We loved Prague, Krakow & Tallin in Estonia - all beautiful in December when the Christmas markets will start. Good luck with your search.

thank you so much for the suggestions from Helen T..can u give me some more detail for where to stay in Prague? I really am a total beginner at all this!)

I would agree with Helen . We have done a fair few city breaks and those 3 have been our particular favourites and perfect for the winter . All are easy and cheap to get to with the budget airlines . Accomodation cheap for all 3 too.

Have been to Rome twice .It's definately a must do if you like Roman history but be warned it is very busy , expensive and it doesnt really have much in the way of a christmas feel.

We stayed at hotel Julian in prague and I believe Helen did too , or was that her sister Shirley . Plenty of good priced options .

Thats fantastic, thank you very much. Where abouts was that hotel you stayed in..and would you recommend it? Also, are there any particular places to visit whilst there, or sights/areas to see? With staying such a short time I want to make sure we see the best places.

All 3 places are great for just wondering , particularly prague but krakow has plenty to do outside of the city including a trip to Austwitz which is a must do .

hotel julian was a 10 minute walk from charles bridge . http://julian.cz/en/ http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g274707-d276543-Reviews-Hotel_Julian-Prague_Bohemia.html You are probably best to either start with a hotel search of your destination choice on trip adviser that will list them in order of popularity and reviews and then use the "check rates" funtion for any that look reasonably priced . That will then bring up a selection of prices from the bed bookers for each particular hotel.

Or do it the other way round get hotel prices from any of the popular bed bookers . ie. hotelopia, thomas cook, hotels connect , hotels. com and then check reviews .

most importantly , book your flights first and then choose accomodation at your leisure.

Yes we stayed a the Julian as well. Unfortunately it was before I'd heard of these forums, so I didn't do a review. However there is one here
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/holiday_truths/hotel_reviews/4955/Julian%20Hotel/
there are so many wonderful things to see in Prague. With Krakow you have to travel outside the centre to visit Auscvich & the salt mines. Talinn was beautiful & you could do a ferry trip over to Riga. Much more compact than Prague & probably not so much to see, but delightful all the same.

That' a really big help, thank u so much both of u!!! I think we're settling on Prague, heard so many good reviews about it so will give it a go. Thanks again and please message again if u can think of any other bits of info, places to see etc that u think may be relevant..xx

Make sure you visit the Charles Bridge - both by day & night. The astronomical clock in the main square is lovely, and there are many pavement cafes around it where you can sit & watch the world go by. The castle is well worth a visit - more like a palace. The best time to go here is at noon when there is a very comical changing of the guard. There's a steep climb up to it, but lots of little shops on the way. There's some modern shops & coffee bars in Wenceslas square. Wind your way around the cobbled streets & you'll find some delicious meals being served in back street cafes & restaurants. We found some beautiful places just by going slightly off track. I think the Xmas market starts around the 8th ( try googling it). There is a fantastic atmosphere then, and the smell of pork roasting on spits & mulled wine intermingles.Their crystal is a dream & not too bad price wise. I'm getting all nostalgic now, and will definitely be going back soon. If you want to travel slightly out of the centre, their undergound is simple. It's exactly like London's tubes. Just look at the front of the train for the final destination & jump off wherever you want. Make sure that you take a really comfy pair of walking shoes, as all the streets are cobbled.

The area under charles Bridge is great for wandering . Think it's called the "Mala Strana" area . it's always good to get a guide book or 2 .

lyn

I can reccomend Venice on a budget

Fly to Bergamo

Stay on the mainland - decent hotel and one train stop to the island

Bremen is also quite accessible and in full swing with Christmas markets throughout December

You don't say whereabouts in the UK you are flying from, but I can recommend Christmas markets in Alsace .. Strasbourg and Colmar being the major ones, but every village has its own! Flights to Karlsruhe-Baden with Ryanair, or to Basel with Easyjet ...

I think Morroco is the best destination for december!!