Hottest spots
Vigo, or simply soak up the Galician culture as you glide through the port city’s streets on a segway tour.
The 930-passenger Viking Sun is sleek with light wood interiors. Savour high-quality dining in its clutch of exclusive restaurants, along with afternoon tea served in the refined Wintergarden.
28 nights from £5,990pp (two sharing) full board, including flights from Heathrow. Cruise departs Durban April 13, 2019.
SIZZLE IN SOUTH AMERICA
Swap the Catalan chutzpah of Barcelona for the samba spirit of Rio de Janeiro on this transatlantic voyage from the old world to the new with Oceania Cruises (0345 505 1920/oceaniacruises.com).
At Tenerife guests can immerse themselves in Canarian cuisine by lunching with locals in their own home or take a tapas tasting tour to the historical capital Santa Cruz.
At the Cape Verde isle of São Vicente, explore Portuguese and African influences in the main city of Mindelo at the markets before driving to Monte Verde, the island’s highest peak with its sweeping and its enormous Christmas trees nearby.
Cottages.com (0345 498 6900) offers seven nights (December 22-28) from £938 (sleeps five). British Airways (0344 493 0125/ba.com) offers one-way flights from Gatwick and Heathrow to Rome from £34.
PARIS
Imagine an eccentric old French aunt’s apartment and you’ve got the measure of this quintessentially French space.
The Golden Bamboo, with an incredible art collection covering every surface, velvet sofas and chairs; piles of art books, candlesticks and rich fabrics. It feels very lived-in and is located near to the Seine river in the 16th arrondissement, close to the Palais de Tokyo museum. The bedroom has antique furniture, shuttered windows and plenty of storage space.
Paris is beautiful at Christmas with the twinkling lights adorning the trees of the Champs-Élysées and shops wrapped in giant ribbons. If you’ve children in tow, let them run off their energy in the vast Bois de Boulogne with a boating lake and theme park.
Plum Guide (0203 795 1390/ views. After three days at sea, the Brazilian city of Recife beckons with more Portuguese heritage.
Party city Rio de Janeiro is the final stop and an overnight stay allows you to strut along famous Copacabana Beach, take a cable car up to Sugar Loaf Mountain and admire the fantastic views from the top of Corcovado with its iconic Christ the Redeemer statue.
Hosting 1,250 guests, Marina is one of Oceania’s larger ships with six gourmet restaurants and a Culinary Center cookery school.
14 nights from £2,999pp (two sharing) full board. Price includes return flights from Heathrow, eight shore excursions, beverage package or $800 shipboard credit, per stateroom. Departs Barcelona November 23, 2019. plumguide.com) offers five nights (December 23-28) at The Golden Bamboo from £1,808 (sleeps four), self-catering. Eurostar (03432 186 186/ eurostar.com) offers one-way fares from St Pancras to Paris from £29.
AMSTERDAM
A great find, this apartment is aptly named the One And Only Bedroom. Located in central Amsterdam, large windows look over the city’s rooftops. The all-white modern space features designer furniture, white wooden floors and an open kitchen.
There’s a separate bedroom, a superb bathroom with a walk-in shower and long dining table for entertaining. For those who don’t feel like cooking there is an onsite restaurant and bar. The Rembrandt House Museum is nearby and 15 minutes away, are the acclaimed Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum.
The city is a picture at Christmas with colourful lights strung along the canals and the incredible Amsterdam Light Festival sees international artists transforming public places into light installations. From December 23-27, you can witness the Swan Lake ballet featuring 48 swans or a carol concert held in most churches.
Booking.com (booking.com) offers five nights (December 22-27) at the One and Only Bedroom from £1,330 (Sleeps two).