Traveling Christmas: 6 Ideal apartments for the Holidays

This Christmas season… don’t stay at home! We know how cozy it can be to snuggle up by the fire as you turn the pages of your favorite book, eat bowls of grandma’s hot soup, or munch on some of the best sweets of the year. Having a good time with your family is a plan we won’t contest, but this year we’d like to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and make Santa find your chimney elsewhere.

1. Madrid

Eating the twelve grapes at Puerta del Sol is possibly one of the most traditional things to do in the Spanish capital, and you’ll know that if you’ve ever watched the Campanadas (New Year’s countdown) on Spanish TV. Madrid is an easy option for an affordable weekend getaway, risk free and with fun guaranteed, whether traveling with friends or with the whole family. Moreover, you’ll also find a huge Christmas tree in the Puerta del Sol, and a lively Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor. If traveling with children, know that the Conde Duque cultural center organizes a program with activities specially designed for them. We want you to enjoy the colors of the city indoors and outdoors, and that’s why we’ve chosen this colorful apartment so you are not bored for a second.

2. Rome

If you don’t like grapes, this is your destination! Italy eats lentils on New Year’s Eve, and if that’s also not your thing, relax, because in Rome, nobody is likely to notice. The Italian capital is a very attractive destination for those looking to have a ‘moderately’ cold Christmas. You’ll be able to take leisurely strolls through the Rione Monti Christmas markets, explore the famously lit shops of Via del Corso, and visit the spectacular decorations of Piazza di Spagna. Vatican City also puts up a large nativity scene, yet another reason to visit the beautiful Piazza San Pietro. Moreover, a special Jubilee will also be celebrated in Rome this year, which might be worth witnessing, independently of your religious beliefs. Don’t think it over any longer and book this apartment in Trastevere’s most popular street: as Italian as it gets.

3. New York

Would you like to step into an American Christmas movie? If Madrid is the Spanish Classic, New York is its American counterpart. Ice skating in Central Park’s huge ice-skating rink, admiring Rockefeller Center ‘s giant Christmas tree, and most of all, spending New Year’s in the chilly Times Square… it couldn’t get more real. And of course, dress warm down to your core: thermal clothing, scarf, globes, a good winter jacket and warm socks, at the very least! And to make the night complete, a cozy apartment where you can sing Christmas carols to the accompaniment of a piano.

4. Lanzarote

Nope- you just don’t like the cold, and your Christmas budget is not large either. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go on a good holiday. The Canary Islands are the perfect combination of warm weather+ affordable prices, not to mention other extras such as natural scenery, great parties and excellent food. We have hand-picked this apartment by the sea and with a natural pool for the perfect stay. Stunning, isn’t it?

5. Stockholm

Lanzarote in the wintertime? That sounds like a strange idea. You’d prefer something more authentic, with snow and freezing cold temperatures, to stay at home all day and to only leave the house to do some tourism around town for a few minutes. If so, choose a Scandinavian country such as Finland, Sweden, or Norway, where you’ll be able to wander through snow-covered traditional Christmas markets. We opted for this apartment in Stockholm, where besides enjoying markets like that of Gamla Stan, you’ll have the joys of beautiful summer scenery in your own bedroom.

6. Vienna

And here comes the most looked forward to destination for music lovers who love traveling. More than Christmas, this one is especially recommendable for New Year’s. Every December 31st, the Austrian capital sees the celebration of the world renowned New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic at the Wiener Musikverein, one of the world’s best concert halls. The problem is that tickets don’t come cheap, and there’s such a high demand that tickets are drawn by lot, but music fans are happy to indulge. Besides, Vienna is also highly recommendable at this time of the year for its numerous Christmas markets (I’m not exaggerating, you can check them out here: http://bit.ly/1QtQpgE). And to end with, we can recommend staying at this affordable city apartment.

 

Are you yearning to read about more destinations? For the skiers among you, we have a post about Europe’s 5 top skiing destinations, and if Christmas romance is more up your alley, this post will take you to 5 destinations for a fairytale Christmas

 

Merry traveling Christmas!