Double your Dubai fun
voyage you will take in the elegant Danish city of Aalborg, known as the Paris of the North, where you can try local brew Glogg wine.
Then on to Wismar in Germany for a walking tour, where you can enjoy the festive market on the Marktplatz beside the old town hall. During December, the Hanseatic city is a delight of twinkling lights decorating its ornate buildings.
At Copenhagen you can’t miss the Danish capital’s main shopping drag, Stroget. It is the longest pedestrianised street in the world and home to big-brand stores.
Then the final port of call is the major German seafaring city of Hamburg. If you still have presents to find, head to pretty Roncalli Christmas Market opposite the town hall.
Black Watch will also cruise the spectacular Limfijorden, Denmark’s longest fjord, and then take in Germany’s Kiel Canal. ROOM AT THE INN: Fares for the seven-night trip which leaves from Tilbury, Essex, start at 739pp, based on two sharing an inside cabin. fredolsencruises.com, 0800 0355 242. GRAB a winter warmer and save £340 on a 10-night break to Dubai and Mauritius next month. T The £1,299 double destination of offer includes three nights at t the four-star Majestic Hotel T Tower Dubai,ai, on a B&B basis, f followed byy seven nights for YULETIDE SHOPPING: The eternal city’s famous Piazza Navona has played host to a market since the 15th century.
And in December it is filled with colourful stalls and booths brimming with tempting chocolates, sweets and traditional gifts. Adding to the festival feeling are street artists, acrobats and musicians.
Watch out for statues and pictures of Befana. The old woman is Italy’s answer to Santa Claus and she delivers gifts to the children n on Epiphany Eve – January 5. ROOM AT THE INN: Just a short walk from the Colosseum is the four-star Starhotels Metropole – and Citalia is offering three nights for the price of two with flights on December 12 from Manchester for £305pp. citalia.com, 01293 765 066. the price of five at the five-star LUX Grand Gaube, also on a B&B basis. You also get transfers and return flights from Gatwick with Emirates on December 6. Call 01293 762456 or you can visit hayesandjarvis.co.uk to book. YULETIDE SHOPPING: The handsome French city of Metz is the base for this festive break to three European Christmas markets. Medieval Metz boasts six markets with the largest at the Place de la Republique. In little Luxembourg’s capital the main square is transfo transformed into a miniature Christmas village village. And in historic Trier, Germany’s oldest city, its magnificent cathedral is the bac backdrop for over 90 charming wooden ch chalets selling all things Christmas. ROOMRO AT THE INN: Four-day tour with Ne Newmarket starts at £199pp staying at th the Ibis Metz Nord and including coach trav travel from points in the UK. newm newmarketholidays.co.uk, 0330 160 7700. WE want to go to a Christmas market in Europe. Where will the pound go the furthest? ALTHOUGH sterling is worth 20 per cent less against the euro than 12 months ago you can still do a trip cheaply.
A survey by the Post Office found the Baltic states offer a great deal.
Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, was the cheapest in its survey of 11 Christmas market capitals, where a two-night break is four per cent cheaper than last year.
Riga, in neighbouring Latvia, is only three per cent more expensive.
The Post Office also compared the cost of designer goods in major cities. It found Munich was 14 per cent cheaper than London, while Budapest cost 10 per cent less.