@ London/Paris/ or Amsterdam during Christmas?

[lynn07]

We are considering taking our 13, 11, and 7 yo to Europe over Christmas break. The best prices I can find are to London, so that’s probably where we’d fly into/out of. We’d like to travel to at least one, if not two, other places during that time because I’m looking at 10 days (not including flying days). Back in 2020 we had a spring London/Paris/Amsterdam trip booked and then COVID hit and everything was canceled. DH has been to England, but otherwise, none of us have been to Europe.

Is Christmas even a good time to go? Part of the reason I am looking at that time is because we all have a break from work/school without having to take vacation time. I know it will be cold, but will it be too cold to enjoy ourselves (for reference, we live in CO)? Is London/Paris/Amsterdam too many places for 10 days? Which two would you pick if you could pick two of those? Thank you for any help!

[erbear]

We just got back from London, Paris and Provence with kids (13 and 11). It was awesome! I would have loved to get Amsterdam in there but we only had 12 days and that would have been too much, imo. Happy to answer any questions!

[lynn07]

Aug 9, 2022 20:45:37 GMT -5 erbear said:

We just got back from London, Paris and Provence with kids (13 and 11). It was awesome! I would have loved to get Amsterdam in there but we only had 12 days and that would have been too much, imo. Happy to answer any questions!

Thank you! What were your favorite activities that you did? How many activities did you try to do each day? Did you walk or take public transportation?

[erbear]

Aug 9, 2022 20:54:44 GMT -5 lynn07 said:

Aug 9, 2022 20:45:37 GMT -5 erbear said:

We just got back from London, Paris and Provence with kids (13 and 11). It was awesome! I would have loved to get Amsterdam in there but we only had 12 days and that would have been too much, imo. Happy to answer any questions!

Thank you! What were your favorite activities that you did? How many activities did you try to do each day? Did you walk or take public transportation?

In London: we did a tour of the Tottenham stadium (my girls are soccer freaks) and it was awesome. We did the Harry Potter studios and it was really really cool. They loved St. Paul’s. We didn’t do Westminster Abbey but I’ve been there and it was really cool. They loved walking through the south side of the Thames through Borough Market.

In Paris: everyone loved the Eiffel Tower. We went to the Musée D’Orsay and it was awesome. Louvre is a must. We walked around the Marais and it was fun. The kids and my husband went to the catacombs and they enjoyed that. We went up to Montmartre and it was fun. We went to Versailles one day and did a bike tour and that was fun.

We tried to do 1-2 “activities” each day and leave some time to hang in cafes and parks and chill. My kids are also old enough that we could leave them in the hotel for a couple of hours each afternoon and DH and I could go to pubs and bars on our own.

We used public transportation and walked most places. In London, you can get a tube pass half price for teens (and kids under 11 are free). The tube was really easy. We used the metro in Paris and had no trouble.

It was a really amazing trip.

[mrsslocombe]

London/Paris are much more mild than CO. It can be damp and dreary but not cold. Snow is very rare. The hardest part in London is that daylight is extremely short-sunset is before 4pm.

I haven’t been to Amsterdam so can’t speak on that. You can hit all three in that period of time but there’s so much in just London + Paris, I would have a hard time only having 2-3 days in each one.

A lot of the sites in London are relatively close but can be a bit tricky walking around because the streets are all higgledy-piggledy. The Tube is very easy to navigate. Nearly all the museums are free so it’s fun to just pop in for a couple hours, see a few things, and then leave. As a teenager I loved the Tower of London, the Jack the Ripper themed walking tour, going to see shows on the West End, checking out the food halls in the fancy department stores, the Whispering Gallery at Saint Paul’s, and just generally seeing all the places that I knew from movies.

I’ve only been to Paris as an adult, so I don’t have any good kid recommendations. I do find the museums there overwhelming though, even as an art lover and they are expensive.

[goldengirlz]

Have you tried pricing out flying into one city and out of another? Getting between cities is easy enough on the train but the days do get eaten up with travel time, especially with kids. So I personally wouldn’t attempt three cities in 10 days unless I could fly into London and out of Amsterdam (or vice versa).

If you’re flying into and out of London, though, I’d probably stick to just London and Paris. There’s so much to see in both cities. Plus, jet lag coming from the west(-ish) coast may slow you down for the first day or so.

I’ve never been to London in December, but I’ve been in January, and while yes, it can be dark, cold and rainy, it’s such a fun city. My DC would love to see a show on West End, and I’m really looking forward to taking them to one someday, in addition to all the usual touristy stuff.

[thedutchgirl]

I haven’t been to Europe over the holidays but I’ve heard many cities have great Christmas markets. I really want to go in the next couple years

[lynn07]

Aug 9, 2022 21:35:35 GMT -5 goldengirlz said:

Have you tried pricing out flying into one city and out of another? Getting between cities is easy enough on the train but the days do get eaten up with travel time, especially with kids. So I personally wouldn’t attempt three cities in 10 days unless I could fly into London and out of Amsterdam (or vice versa).

If you’re flying into and out of London, though, I’d probably stick to just London and Paris. There’s so much to see in both cities. Plus, jet lag coming from the west(-ish) coast may slow you down for the first day or so.

I’ve never been to London in December, but I’ve been in January, and while yes, it can be dark, cold and rainy, it’s such a fun city. My DC would love to see a show on West End, and I’m really looking forward to taking them to one someday, in addition to all the usual touristy stuff.

Thank you! I hadn’t thought about seeing a show - I will look into that. I haven’t priced out flying back from a different city, I will do that and see if it’s anywhere close to what just London is.

[lynn07]

Aug 9, 2022 21:38:06 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

I haven’t been to Europe over the holidays but I’ve heard many cities have great Christmas markets. I really want to go in the next couple years

I have heard that, as well! It sounds really charming.

[rupertpenny]

I’ve been in London at Christmas and enjoyed it, but don’t plan much for the 25th or 26th. There is (or was) an annual strike for transit workers every Boxing Day which, in addition to the fact it’s a public holiday, makes it hard to do much.

I love Paris and would go any time of year but don’t have any experience in winter. Never been to Amsterdam but I’m sure it’s great.

Over Christmas break I’d stick to two cities. Accounting for public holidays gives you fewer days to visit attractions and there is plenty to in any of those cities to keep you occupied for 5+ days.

[wanderingback]

Aug 9, 2022 22:27:23 GMT -5 lynn07 said:

Aug 9, 2022 21:35:35 GMT -5 goldengirlz said:

Have you tried pricing out flying into one city and out of another? Getting between cities is easy enough on the train but the days do get eaten up with travel time, especially with kids. So I personally wouldn’t attempt three cities in 10 days unless I could fly into London and out of Amsterdam (or vice versa).

If you’re flying into and out of London, though, I’d probably stick to just London and Paris. There’s so much to see in both cities. Plus, jet lag coming from the west(-ish) coast may slow you down for the first day or so.

I’ve never been to London in December, but I’ve been in January, and while yes, it can be dark, cold and rainy, it’s such a fun city. My DC would love to see a show on West End, and I’m really looking forward to taking them to one someday, in addition to all the usual touristy stuff.

Thank you! I hadn’t thought about seeing a show - I will look into that. I haven’t priced out flying back from a different city, I will do that and see if it’s anywhere close to what just London is.

My partner is from London so whenever we go visit family we also go somewhere else in Europe and it’s virtually the same to fly out of a different city. When you account for having to get back to London (either plane or train, plus food or hotel for that extra trip back to London) it’s always made sense to fly in to London and fly out of another city.

My partner refuses to go there in Dec and Jan because he says it’s too dreary and damp, so I’ve never been at that time. But I’ve also visited Montreal in the dead of winter, so I personally can have a good time regardless but I’d just be prepared.

Also just be prepared that things will likely be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Paris is a quick train trip. With it being the holiday time I prob wouldn’t add a 3rd city in.

[lacey]

I went to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam in early December several years ago. With 10 days I would probably only do London and Paris. I thought Amsterdam likely would have been better in the spring or summer. Brussels had the most charming Christmas market of the cities I went to and is only 1.5 hours from Paris. You could consider doing a day trip if you wanted to get a (very) small taste of another country. You should check to see if the Christmas markets are open after Christmas - I feel like they closed before the holiday, but it’s been several years since I looked into them.

[vasc]

I’ve actually been to all three cities at Christmas time.

If you’re from CO already, you will likely already have appropriate outerwear and shoes for the temperatures. We experienced pretty bitter temps in all three cities and Amsterdam had a lot of snow.

I agree that I’d probably just do London and Paris. Take the Eurostar train from London to Paris and price a ticket out of Charles de Gaule for the return.

As far as attractions, if anything can be booked in advance online, DO IT. When we were last in Paris for Christmas 2018 there were long lines and basically zero walk-up admission opportunities for any of the major museums or the Eiffel Tower. My kids were young and so thankfully they were okay with just doing/seeing things without going inside, but advance tickets would have been necessary.

YES to the Christmas markets though — they’re fun and wonderful. Paris has several large ones in multiple locations.

Double check for attraction availability on 12/24, 12/25, and 12/26.

Disneyland Paris is definitely open through the holiday dates, so if you’re a Disney family you might consider that for the actual holiday.

[mrsukyankee]

I live in London and love being here around Christmas! I can give you all sorts of recs. I'll also be here and not working during the time so happy to be a tour guide (note, this is an offer to everyone who comes to London - happy to guide people!). Paris is gorgeous any time of the year. I'd spend my time in the two cities, but it is easy to get in and out of both Paris and Amsterdam from London due to the train system. I'd book those ahead. And yes, don't plan on travelling on either Christmas or Boxing Day as they are bank holidays with no transit (definitely on Xmas, most likely on Boxing Day).

[cricketwife]

I disagree with the comment about London can be “damp and dreary but not cold”. The last time we went at xmas was 10 years ago and it broke my husband of all nostalgia, and we both swore it off in the winter. It’s not that the temps are that low, but it’s damp and if it’s blustery,
(Which it was in spades for our trip!), it’s bone-chillingly cold. Just be prepared to be inside. We were pretty miserable outside. As a contrast, I used to travel every February to Quebec City and yes, it was cold, but it was far, far, more enjoyable than England in winter. All of our activities were outside and I loved it. There wasn’t that bone-chilling dampness.

That said, if that’s the only time you have to travel, I’d still go.

[fryjack2]

I love London, and live in the NE so am used to cold dreary weather.

We took our kids to London and Paris in March when they were 5. It happened to be a year when it snowed in both cities and Paris was freezing, but we still had a great time and my kids loved it.

We go to England at least every other year and have yet to go and think it was awful.

I also recommend flying into London and out of Paris to maximize your time. Have a great trip!

[lynn07]

Aug 10, 2022 3:45:02 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

I live in London and love being here around Christmas! I can give you all sorts of recs. I'll also be here and not working during the time so happy to be a tour guide (note, this is an offer to everyone who comes to London - happy to guide people!). Paris is gorgeous any time of the year. I'd spend my time in the two cities, but it is easy to get in and out of both Paris and Amsterdam from London due to the train system. I'd book those ahead. And yes, don't plan on travelling on either Christmas or Boxing Day as they are bank holidays with no transit (definitely on Xmas, most likely on Boxing Day).

Thank you for the offer! If/when I finalize, I will probably hit you up for some tips! Do cabs run on Boxing Day?

[lynn07]

Aug 9, 2022 23:48:01 GMT -5 lacey said:

I went to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam in early December several years ago. With 10 days I would probably only do London and Paris. I thought Amsterdam likely would have been better in the spring or summer. Brussels had the most charming Christmas market of the cities I went to and is only 1.5 hours from Paris. You could consider doing a day trip if you wanted to get a (very) small taste of another country. You should check to see if the Christmas markets are open after Christmas - I feel like they closed before the holiday, but it’s been several years since I looked into them.

Thanks for the tip about Brussels! I’ll look into that today!

[janegold]

A few years ago, we did the Christmas markets in Munich, Salzburg and Prague. Absolute DREAMLAND! DS was a baby but it would have been even more fun with older kids, I think.

[tacokick]

If it was me, I’d do either just London and Paris or London, Paris. Brussels. Unless you really wanted to specifically go to Amsterdam. It’s closer, we really liked it. I’d think around the holidays train and plane travel will be a little chaotic so I’d try to minimize travel. But I admit we are people who like longer trips in one spot rather than city hopping every 2-3 days in general. Brussels sounds like it would be great at Christmas. We went in the fall and people were already talking about the market. I know theirs lasts until January. Not sure about the other cities.

I know people always suggest flying between cities once you hit Europe and I bet that’s great if you are there traveling a lot or live there but I’d rather deal with Heathrow/airports as few times as possible on a short trip like this. I haven’t been there since the before times but airports look look even worse now and I can’t imagine that will be better near Christmas.

I found the trains between British, French and Belgian cities quick and train stations much easier to deal with than flying. Fewer delays and many times easier, quicker security lines/customs.

It’s about 2 hrs 15 minutes London to Paris and about an hour and half Paris to Brussels via train. You could always take the train there and fly out of the final city.

We flew out of Heathrow last time (leaving France) and spent a day in Windsor first which was fun. It’s near the airport (about a 20 minute car ride) and I bet the castle would be decorated when you’d be there.

[emilyinchile]

London is really Christmas-y with lights and decorations and a big Christmas festival in Hyde Park. It does get dark/attractions close at like 4, which requires some planning to make sure you got what you want to see early in the day, but the overall vibe is festive.

I'd also just do 2 cities, but I realize that's very much a personal preference and travel style thing.

[freshsqueezed]

I can’t speak on London but Paris and Amsterdam are fabulous for Christmas and so is Bruges. Bruges/Brussels are in the middle so you could also consider an Amsterdam to Paris with a stop in Belgium all via train.

[mrsukyankee]

lynn07, yes. You'll have uber and other cabs running.

[cottoncandy]

London over the Christmas holidays is my absolute favorite! Buildings are covered with lights and they really go all out. When we lived there we would also go to the Bath Christmas markets which I recommend. Liberty of London is my favorite store and their Christmas displays are magical.

[loira]

Aug 9, 2022 22:52:41 GMT -5 rupertpenny said:

I’ve been in London at Christmas and enjoyed it, but don’t plan much for the 25th or 26th. There is (or was) an annual strike for transit workers every Boxing Day which, in addition to the fact it’s a public holiday, makes it hard to do much.

This. I love London around Christmas time, but there is literally nothing open on Christmas Day, except maybe a few pubs and they are all reserved well in advance for Christmas lunch. Even cinemas are closed.

[namasteak]

I just got back from 3 weeks in the UK - 10 of which were in London. My boys were 8 & 6.

I would do London with a few days break in Paris in the middle of your trip.

[sent]

Aug 10, 2022 7:51:20 GMT -5 janegold said:

A few years ago, we did the Christmas markets in Munich, Salzburg and Prague. Absolute DREAMLAND! DS was a baby but it would have been even more fun with older kids, I think.

We did this trip in 2012 except swap Vienna for Munich. It was really cool and the markets were fun. We even had added in day in Bratislava because we got bored of being in Vienna. The markets there were neat also. We ended the trip in London and the market(s?) there just didn't compare. 

[dreamcrisp1]

Amsterdam isn’t that great for Christmas. I’d do Germany, Austria, or Czech Republic instead for their Christmas/Christmas markets.

[neonpink]

London is magical every neighborhood decorates differently. Hyde park has an awesome winter wonderland amusement park for the holiday. I would love to go back.

I’ve spent New Years in Amsterdam and they set off more fireworks than anywhere else a happy local told me. It gets crowded and noisy but is fun. The Christmas decorations were still out and they decorate the canals with different lighted sculptures.

I love traveling during holidays and have been many places to celebrate.