Christmas Time - Vienna/Prague vs. London vs. Other City?
 

Hello all!

All things being equal, any advice about spending the 4 days before Christmas in either A) Prague/Vienna (2.5 Days Each), B) London, or C) Another European destination?

I have 4 days in transit before I head Stockholm to New York and would love any suggestions.

Any help would be much appreciated!!

In London, public transit closes down fro Christmas.

If you arrive before Christmas, the Vienna Christmas market would be special.

Since it sounds like it may be relevant for the OP, exact timings may be important.

Public transit in London closes down on Christmas eve starting around 8:00pm, so unless you are planning to be in London after 6:00pm on Christmas eve, you won't have any problems.

As far as Christmas markets in Vienna are concerned, some close on the 23rd, but a couple are open till the 26th, and one stays open till the 31st.

I'd go somewhere warmer like Greece or Spain. My wife and I just got back from Greece and it was wonderful this time of year (Santorini and Athens). I would highly recommend this over London. We spent New Years in London last year and it was pretty cold and rained most of the time.

Thank you all :)

I am actually going the week before Xmas (17-22) and it does seem Vienna has quite the xmas scene..

If i were to do Vienna I would fly out of prague as it is the cheaper flight and could do 3 days vienna and an overnight in prague. A bit of travelling however!

we get there on the 25th afternoon....good to know that there will still be a few markets that are open....

keeping in mind that there will be 2 infants in my travel party, any other tips on what we can do around that time in vienna????

There's likely to be some sort of skating, ice or fake, in a city square.

Look for outdoor carolers and indoor holiday music performances, often held in historic churches. Many churches will have beautiful antique manger scenes as well as holiday decorations. Hotels, restaurants, and generally shops, windows, and downtown streets will be decorated.

Remember that the 26th is the second day of Christmas and considered a holiday, so check what's open.

Something that's unique to Vienna would be the performances or practice sessions of the royal dancing horses.

sounds good....will be sure to check these things out....

i didn't realise the 26th is also considered a holiday....my wife was looking forward to some serious retail therapy on boxing day....:p

I'm not sure about official holiday status, but many people in Europe consider the second day of Christmas to be a holiday. At the moment, I remember Dutch and German experiences with this specifically. It's not just a matter of Boxing Day in England.

the 26th is an official holiday - celebrating st stephens

thanks for the update....i guess we can just use this day to walk around & explore the sights....

Vienna would be amazing if you want the traditional winter Christmas festivities.

But I love that Greece idea too.... :cool:

I once had two days in Dublin right around Christmas and we had a fantastic time in the city center. The city is small and walkable...everything was decked out beautifully for Christmas. It's not one that gets talked about like Vienna, some of the German cities, and London...but if you want a bit more of a relaxing time, it's pretty good.

Vienna is very beautiful with the Christmas Markets. Drink Feuerzangenbowle at the Karlsplatz, do ice skating at the Rathaus, go for 1 day of SPA at Therme Baden (Badner Bahn will get you there for below €6 or so one-way), enjoy coffee in any of the coffee houses, eat Vienna Schnitzel and Sacher Torte ;-))

Not a comment on where to spend Christmas but I am a massive fan of Vienna.. A great city! Great public transit system.. Amazing cafes and pubs.. History..
And a quick train ride to Salzburg

+1000 for that idea. Hot spring spas in wintertime are just magic.