My Top Festive Travel Experiences

I love Christmas, and I love travel...so Christmas travel makes for some of the most memorable experiences! Since travelling during the festive season seems unlikely this year, I thought I'd reflect back on my favourite festive travel experiences!

In no particular order whatsoever...

Christmas in London (2019)

Even though I lived in London for two years, a return visit to the English capital these days is a special treat. It's one of the most exciting cities in the world, and it would take several lifetimes before you ran out of things to do there. But London at Christmas is extra special: it's when those cliches of old-fashioned British charm actually exist for real, as the city goes all Dickensian with its Christmas traditions and magical decorations that get a 100% for effort. Historic department store Fortnum and Mason is an absolute must-see, its window displays harking back to Christmasses past. The Christmas trees and decorations at the Leadenhall Market, Covent Garden, and Carnaby Street are a delight too. It's also the best city in the world for a festive afternoon tea! Then you've got your ice rinks at the royal palaces, Christmas markets on the banks of the Thames, and a full-on fairground and a world made of ice at Winter Wonderland. By the time you've done everything festive in London, Christmas will have been and gone!

Christmas in Norway (2017 and 2018)

Nothing says Christmas like a world blanketed in snow, and Norway was perfect for this reason! We intentionally booked a remote log cabin in the mountains so that we'd have no choice but to curl up with a book and a pile of blankets, before spending the evening playing board games, toasting marshmallows over an open fire and drinking hot chocolate with Baileys. We ventured out to walk the dog (he loves snow) and explore the surrounding mountains during the day, until the sun set spectacularly at around 4pm. 'Hygge' might be a Danish word, but it definitely applies to Christmas in Norway!!

German Christmas markets (2015-2019)

German Christmas markets are the best in the world, okay? We live in Cologne, which boasts over five huge markets where you can get your fix of Gluhwein, Reibekuchen (fried potato pancakes), and more. Although they can get busy during the afternoon and evening, our favourite time to visit is on a weekend morning, when we can curl up in a corner and listen to Christmas carols to our hearts' content. We've also recently ventured down to Bavaria for Christmas, visiting the equally festive markets in Nuremberg and Munich, too.

Christmas in Vienna (2019)

Vienna is full of so many beautiful buildings decorated for Christmas to discover if you just venture inside them: there's the ornate Ferstel Passage, the historic Cafe Central, and the Kunsthistorische Museum for a start. There are also so many Christmas markets here, I lost count. While the one outside the Austrian Parliament building is vast, there are myriad small, cosy little traditional markets dotted around the old town, so you're never too far from a mulled wine!

Christmas in Canada and New York (2016)

The Canadian Rockies: another place guaranteed some Christmas snow! We visited the town of Banff, took a trip to frozen Lake Louise, went tubing down a mountain, and warmed up in an outdoor hot pool while it snowed around us. We also visited New York for a whistle-stop two days, and the famous Rockefeller Christmas tree!

Christmas in the Baltics (2019)

Christmas in Riga and Tallinn was a special treat, because by the time we visited in late December to early January, Christmas was over back home...but thanks to the Russian Orthodox tradition, the Christmas season here was just getting started! With Christmas markets open until January 7th, we were able to stretch out our festive cheer right up until the New Year! We saw some beautiful rooftop views with a light dusting of snow, and ate so much incredible food!

Christmas in the Alsace (2018)

The Alsace is a region of France that borders west Germany, and the territory has been passed back and forth between the two countries over the centuries. The result is that the towns and villages here have a real 'Beauty and the Beast' feel, with half-timbered houses and quaint cobbled squares that are perfect for hosting Christmas markets! We visited Strasbourg, Colmar and Riquewihr, all of them oozing with Christmas charm!

Christmas in India and Sri Lanka (2015)

This one was definitely a departure from tradition for us: we spent Christmas Day sunbathing on a Sri Lankan beach! We ditched the gifts and the roast dinner and instead were treated to a fresh fish supper and a lone firecracker somebody let off in the street! It was the oddest Christmas we'd ever had, but we weren't complaining!

Let's hope things get just as festive this year!

Merry Christmas!