and can’t wait!!
Hi! Yes, your email was really helpful! I only wish we’d been on the ball enough to get your amazing Airbnb, too. We ended up in a terrible one for two nights, but couldn’t take it so we canceled and found a new one that was so much better and had a view, too! Now I can’t imagine staying in Paris without a view, because I needed a break from the city sometimes, but still got to see it, haha 🙂 Wasn’t Cologne awesome?? I love German Christmas markets!
Dang girl, you really take advantage of your time off! To be honest, it’s kind of inspiring me (although this coming year is supposed to be the year I save for wedding stuff). Do you already have your Paris dates booked? ‘Cause I’d say spend that extra day in Paris :))
Hi! Thanks for the tip. We had already had our train tickets booked and it was a pain to try to arrange them…but I wish we’d had an extra day in Paris, even with a week! But, I’m also really happy we saw Ghent, so I can’t really complain haha :).
I admit that this time taking advantage of our time off was a little rough…I am SO tired, I need a vacation from my vacation! I just need to find a balance between not needing to spend every day off on the road, while also still giving myself time to decompress. You guys made a great choice for Christmas–that town looked so cute! I love Austria!
WOW! That sounds like such an amazing Christmas Holiday!!! I can’t speak to Luxembourg as I haven’t been there, but I would say that I enjoyed Ghent when I was there! It was another charming town that was very beautiful!
Thanks for the recommendation! We ended up in Ghent, and although I wasn’t too excited at first (our hostel was in a weird industrial area that was not cute) we found the center and it was so cute. I want to go back and see it some more now! 🙂 want to come??
This trip sounds amazing! I can’t wait to hear how it goes! Cologne’s Christmas market is supposed to be awesome — apparently there are quite a few different ones throughout the city, so make sure to check out a bunch of them! 🙂 There is also the KölnTriangle building across the love locks bridge from the Dom and there is an observation platform where you get a 360 degree view of the city. If it’s clear weather I’d recommend it. Would probably look pretty with the markets too!
Thanks for the tip! I had this on our list but it was pretty cold and cloudy/rainy most of the time. But I loved the markets! I think there were about 8 total in the whole city, although we only made it to 5. I loved the gnome one so much, I kept going back instead of to new ones ;).
This is an amazing sounding holiday! Paris will be absolutely fab- I guarantee it! x
Thanks Amanda! Happy holidays 🙂 xo
This trip sounds amazing, Paris for NYE!!! You two are going to have a blast!
It was wild! hope you had a great NYE with your fam 🙂
Wowowow you’re going to have so much fun! I’m also going to be in Paris for new years eve!
oooh shoot I’m so behind I just saw this now–but did you enjoy it? the Eiffel Tower didn’t shoot off fireworks like I thought it would (not sure where I got that idea…) but it was so fun anyway! I heard the Champs-Elysees was where the big light show was but the crowds were actually managable by the tower so I’m happy we went there. Where did you end up?
Sounds absolutely amazing Amy!! I haven’t been to any of those places (except Paris, which has my heart forever!) so I’m not much help! But you’ll have a wonderful time no matter what you decide! Xo
I LOVED Paris! I was nervous I wouldn’t (apparently that’s one of my fears when going to big destinations I’ve heard about my whole life, haha) but it was so wonderful. 🙂 happy holidays! xo
I haven’t been to any of these destination but I’m truly, truly looking forward to you sharing your photos upon return! Christmas in Europe, what a dream! There is virtually no Christmas here. So as summer was gorgeous and fall was to die for…I’m sadly realizing it might be pretty lackluster until the spring cherry blossoms arrive….sigh.
Aw I hope you had a good Christmas anyway, even if it wasn’t so festive there! I’ve heard they don’t really celebrate Christmas but I thought there might be more show in Seoul. I guess when we were in Vietnam, though, I didn’t see any Christmas decor! Just not part of their culture.
Despite that…I can’t wait to see pictures of those cherry blossoms!!! 🙂
I just got back from Paris last week and I absolutely loved it this time of year! You’ll have a blast there. Make sure to enjoy the city at night, I think it’s best when it’s all lit up. =) And I only got to spend 3 days there so my plan was to do as much as possible (Sacre Coure is a must) that required being outdoors and then to have a back-up plan (the Louvre) for if the whether was bad. I lucked out and got 3 warm and rain free days so I didn’t go to any of the museums. They’re on my list for someday when I get back to Paris. I also want to make it out to Versailles next time I go back!
Even after a week there, I know I need to go back to Paris! There is still so much to see. We spent a lot of time at museums because it was FREEZING, but we did see Sacre-Coeur. You’re right, it’s a must! 🙂 so is the city at night, and it was great on NYE! The crowds during this week were pretty oppressive, though, so if I go for NYE again I would avoid all the major sites. Also, we saw Versailles–it’s a must as well! Especially in the spring or summer, because the gardens were spectacular even in winter.
I absolutely loved the Christmas market in Valkenburg – probably one of the most unique markets I’ve visited. Did you consider checking out Maastricht in the Netherlands. Super cute town, and I’m a bit biased as I went to school there for a semester. Super jealous of Paris for NYE! The city is so magical during the holidays. I was there pre-Christmas one year and loved all the pretty lights and festive atmosphere.
I loved Valkenburg, too! It wasn’t my favorite market but the town itself is just so cute and was so festive and pretty. I honestly didn’t realize Maastricht was much of a place to visit until everyone in Valkenburg, and you, said we should go there next. I think we are heading back to the Netherlands in the spring, so I will add it to the list! 🙂 thanks for the tip!
Amazing! You will have a fab time. I love the Montmartre area of Paris! Check it out if you can 🙂
Thanks for the tip! We did–I loved it too! We almost stayed there but the place fell through at the last minute. Next time I am staying there, though 🙂
As Belgium is my home, I vote for that. Ghent is actually meant to be better tha Bruges, I’ve not been to Ghent yet, except for work related stuff, but it looks good from the tram! Bruges is always a good choice and it’s pretty beautiful decked out for the holidays.
We visited Luxembourg City last year and it is also really pretty and a nice way to spend a day. Either or, Ghent or Luxembourg, you’re going in the right direction!
Personally, I find Brussels a not so nice place. Probably because we only even go because we have to do things there and it’s not often that it’s a day out. In my opinion, there’s far better places to see in Belgium 🙂 Saying that, my family comes to Belgium for the holidays and I will take them, just because it’s close by and good for a Sunday visit!
Hope you enjoy your trip!
I really loved Ghent! I didn’t expect too but it’s so charming and pretty and everyone was very friendly. Bruges also was beautiful, as expected :). We chose Ghent because it was so much closer than Luxembourg and we thought we might be tired of traveling. I’m glad we did, although now I’d like to spend more time there!
I agree with you about Brussels. It’s an okay stop but I never really have loved it. It’s a nice day trip, and it was fun to see the Christmas lights festival, but I prefer the smaller cities in Belgium! 🙂 hope you had fun with your family in Belgium!
Sounds like the coolest ideas! For Paris, I would say go to Orsay, or the Pere Lachaise cemetery – my favourites when I spend time in that city!
I loved Orsay–thanks for the tip! The museum was so fun to spend time in, even without all the incredible art 🙂
This is going to be such a great trip! I can’t wait to see all of your pictures. You should really try to make a trip to the Palace of Versailles…it’s a nice day trip. Have fun!
Thanks, Autumn! We did make it to Versailles–it was a great day trip, although cold and crowded. I would love to see in the gardens in the spring/summer!
I can definitely relate to how you’re feeling – it’s so hard being away from my family at this time of year. This is my first Christmas away from home. We’re doing a bit of a “staycation” here in Hawaii, exploring some of the things we have not been able to do yet. Your trip sounds amazing and I can’t wait to see pictures! Merry Christmas!
A staycation around Christmas, exploring the area, is a great idea! Merry belated Christmas–I hope you had fun and didn’t get too homesick! xo
Have the best time! We are doing a similar thing with a trip up to Ottawa to take my mind off of it! I have been to Brussels and Paris and I JUST LOVE THEM!! My fave thing in Paris was a three course meal, dressed in suit and dress, with a violin playing, on a glass topped boat, floating down the seine. Ah the memory of passing beneath Notre Dame all lit up. http://www.cometoparis.com/catalog/bateaux-mouches-740
Thanks for the idea, Holly! I will definitely do that next time–unfortunately they were all booked up or way too expensive for the time we were there. But they look so magical! we did a boat taxi one day and I loved seeing Paris from the water 🙂 hope you had a great time in Ottawa!
Aaaah – that trip is going to be amazeballs! I’ve only ever been to Paris on that list, and in addition to all the typical touristy things, we really loved the Parisian catacombs, the cafes in Montparnasse where literary greats like Hemingway and Fitzgerald hung out, Pere Lachaise Cemetery and Musee Rodin. Enjoy!!!!
I went to a few Hemingway cafes–one of my favorite things about Paris! Thanks for the tips :). We didn’t make it to the others, but I know E was especially bummed about missing the catacombs so we’ll have to go back…what a bummer ;).
I travelled by train from Bruges to Paris for New Years back in 2011. New Year’s in Paris is amazing BUT please avoid Trocadero at all costs, I know it has the best view of the Eiffel Tower but it’s full of pickpocketers, men trying to harass women and police men playing a blind eye. Book a bar or restaurant in advance if you want to have a drink/dinner before. That helped us a lot because most of the bars and restaurants are full and they don’t accept people without reservation. Spend it near the Sienna river or around Champs-Elysses, there is where we eventually had more fun. Hope this helps <3 Greeting from Slovenia!
Thanks so much for the tips! And hello in Slovenia! I’m glad we avoided Trocadero–a couple we spoke with randomly got pick pocketed there on NYE! Although that can really happen anywhere in Paris. We ended up getting champagne and hanging out by the river/Eiffel Tower, and it was so fun.
Hope you had a great NYE, too! xo
p.s. I am planning a trip to Slovenia this year–I have a week off in early March, would it be an okay time to visit for wandering around the city and walking around Lake Bled, visiting the coast, etc, or should I wait until later in the year?
Yeyy, I’m glad you had a great time 🙂 Regarding Slovenia in March, it all depends on what you want to do. If you just want to tour around and take pretty pictures & eat delicious food it’s a great I think, because weather in Slovenia is quite unpredictable all year anyway. Last year summer was super rainy, fall was quite cold and winter started not so cold and not so rainy but now you are covered in snow! So know that it also could be possible that it snows in March or April as well. I guess skiing then will be perfect or relaxing at some spas! But it could also happen that it’s a perfect spring weather and then you can do some kayaking, golfing or hiking. I would love to help you out more if you want to, my e-mail is aisabelmp@gmail.com. Let’s keep in touch!