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‘It’s essentially the most fantastic time of the 12 months,” declares Andy Williams every festive season. However whereas a roaring hearth, presents below a bauble-laden tree and snow gently drifting exterior is perhaps the image of Christmas offered by Hollywood, your actuality could be a totally different type of magical. How a couple of rum and coke on the sandy seashores or Barbados? Or assembly Santa Claus in Lapland? Or dialling up the custom and visiting one of many 1000’s of Christmas markets in Germany? Listed here are the most effective Christmas vacation locations — no matter type of break you’re searching for.
Major picture: your reindeer carriage awaits in Finnish Lapland (Getty Photos)
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1. The Rhine
![The Rhine is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/2.-Switzerland-Canton-of-Schaffhausen-Stein-am-Rhein-Christmas-tree-on-River-Rhine_Credit_GettyImages-707447497.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Spend the Christmas season afloat on the Rhine, accompanied by a glass of native wine as steep vineyards and historic castles slip by. You’ll discover a Rhine cruise a soothing technique to have a good time the festive season, as most journeys cease at Rhineland cities resembling Cologne, Koblenz and Bonn. Right here, amid the twinkling lights, yuletide lovers mingle in charming Christmas markets, whereas the swish of skates on an ice rink, consumers’ voices and Christmas carols present a energetic soundtrack.
2. Germany
![Germany is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/3.-Germany-Berlin-Germany.-27th-Nov-2017.-The-snow-queen-greets-visitors-at-the-Gendarmenmarkt-Christmas-market-in-Berlin-Germany-27-November-2017_Credit_Alamy_KK2HCT.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Christmas holidays are celebrated with gusto in Germany as its well-known Christmas markets overflow with copious helpings of mulled wine and shining Christmas lights. Hip Berlin presents up an enormous funfair and you will get straight into the Christmas spirit with a ticket to the Alexanderplatz present. There’s a excessive probability of snow: temperatures can slip effectively under zero in December and the common low is minus 1C.
3. Barbados
![Barbados is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/4.-Bridgetown-Barbados-December-18-2016-Christmas-trees-on-the-streets-of-Bridgetown-in-Barbados_Credit_GettyImages-1051698746.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
The Caribbean is made for Christmas. Barbados, the go-to Caribbean favorite for Brits, is at its most relaxed between mid-September and mid-December, when resort costs drop by as much as a 3rd and the air-kissing, winter-sun-seeking regulars haven’t but jetted in. There’s a threat of rain, however it by no means lasts lengthy and the temperature’s nonetheless a balmy 27C. Discover the wild east. The island’s Atlantic facet is an exhilarating whirl of dramatic shores (significantly across the little city of Bathsheba), rolling surf, flapping coconut palms and topsy-turvy hills that appear a world away from the busy seashore resorts lining the west and south coasts. Drive over to bask within the peace and contemporary air; Bay Tavern in Martin’s Bay is a mellow spot the place Bajans take a break on Thursday afternoons, taking pictures (and feeling) the breeze at a “lime” (casual hangout).
4. Courchevel, France
![Courchevel in France is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/06/France-Courchevel-ski-resort-at-dusk-GettyImages-10192868.jpeg?is-pending-load=1)
Courchevel continues to be a gathering floor for the world’s superrich. Broad, easy-skiing pistes mix with Michelin-starred eating places and five-star inns to create essentially the most luxurious of all ski resorts. Boxing Day to New 12 months’s Eve has the largest social buzz: suppose champagne bars and ideal enamel, set in opposition to a razor-sharp mountain ridge. New 12 months in Courchevel isn’t low cost, so save the place you possibly can by reserving a central self-catering house within the Discussion board. Brush up your snowboarding with New Technology Ski College, so that you don’t take a tumble exterior the important thing slopeside bars. And don’t wait till December 31 to start out the celebrations.
5. Muscat, Oman
![Muscat, Oman, is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/06/6.-Famous-Mutrah-Corniche-Muscat-Oman_Credit_GettyImages-1379970440.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Hop on an in a single day flight, and get up seven hours later in Muscat, then get straight to the seashore — it’s solely quarter-hour from the airport. For the remainder of your keep, take a standard dhow boat journey from Marina Bandar al Rowhda so the little ones can get pleasure from goggling at uncommon marine life, or soak up the Bedouin vibes of the Arabian desert with teenagers. Strive stargazing and camel-riding at Wahiba Sands, or head to turquoise-hued Wadi Bani Khalid oasis. Alternatively rent a neighborhood driver by your resort and day-trip round Muscat to discover its frankincense-scented Mutrah Souq. Close by, the decision to prayer echoes across the minarets on the opulent Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, open most days for visits.
6. Edinburgh, Scotland
![Edinburgh, Scotland, is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/7.-Christmas-Markets-in-Edinburgh-Scotland_Credit_GettyImages-1174184378.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
It’s not simply gingerbread-scented markets and riotous Hogmanay events that make wintry Edinburgh so interesting. Even below gray skies, you’ve bought heat, world-class museums and eating places and the icy North Sea winds are your excuse to duck into a comfortable watering gap for a soul-warming Scotch.
For bargains, go in early December when the Christmas markets are open, however the metropolis continues to be comparatively peaceable. Take a spin on the panoramic huge wheel above Princes Road, bar crawl below the fairy lights of George Road and pop into the Scottish Nationwide Gallery to ponder winter scenes. After darkish, head to the Royal Botanic Backyard to sip spiced cider and marvel at its Christmas illuminations.
7. Salzburg, Austria
![Salzburg, Austria, is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/8.-Christmas-Decorations-in-Getreidegasse-Salzburg-Austria_Credit_Alamy_J9D9A7.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Revel within the unabashed schmaltz — that is the fantasy festive break. Dressed to the nines in baroque finery and surrounded by snowcapped peaks, Salzburg is the staunchly conventional, chocolate-box metropolis of Mozart and The Sound of Music, and can cocoon you in consolation. Stroll across the Outdated City streets, dive into vaulted beer cellars and store for lederhosen. To heat up? Climb each mountain, after all.
Make your first wander an atmospheric browse alongside the slender Getreidegasse, Salzburg’s glitzy purchasing alley, the place five-storey Renaissance homes present a bulwark in opposition to winter climate. Discover its dimly lit arched passages and inside just a few paces, you would possibly come upon Balkan Grill Walter, a kiosk promoting Balkan beef sausages since 1950. After, make a prosecco pitstop at Seppo’s intimate wine bar, or cosy up with the crowds within the hidden Sternbräu beer backyard.
8. Finnish Lapland
![Finnish Lapland is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/9.-Snowy-landscape-frozen-trees-in-winter-in-Saariselka-Lapland-Finland_Credit_Alamy_WXWKT9.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
For the actual deal and countless different wintry actions, resembling snowmobiling, snowboarding and reindeer rides, head north to the smaller resorts of Levi, Yllas or Saariselka. Levi is simply 20 minutes from the airport, making transfers with weary tots tremendous speedy. Right here, Santa’s village is means out within the wilderness: a huddle of twinkly log cabins hidden amongst snow-laden pines. Children can beautify gingerbread cookies with Mom Claus, make decorations and go to Elf faculty to study Finnish phrases resembling Hyvaa Joulua (Blissful Christmas), in addition to having a non-public tête-à-tête with Santa himself. The main focus is firmly on healthful festive enjoyable and, refreshingly, memento stops are sparse.
However don’t go too early — journey from the second or third weekend in December for a assured snowscape. Ample time is essential: don’t e book a kind of 24-hour round-trips, your youngster will probably be so drained and cranky you’ll surprise why you bothered. 4 nights is best, and even then you definitely’ll want you had extra. Darkness reigns right here: daylight falls between 10am and 2pm, when an eerie inexperienced and pink glow illuminates the sky.
9. New York, US
![New York is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/06/Christmas-New-York-Radio-City-Music-Hall-Christmas-Season-Rockefeller-Center-alamy-R7FRWX.jpeg?is-pending-load=1)
This metropolis is the face of Christmas, particularly in movies. Don’t miss the magical shows at Macy’s (Miracle on thirty fourth Road); the steps of the Plaza Resort (Residence Alone 2); and the Rockefeller tree (Elf). The prospect of snow isn’t as excessive as within the perma-dusted films, however it’s at all times attainable as temperatures can dip to a bracing -10C. New York’s shops flip charitable at Christmastime, with epic window shows resembling free galleries. Begin with the glittering scene at Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue, then go Tiffany’s earlier than nipping over to Saks. Subsequent head to the Rockefeller Middle for a mulled wine and a gawp on the tree. For Christmas purchasing, Bryant Park is reworked right into a Winter Village, with stalls promoting reasonably priced items resembling handmade scarves and soaps. It’s free to hit the ice rink right here, too.
10. Tenerife, Spain
![Tenerife is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/11.-BENIJO-TENERIFE-island-SPAIN-DECEMBER-23-2015-Surfer-running-to-the-ocean-for-surfing-on-Benijo-beach-on-the-northern-part_Credit_Alamy_FRF85R.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Should you’re hoping so as to add some winter solar to your Christmas that is the place to be. Sure, tourism has made its mark on Tenerife, however the resorts within the south-coast locations of Costa Adeje and Playa de las Americas take up solely a fraction of the island. Past, unspoilt magnificence awaits: seaside villages and picturesque coves, gracious colonial cities, a rainforest dripping with lichen, and ravishing ravines. And all beneath the superior gaze of a 200,000-year-old volcano, Spain’s highest, Mount Teide.
11. Cities alongside the Danube
![The Danube is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/12.-Christmas-Market-at-market-square-Regensburg-Bavaria-Germany_Credit_GettyImages-1086232286.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Right here is one among Europe’s nice rivers, good for a Christmas cruise taking in cities alongside the Danube resembling Budapest, Bratislava and Regensburg. Passing by the guts of central Europe, revellers can have a good time the festive season at Christmas markets garlanded with Christmas lights and spirit. A mulled wine right here, a juicy, grilled sausage there — which Christmas market will probably be your favorite?
12. The Ganges, India
![The Ganges, India, is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/13.-Gangasagar-island-Devotees-taking-their-holy-dip-at-Ganges_Credit_GettyImages-474841338.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Spend Christmas on an opulent cruise alongside India’s holiest river the place the heat of the winter solar mixes effectively with the Christmas spirit. On these cruises, you’ll discover a journey whose stand-outs embrace misty early mornings revealing historical temples and small boats bumping alongside within the water, devotees by the sting, adopted by the wake-up name of bazaars and the solemn fortresses of Jaipur and Varanasi.
13. Marrakesh, Morocco
![Marrakesh, Morocco, is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/Tourists-photographing-Jemaa-el-Fnaa-at-sunset-from-a-patio-in-Marrakesh-Marrakesh-Safi-Morocco_Credit_Alamy_2AP1YJ0.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
There’s a neighborhood saying that Morocco is “a chilly nation with a scorching solar”, and whereas snow on the Atlas Mountains from mid-November to April exhibits you the way bitterly chilly it may be at evening, there are additionally piercing blue skies and sunshine heat sufficient so that you can hit the pool. That is the time to snag a cut price to Marrakesh, however pack layers and keep someplace with heating. Solely July and August are cheaper, however solely price it if you happen to can deal with temperatures within the excessive 40Cs.
14. Mauritius
![Mauritius is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/15.-Le-Morne-Mauritius-December-11-2015_Credit_Alamy_2GPCY93.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
It’s the blossoming of flame bushes quite than the dressing of firs that marks the beginning of the festive season in Mauritius. These bushes, purple as Santa’s go well with, bloom between late November and early December. Shortly after, resort foyer decorations and seasonal store window shows seem throughout the island. Meals is central to a Mauritian Christmas and inns in seashore resorts like Grand Baie and Flic-en-Flac supply gala dinners and festive brunches so you possibly can tuck in with a cocktail or two.
15. The Maldives
![The Maldives is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/16.-Sunset-in-the-Maldives-Velidhu-North-Ari-Atolls_credit_GettyImages-497907104.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Commerce within the conventional festive color palette of purple and inexperienced for a panorama that’s a centillion shades of blue. Fly to the capital, Male, then take a seaplane to a non-public island resort resembling Medhufushi. Sleep in a villa suspended on stilts above the Jacuzzi-warm waters of the Indian Ocean, and snorkel and day-sail your means by the season. Many inns in the Maldives supply conventional menus on Christmas day. Nonetheless, if you happen to boycott the sprouts, you’ll be rewarded with platters of contemporary lobster, oysters and grouper — all washed down with a bottle of one thing glowing.
16. Singapore
![Singapore is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/17.-Christmas-decoration-at-Plaza-Singapura-in-Orchard-Road-Singapore_Credit_Alamy_W4W602.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Singapore soups up the Christmas expertise. Festivities begin in mid-November when virtually 4 kilometres of Christmas lights are switched on within the Orchard Highway purchasing space. Shortly after, eating places debut their festive menus and Christmas Wonderland opens at Gardens by the Bay. The season’s crescendo is the extravagant countdown and fireworks get together at Marina Bay. Should you’re frightened about all of it feeling somewhat too merry and vivid, keep at a seashore resort like Capella Singapore on Sentosa Island. With its infinity swimming pools, 30-acre gardens and views of the South China Sea, it’s a sanctuary amid the festive flamboyance.
17. Antalya, Turkey
![Antalya, Turkey, is one of the best Christmas holiday destinations](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/08/18.-Antalya-Turkey.-December-20_Credit_GettyImages-876056270.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
No jokes about consuming turkey in Turkey please — right here in Antalya, you will be as festive or not as you need. Most of the resorts within the area can have stonking good offers on all-inclusive breaks, with gala dinners placed on for Christmas day. Even if you happen to’re not set on a fly-and-flop, the truth that Christmas Day isn’t a public vacation right here means you possibly can store, go to eating places and go to sights as regular. There’s an excellent probability of solar, however it’ll in all probability be too chilly to hit the seashores. As a substitute, why not go to one of many historical ruins for some gentle tradition with out the crowds? Termessos and Perge are significantly spectacular.
18. Tokyo, Japan
![Tokyo is one of the best Christmas holiday destinations](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/08/19.-A-woman-poses-for-a-photo-with-her-dog-on-a-Christmas-themed-illumination-in-Tokyo-on-December-23-2020_Credit_GettyImages-1230271645.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Tokyo goes all in on the Christmas spirit, however with its personal twist. Across the metropolis are illuminations, the place lights are strung up round buildings, bushes and nearly the whole lot else from round mid-November. Look out, too, for festive festivals and Christmas markets the place you possibly can decide up kawaii (cute) handmade items. In case you have children, a go to to Tokyo Disneyland is crucial. And no, you don’t need to undertake the custom of consuming KFC as an alternative of a roast on Christmas Day — loads of inns will supply a extra conventional festive meal.
19. Christmas Island, Australia
![Red crabs cross the road during their annual migration on Christmas Island, Australia](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/20.-Red-Crab-Gecarcoidea-natalis-crossing-the-road-during-its-annual-migration-Christmas-Island-Australia_Credit_Alamy_2TAN4BY.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
What could possibly be extra apt than spending the festive interval on Christmas Island? This slice of paradise is definitely nearer to the tropical waters of Indonesia than the Australian mainland, making the climate right here just about scorching all 12 months spherical. That mentioned, December tends to be the wet season within the area, with days typically overcast — regardless of, you’re prone to spend most of your time snorkelling its bath-warm waters anyway. Again on dry land, you’ll see some of the spectacular annual migrations: it’s mating season for purple land crabs and hundreds of thousands of them will probably be scuttling from the forest to the coast.
20. London, England
![A gingerbread man outside Battersea Power Station at Christmas in London](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/21.-London-UK.-13th-Dec-2023.-Gingerbread-man-installation-stands-with-candy-canes-by-the-Glides-ice-rink-outside-the-Battersea-Power-Station-in-London_Credit_Alamy_2TCRNXD.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
London does a stonking good job of placing on an excellent Christmas show — as you’ll anticipate from any capital metropolis. However what it’s significantly good at is the gorgeous array of settings the place twinkling lights breathe magic into the air. There’s Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, the place fairground rides, circus acts and Christmas market stalls promoting mulled wine and bratwurst will make anybody giddy. Or Battersea Energy Station, the place the brightly lit facade overlooks a riverfront ice rink. And naturally, who may overlook the purchasing streets round Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, the place retailers compete to placed on the most effective shows. Fortnum & Mason’s is unmissable.
21. Iceland
![Iceland is one of the best places to spend Christmas in 2022](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/07/1.-Christmas-lights-in-the-graveyard-of-a-Kotstrandarkirkja-an-Icelandic-Lutheran-church-near-Selfoss-Iceland-in-the-dark-of-winter_Credit_Alamy_JJ9RMB.jpg?is-pending-load=1)
Iceland is the right vacation vacation spot for travellers seeking Christmas spirit. Right here, the festive season pulsates with energetic Christmas markets the place picket cubicles brim with foods and drinks, and items glitter as imposing Christmas bushes stand guard. Count on a real winter wonderland made up of untamed lava fields and craggy mountains topped with snow for added sparkle. Take a self-drive into the mountains and catch the northern lights glimmering at nighttime sky and don’t overlook different seasonal sojourns resembling trekking close to the Snaefellsjokull glacier.
Take me there
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