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Christmas & New Year Abroad - France, Spain, & Portugal

Christmas and New Year are as important to the countries of western Europe as they are to the British – so why not join them?

France, Spain and Portugal offer some great opportunities for a midwinter with a wide range of accommodation to rent ranging from old rural farmhouses, country cottages and villas and beachside apartments.

The French, the Spanish and the Portuguese celebrate as heartily as the Brits and it makes for a memorable Christmas to join them in their festivities.

As largely Roman Catholic countries, Spain, France and Portugal have a more religious flavour to the festive season than we are probably used to in the secular UK. Expect to join in the celebrations even if it is not your faith.

As well as the obvious religious events, the western Europeans like to celebrate Yuletide with parades and seasonal markets. Atmospheric Christmas markets are popular for buying not only presents but also the food for the holiday. In France, for example the chicken and turkey, cheese and truffles for dinner can be bought in markets.

Christmas & New Year in France

As a general rule one should expect to have to go midway down France towards the Mediterranean to add sunshine to a Christmas and New Year break. Northern France tends to share the British weather but there are compensations in the number of excellent golf courses that will be almost devoid of local players.

France offers a wide choice of how to spend a midwinter break:

• Exploring the Atlantic coast by car, bicycle and on foot. Normandy and Brittany have stunning and rugged coastal scenery, picturesque and historic fishing villages. The cuisine is a far cry from the traditional turkey.

• Taking to the Alpine slopes in the ski and snowboarding resorts of the east. Christmas and New year après-ski and mulled wine have that extra festive touch

• Soaking up the warm winter sun in the South. The French Riviera has kilometres of excellent beaches and restaurants. The region which almost invented “chic” has the shops and boutiques for Christmas shopping with an upmarket difference

• Hiking and mountain biking through the picturesque Ardennes region of the north with its forests and historic towns

• Capital sightseeing – Paris, the home of “joie de vivre”, has a massive selection of museums, art galleries, historic sites for seeing by day and shows, clubs and restaurants by night

Christmas & New Year in Spain

With an average of 300 days of sunshine in many parts of Spain and its equally-popular neighbour Portugal, the Christmas period can mean days on the beaches, swimming, eating on restaurant terraces and barbecues on villa patios.

Unless these countries of the Iberian Peninsula get a rare period of bad weather there are almost as many activities available in midwinter as in summer.

Keeping the family happy in Spain

• Theme parks such as Universal Studios Port Aventura on the Costa Dorada which opens year-round. It has two fun areas – the theme park with thrill rides and the Caribe Aquatic Park.

• Beaches – the choice of places to soak up the weaker but still warm winter sun is huge. The sea is chillier but many of the beach facilities continue to operate. Many bars, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs in coastal resorts stay open through winter.
• The Costas – the beach resort choice is vast from the Costa Brava in the north east through the Costas Blanca, Almeria and Dorada. The popular Costa del Sol lies in the south with Gibraltar separating it from the Costa de la Luz.
• Winter sports – skiing goes on quite late into the spring in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada are just a few hours’ drive from the Costa de Sol and Costa Almeria resorts.
• City fun – Spain has a number of cities where the day and night time attractions make for a great Christmas period. These include the capital Madrid, the Catalan city of Barcelona and historic Granada in Andalucia.

Christmas & New Year in Portugal

Portugal is popular year-round and offers mild and sunny winters especially along the southern Algarve Coast. Many tourist attractions and facilities remain open through the winter

Portugal highlights

• The Algarve – Familiar resort town names includes Albufeira, Carvoeiro, Portimao, Quinta do Lago, Vilamoura, Lagos and Sagres. The coast ends in the spectacular lighthouse at Cape St Vincent, the most south-westerly point of Europe. Safe and sandy family beaches are Praia de Rocha, near Portimao, and Praia do Dona Ana, close to Lagos, which, although very popular, never seem overcrowded.

• Lisbon – a historic and beautiful city made all the more impressive by Christmas decorations and lights. Celebrate New Year in excellent restaurants and bars.

• The Estoril coast – easily accessible from Lisbon by car and train, the area enjoys a mild winter climate and has some vibrant resorts.