TravelSupermarket has put together the best in Europe – but which one will you choose?
Christmas in a cave - Valkenburg
The Velvet Cave is an excavated marlstone quarry cave which is now used as a tourist attraction for visitors. With a constant year round temperature of 12 degrees they are set in one of the only hilly areas of Holland near to the border with Germany.
At Christmas time the caves and passages hold Christmas Markets underground, vastly different to anywhere else in Europe. Both the Velvet Cave and the Municipal Cave are used for the markets so while you can enjoy the usual Christmas Market fayre you can also enjoy the paintings, carvings and chapel in the caves that have been created over the last two millennia. You can also look out for the iconic Valkenburg nativity scene, dressed each year within the caves and big Christmas parades twice a week including Saturday.
When: Runs 13 Nov to 23 Dec
How: Fly to Amsterdam from the UK with British Airways, KLM, Jet2 and easyJet and travel onward by train. Fares from£27.99 one way. 2 nights in a central three star hotel from £53.00 a night including breakfast.
The home of Santa Claus - Amsterdam
Not the most obvious choices for Christmas, yet ever popular Amsterdam is the birth place of Sinterklass (Santa Claus) himself, much to the amusement of the locals. The 5th of December is St Nicholas Eve when huge processions in the city see the arrival of Sinterklass into the city. From here on in its Christmas bedlam with festive markets all over the city, ice rinks and food stalls. You’ll find lights among the tress and lining the canals and people enjoying Oliebollen, warm doughnut style fruit buns and gluhwein in the streets and parks.
When: Runs 26 Nov to 17 Jan
How: Fly to Amsterdam from the UK with British Airways, KLM, Jet2 and easyJet. Fares from £27.99 one way. 2 nights in a central three star hotel from £62.00 a night including breakfast.
Religion - Rome
As Advent gets under way, the Vatican City located in the heart of Rome becomes a truly wonderful place to visit with nativity scenes and tasteful decorations adorning the wonderful marble and stone buildings of the home of the Catholic Church. St Peters Basilica is a stunning place to visit and soak up the true meaning of Christmas with special services throughout December.
If you still feel the need for shopping and gifts, Piazza Navona is jammed with stalls selling seasonal gifts.
When: Runs 29 Nov to 23 Dec
How: Fly to Rome from the UK with British Airways, Alitalia, Jet2, Ryanair and easyJet. Fares from £19.99 one way. 2 nights in a central three star hotel from £47.00 a night including breakfast.
Scandinavian chic – Stockholm
The Swedish capital oozes designer chic with a wonderful setting amongst the waterways of the city centre and fantastic shopping.
The old town of Gamla Stan has the cutest of the four markets on offer in front of the Nobel museum and with cobbled lanes and cosy cafes and restaurants around wooden huts selling traditional gifts.
Skansen makes a great alternative, a purpose built open air museum of Swedish history arts and crafts and packed with stalls at Christmas time and nearby Djurgarden for food and drink. Once it all gets too much head to the ABBA Museum and indulge in a bit of fun and nostalgia at this fantastic interactive museum.
When: Runs 21 Nov to 23 Dec
How: Fly to Stockholm from the UK with British Airways, SAS and Norwegian. Fares from £49.00 one way. 2 nights in a central three star hotel from £66.00 a night including breakfast.
British Christmas - Chatsworth House
The wonderful Chatsworth House in the rolling Derbyshire hills is home to one of the UK’s most special markets. Each year the house is open to the public and dressed in a theme, this year being Alice in Wonderland. The public rooms, chapel and corridors are adorned with Christmas trees, decorations and tableau in a magical setting, while outside in the farmyard are food stalls and gift shops. A full German style market runs in November for 11 days complete with festive foods, hand crafted gifts, gluhwein and music to get you into the spirit.
When: Market runs 12-29 Nov and Christmas in the house and farmyard runs from 07 November to 03 Jan
How: Drive to Chatsworth, close to J26 of the M1 near Chesterfield with ample car parking. 1 night in a local hotel of three stars from £60.00 a night including breakfast.