Festive getaways the whole family will love

We’ve spent hours reading the hundreds of reviews you’ve shared with us, to produce a visited & verified shortlist of festive getaways the whole family will love. We hope you find this really useful, and if you do, we would be most grateful if you could book via the affiliate links in the article meaning we make a small commission (and can keep providing you with this kind of content!)

Love, Frankie & Becky x

A tiny treasure of twinkling lights tucked amongst the city’s historic Cathedral, the Christmas market at Winchester is widely regarded as one of Europe’s finest – thanks to its neat rows of pretty wooden chalets dotted beneath the gothic spires, hand selected collection of artisan traders, and lively Performance Stage hosting a jam packed rota of festive entertainment. Open from November 17th through until December 21st, the last four days of the market also offer special Family Craft Workshops and Christmas Family Tours, where children can make their own glittering decorations and hear mystical tales from the cathedral’s magical past

Stay at: Bluebell Copse Cottages

The perfect place to snuggle down with a mulled wine once you’ve had your fill of Christmas market cheer, Bluebell Copse Cottages is a cosy 3 bedroom retreat complete with hot tub to ease aching muscles. Even better, there’s a spa treatment room on site to indulge in a little festive luxury, while kids will love the giant play barn – with a selection of toys to rival Santa himself. The perfect place to relax in total tranquility after hours of carols and Christmas hubbub, Bluebell Copse Cottages is surrounded by frost kissed fields and fairytale forests – but with friendly local pubs still in easy reach!

From: £220 p/night

Stay at: The Grosvenor Stockbridge

A bright and beautiful hidden gem in the UK’s smallest town, The Grosvenor Stockbridge is a warm cuddle in hotel form. It’s so full of cheerful, cosy corners and designer details that you’ll be mentally listing chic touches to recreate at home. Children are more than welcome – both to stay, and in the gorgeous restaurant. As well as providing extra beds and cots where possible, adjoining rooms are available for families, plus the walled garden is the stuff of quintessential country dreams. If you can grab an hour of alone time, we highly recommend a trip to the Treatment Shed – for a dreamy full body massage that will leave you feeling rejuvenated just in time for Christmas

From: £146 p/night

Fish and chips, gin and tonic, Bath and Christmas – some things just belong together. Not stopping at *just* a Christmas market (a sprawling extravaganza of 150 twinkling stalls), the whole city becomes a heady melting pot of yuletide festivities. From The Enchanted Garden of Light, to Glow (in the dark) Golf, skating at Bath on Ice, and the annual Christmas pantomime, the crescendo of excitement climaxes with a trip to see St Nick himself – there’s not one, but two grottos in the city. For a festive getaway that will leave the little ones giddy, Bath is the answer

Stay at: The Queensberry Hotel

We need little excuse to hot-foot it to The Queensberry Hotel (named one of the UK’s Top 50 boutiques, nonetheless). In a beautiful townhouse setting straight from a Victorian Christmas card scene, timelessly elegant (and seriously spacious) rooms can be kitted out with cots and extra beds, though it’s the child sized bathrobes and activity packs at check in that will charm you. A true masterclass in accessible decadence for the whole family, book in for a city break that oozes character

From: £146 p/night

Stay at: No 15 by GuestHouse

Perhaps Bath’s coolest luxury hotel, No 15 by Guesthouse has an awful lot going for it in the parent pleasing stakes – including an unbeatable location (on one of Bath’s most iconic streets), help yourself communal pantries full of tide-you-over treats, scandi inspired decor with interesting quirky touches, and a slick spa in the basement (if you can carve out time to unwind). Anything but an afterthought, kids are equally as well catered for – with cots and interconnecting rooms, bookable nannies available, a children’s menu in the on site restaurant, but we’ve saved the best til last: mini tipi dens that will have them grinning ear to ear

From: £265 p/night

In Austria, the advent season and family time go hand in hand – making Vienna a must-not-miss when it comes to Christmas markets. Often flying under the radar, a treasure trove of activities await tiny travellers in the Kids Pavillion – including a craft corner where tots can decorate candles and gift boxes, a reading area for festive storytelling and letter writing, and games corner complete with winter scene made of lego. Each year, the traditional Viennese Christmas Market (featuring over 100 stalls) sets up shop in City Hall Square, a stone’s throw from a beautiful hand-painted carousel. Children’s hot chocolate is served at mini bar tables, and at weekends, Christmas discos, balloon artists and face painters are on hand for extra entertainment. We’ll see you there!

Stay at: The Ritz-Carlton Vienna

Just as you’d expect, the uncompromisingly indulgent Ritz-Carlton Vienna serves up impeccable five star service alongside effortlessly elegant, regal rooms – with interconnecting options available and cots provided upon request. Children are treated to their own, special check-in service plus there’s a kids treasure hunt and toasty indoor pool, while grown ups can enjoy staying in the lap of luxury – think Egyptian cotton beddings and large marble bathrooms with Acqua di Parma toileteries, for long, scented soaks

From: £569 p/night

Stay at: Somerset Schönbrunn Vienna

For those seeking a little more space to sprawl, Somerset Schönbrunn Vienna offers a gorgeous selection of one and two bedroom apartments sleeping up to 6 (plus a cot). With kitchenettes, a launderette and buffet breakfasts available, not only are the apartments seriously convenient but cool, contemporary, and budget-friendly, too. A pleasant surprise for a self catering stay, there’s also a children’s playroom, plus private parking and a downstairs gym – it’s hard to find a box these abodes don’t tick

From: £112 p/night

Beautiful Bruges… what the city lacks in size, it more than makes up for in charm. Pocket sized but perfectly formed, it is extra friendly for little legs, plus the Winter Glow light trail brings a little extra Christmas magic to the city. A sensory triumph of lights and sounds, 10 sensational installations lead you on a meandering (but manageable, 2.5km) journey across Bruges; past a pair of holographic swans telling their poetic love story on the famous waterways, and through an enveloping tunnel of warm light. Two tiny, quaint Christmas markets brim with arts, crafts and festive foods, plus there’s a floating ice rink (you read that right) and enough traditional Christmas decorations that the whole city is turned into a real life gingerbread village

Stay at: Hotel Dukes’ Palace

A short stroll from the historic heart of the city, Hotel Dukes’ Palace might appear intimidatingly opulent upon first glance, but the real focus here is on making you feel at home. For families, a choice of suites, interonnecting rooms, cots and extra beds are available, whilst the polished, professional service promises getaways without a glitch. For those craving a child free, mulled wine fix, babysitting services can be arranged upon request, or you could do a lot worse than a couple of hours in the spa, complete with a Himalayan salt wall and sunshower as well as a sauna and spoiling treatments menu

From: £219 p/night

Stay at: Hotel Van Cleef

The very definition of a ‘stylish stay’, in the case of Hotel Van Cleef a picture speaks a hundred words (and we have only one question – when can we move in?). Striking the perfect balance between gorgeously grand and wonderfully intimate, the family run boutique bolthole makes the perfect chic base to explore the city – complete with cots, extra beds and babysitting upon request, as well as Junior Suites featuring sofa beds – happily housing families of four. While the vibe is undeniably grown up (a world away from Kids Clubs and singing mascots) in our opinion, it’s totally worth it, if you can bribe the kids for some good behaviour in exchange for sugary Christmas treats

From: £331 p/night

Nowhere is quite alive with the magic of Christmas like Copenhagen’s historic Tivoli Gardens, where more than 20 stunning, ornate fairground rides are illuminated by the warm glow of thousands of fairy lights. Coupled with beautiful painted stalls selling sugar dusted treats (is there anything better than the smell of fresh doughnuts?), little ones will find wonder around every corner in the form of Santa’s reindeer, carolling choirs, and nightly light shows and grand processions. Elsewhere in the city, Christmas Markets are aplenty (with at least 10 at last count), trading everything from handmade artisan crafts to seasonal sweet treats and glittering decorations, so you can take a little of the magic home with you

Stay at: 25hours Hotel Copenhagen

25hours Hotels are the name to know for chic city stays, and their outpost in Copenhagen is no different. A former 19th century porcelain factory, the hotel is a masterclass in bold and beautiful quirky design, leaning into statement Darwin themed decor. Big boxes are ticked for price, convenience, location and style, before we even get to the family friendly touches – as well as aesthetically pleasing rooms (which are seriously spacious by city standards), there are 4 restaurants on site, cots and highchairs provided, an outdoor courtyard area (brilliant for little legs) and the option of room service – a god send, as any parent will tell you!

From: £180 p/night

Pack your long johns, because things are about to get frosty! When it comes to the ultimate Christmas getaway, really, there’s only one answer – the official home of Santa himself, of course. Deep in the heart of rural Finland, surrounded by dense forest and enchanting, technicolour skies, Rovaniemi (the capital of Lapland and unofficial gateway to the Arctic) promises a yuletide experience quite unlike any other – with a list of festive activities so long it would rival Santa’s. From husky rides to polar bear wildlife parks, and the official Christmas opening ceremony, it’s a once in a lifetime experience and (in our humble opinion) the closest you’ll come to real life magic

Stay at: Arctic TreeHouse Hotel

The ultimate memory making trip, bag yourself some serious parenting brownie points with a stay at Arctic TreeHouse Hotel. Pull open the curtains every morning to your very own pristine winter wonderland, before heading next door to SantaPark, a hive of Christmas magic dedicated to the big man himself. From magic train rides through enchanted forests, to hands on elf workshops and meet and greets with Jolly St Nick, so far, so selfless – but there’s plenty to bring a twinkle to adult eyes, too. The scandi suites are seriously chic and cocooning, boasting luxurious fur throws, wood burning fires and private saunas, while the on site restaurant serves up delicious Nordic fusion cuisine and is a destination in itself

From: £245 p/night