Thinking of taking the family (kids 7&4) to either spain or Portugal. Anyone done this before ? Want to go this year but more likely 2023
We didn't bring kids (as it was a bit of a baby moon) but it would have been ok. Tons of shopping and little stalls selling things. Lots and lots of gluhwein drinking.jaggiemaggie said:
How festive was it for the kids ?
We went to Nuremberg for a day trip to do a walking tour with some history stuff. There were still a few stalls open serving Gluhwein, but the market was closed it looked awesome.wildmen09 said:
The most traditional of Christmas markets is in Nuremberg. Wonderful opening ceremony and great vibe.
Underrated I think is Strasborg France. We really enjoyed our time there. Northern Italy is another great spot to hop around during the winter. London is another great stop for markets but a bit more spread out, obviously.
Italy doesn't really do Christmas the way we do or Northern Europe does. I'm not sure how Rome is but I know where we lived it wasn't dressed up for the holidays like you would think.
Again, it really depends what you want. Cities? Outdoor rec? Something else?
I want to say by the 2nd week of December they're up and going just about everywhere.The Milkman said:
How early do the Christmas village type things start up? We're looking at a long weekend Dec 9-11 and deciding where we want to be. Barcelona was discussed but also considering going cold and going to Germany.
Big Shoulders said:
From 2002 through 2019 Mrs. Big Shoulders and I spent every Christmas in Europe. Italy is our favorite, and particularly Florence. However, Christmas is also a great time to be in Venice. High tides are a potential issue that time of year, but other than that crowds are significantly smaller than "in season." A silent St. Mark's square at night, with a chill and just a little bit of fog in the air is pretty amazing.
I have not spent Christmas in Spain, but if I were going to do so, I would probably choose Madrid.