Like Andy Williams has once sung, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Yet unfortunately, this does not apply to every part of the world. There some places which you should definitely stay away from during the Christmas season and rather leave them for another occasion. Here are the top 5 cities in Europe you should never visit for Christmas:
Istanbul
There are thousands of reasons why you should visit Istanbul, but the Christmas spirit is definitely not one of them. With 98% of the population being Muslim, Christmas in Istanbul is like any other day of the year. Yes, there are some nice decorations and Christmas trees here and there, but that’s only because of the upcoming New Year’s Eve.
On top of that, Istanbul has been a target of many terrorist attacks in the last few years, especially during the busy seasons – making it not only not a very Christmassy place, but also a relatively dangerous place during the Christmas days. Therefore, it is indeed a city you should not visit during Christmas.
Paris
Paris is a dream destination of millions of people all around the globe and many of them want to visit it exactly during the Christmas season, but that might not be such a good idea. Why? Unfortunately, just as Istanbul, Paris is another ‘popular’ target of terrorist attacks, and, of course, it is especially unsafe during crowded days. And the best way to stay safe is to not visit it at all during the Christmas season!
By the way, check out my other blog post about Paris and how you can act as if you were born and raised in Paris next time you choose to visit it.
London
No one can deny that London is one of the cities with the highest Christmas spirit not only in Europe, but in the rest of the world as well! And that’s exactly why it is so expensive during that time of the year! According to Kiwi.com, if you want to spend Christmas in London, you have to be prepared to spend at least around $477 in one single day!
In addition, London locals are known to celebrate Christmas notoriously as no other population in the world which is the reason why the city virtually shuts down from Christmas Day until New Year’s Day. Not even medical services are fully operating during those days!
Rome
Rome is magic and no one can deny it. However, being in Rome during Christmas days could be a very challenging experience. Yes, it is beautifully decorated and everything looks so magical especially near the Vatican, but finding good venues to spend Christmas’ Eve could be a very difficult task since everything is already crowded. And not only that, public transport is another thing you should definitely not rely on during these days of the year!
Check out my other post about Rome.
Sofia
If you are in search of a twinkling Christmas atmosphere then Sofia is not really a place where you would find it. There are some Christmas decorations and events here and there, but nothing really spectacular. The bright side is that it is relatively cheap and safe compared to other European metropolises.
Therefore, it is up to you to decide whether Sofia is a city you should or should visit during the Christmas season.
Final Thoughts
Well yeah, these were the top 5 cities in Europe you should not visit for Christmas. Remember, that the Christmas season is definitely the most magical one in the entire year. Therefore, I would highly recommend you to give your best to choose a destination where the Christmas spirit could be felt and avoid destinations that are not that “Christmassy”. Or are “too Christmassy” to the point that it might become dangerous! Especially if you love Christmas as much as I do!
Further reading:
Top 5 Most Magical Christmas Markets in Europe
Prepare Authentic Gingerbread Men Cookies
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