Who leaves spring weather in Australia to travel to Europe & the UK in November?
I did.
A bucket list item for me that can only be achieved in cold weather.
Was it worth it?
It was one of the most beautiful experiences that I have been fortunate enough to have.
This didn't appeal to Alan so a friend & her daughter and I (Ginny) did a 16-day visit to London, Edinburgh, Paris & Brugge.
Our itinerary was tight and we made use of early nightfalls to visit some of the most beautiful Christmas lights that I have ever seen.
Our accommodation was all pre-booked as was any 'Christmas' transport such as the Bus Lights Tour and Black Cab Lights Tour.
We pre-booked trains for travel between cities, (so important in peak times) and arrived into England and departed from Germany.
First stop was London.
We stayed in Earl's Court - a fantastic base. Easy access to the Tube, lots of food and eating places and a great vibe at night, especially seeing as the World Soccer Cup in Qatar was being televised in all the pubs every night.
We chose to see the lights by night on a Bus Tour one night, then a Black Cab tour the next night.
Both were wonderful experiences but the cab was able to get down smaller streets, including Carnaby St, Soho, and the Theatre District, all amazing and so colourful.
Next stop Edinburgh.
Here we booked a taxi for 5pm and asked to be shown 30 quids' worth of Edinburgh's Christmas lights.
The driver was so obliging and got such a kick out of showcasing the city, that in the end, we had to say that we had seen enough.
A fun thing to do and far less expensive than the Black Cab tour in London, which was quite expensive but still worth it to negotiate a much larger and more complex city.
The Christmas Lights in the 8th Arrondissement of Paris.
Next stop was Paris via the Eurostar.
We stayed on the left bank in Paris and had easy access to everything, so important when you are on a mission.
Loved the day trip by train to Strasbourg, the most picturesque city, with wonderful Christmas markets and friendly people.
We did the Paris Christmas Lights Bus Tour which was spectacular with the icons lit up and fashion stores featured! So Parisienne.
Last stop was Brugge via Brussels.
An absolute gem and a 'must-do' Christmas experience.
A very walkable destination with the most beautiful markets, lights and decorations set close to a canal.
It was here that we saw the most amazing Christmas decoration shop, and here was where the most money damage was done.
I came home with a divine gold Nutcracker statue to remind me of this fantastic pre-Christmas experience.
So as not to retrace our steps and to avoid an extra flight back to London, we chose to travel by train to Frankfurt and fly home from there.
Our family being together for Christmas is a priority for me, so this was never about having a White Christmas, but rather about realising a long-held dream.
Isn't that what Bucket Lists are about?
For more Christmas photos from this trip, see the Photo Album for Christmas in November, or get in touch for assistance with your own Christmas bucket list holiday.
