Travelling at Christmas
December trips are decided in October: markets, lights and winter breaks.
- regions
- 2
- updated
- August 2026
December's line-up
Five breaks worth looking at before prices climb and the places sell out.
December is the month that sells out earliest: Christmas markets concentrate the bookings and prices climb weeks ahead. These guides cover the seasonal breaks, with what really shapes the trip — dates, where to sleep and the cold you should expect.
Europe
Bruges at Christmas is the break that answers the most questions, and cities to visit in December sorts out the rest. If the plan is snow, skiing in Andorra.
Outside Europe
The United States in December brings together seven cities and explains what each one puts on: from the Chicago markets to the December without cold of Palm Springs.
Everything in this section is seasonal: dates are announced each year only a few weeks ahead and are worth confirming before buying flights.