December city breaks don't have to mean the same old Christmas market circuit. Two destinations making a strong case this month: Paris, doing what it does best with maximum sparkle, and Vigo, a Galician port city that has quietly turned itself into one of Spain's most over-the-top festive spectacles.
Start with the obvious. Paris in winter sits around 8°C by day and 3°C at night — cold enough for vin chaud, mild enough to walk for hours. The Eiffel-Branly Christmas market at the tower's base runs from 5 December to 3 January, and the grand department stores go all-in with elaborate window displays and enormous trees. Montmartre is the neighbourhood to linger in: cobbled streets, decorated boutiques and the view from Sacré-Cœur, which regulars say looks even better in crisp winter air. For a proper traditional lunch, Le Bon Georges near the grands boulevards is a reliable splurge.
There's also a lower-impact way to do it. The train from London takes about an hour and twenty minutes less than flying door to door and cuts your carbon footprint considerably. Locals suggest skipping the heaving markets on the Champs-Élysées and in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in favour of smaller ones in outer neighbourhoods — the RER makes hopping out easy, and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, with its Grande Terrasse viewpoint over the city, makes a good half-day trip. If you're doing a dawn-to-dusk dash, The Peninsula Paris by the Arc de Triomphe offers flexible check-in from 6am and check-out as late as 10pm.
Then there's Vigo. A decade ago this northwestern Spanish city started decorating with a flair that now borders on the surreal: Santa statues on every corner, fluorescent light installations, snow machines and a cone-shaped Christmas tree as tall as the buildings on the high street. It's a bold strategy for a town most British travellers have never considered, and it works. Temperatures hover around 14°C in the day — comfortable walking weather — and it's only a two-hour flight from the UK.
Vigo's markets trade mulled wine for Galician specialities: pulpo a la gallega, octopus cooked in paprika and olive oil, alongside local Albariño white wine. Culture-wise, MARCO is the city's contemporary art museum, housed in a centre with arches and columns that give it an unexpectedly temple-like feel. For self-caterers, the O Berbés and O Calvario markets sell fresh seafood and produce if you'd rather cook — sensible with an apartment like the 70s-styled penthouse terraces on Airbnb, complete with sea-view rooftop.
Why does this pairing matter? Because December is when city breaks get expensive and crowded, and choosing your spot carefully changes everything. Paris is the classic — book early, go by train, and steer away from the biggest markets to see the city at its best. Vigo is the wildcard: milder weather, a fraction of the crowds, and a festive display that's become a genuine draw within Spain. One for tradition, one for surprise — both reachable in a long weekend.
