The Best Cities for Christmas Shopping

Whether you love or hate Christmas shopping, it is an excuse to book a city break and soak up the Christmas cheer of another city! To relish in that cosy and festive feeling that you get from seeing a city lit up with colourful lights and Christmas trees, the streets buzzing with people and Christmas music playing as you walk around the shops. Send My Bag have put together this blog with the most festive cities to make the most out of Christmas shopping. 

London

There’s nowhere as merry as London in the UK – from the magnificent Christmas window displays at John Lewis and Selfridges on Oxford Street, to the 18^th-century courtyard ice rink at Somerset House or the ice rink overlooking the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square’s world-famous Christmas tree, and festive shows at the West End.  There are so many hot spots for Christmas shopping, such as Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street, Covent Garden, St. James’s, Westfield and many more. You can then take a break from Christmas shopping and indulge in treats at a Christmas market like Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, go ice-skating or go and see a show at the West End. The options are endless.

New York 

New York at Christmas time is as magical as it looks in classic Christmas movies – from the sparkling Rockefeller Christmas tree, to the huge department stores and their extravagant window displays, to the romance of Central Park and its ice-skating rink. You can shop at some of New York’s iconic stores like Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Barneys and Saks. Other things that are a must-do in between or after Christmas shopping include catching a show at Radio City Music Hall, stopping to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree and the Christmas light show at Saks Fifth Avenue, skating at Central Park and visiting the top of the Empire State Building to see NYC lit up in Christmas colours. CNN Travel ranked New York second in their list of the 15 best places in the world to go at Christmas.

Quebec City

The city of Quebec was ranked 8^th in CNN Travel’s list of the 15 best places around the world to go at Christmas. Old Quebec, dating back to the 17^th century, turns into a Christmas village with a very magical and festive charm about it. With snow, you’ve got the perfect Christmas setting. Quebec City is known for its many historic homes that have been turned into original shops and boutiques. Strolling through Quebec’s narrow cobblestone streets and looking at many charming boutiques will make for a unique Christmas shopping experience.

Vienna, Austria

There’s nothing more festive than a Christmas market in Europe, and Vienna is renowned for having one of the best. The city hall square in Vienna transforms into a fairy-tale setting for the “Vienna Magic of Advent”, which is the traditional Viennese Christmas market with 100s of wooden chalets filled with gifts, bakes, treats, warm drinks and mulled wines. Vienna will add an old-fashioned and romantic charm to your Christmas shopping experience.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is another festive hotspot because of the Christmas markets held there. The two main markets are in Prague’s Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, which are only a 5-minute walk from each other. Prague’s gothic architecture is a stunning backdrop for shopping.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh’s gothic architecture and cobblestone streets are stunning at any time of the year, but at Christmas time the city’s old town beauty stands out even more. Virgin Money Street of Life host a free event in Edinburgh from the 30^th November to 24^th December, when the Royal Mile and Trongate are lit up with over 60,000 festive lights. The best places in Edinburgh for Christmas shopping are the Royal Mile, Princes Street and George Street, where you’ll find everything from traditional and high-end stores to boutiques and independent shops.

Whether you want to shop to you drop, or take some time in the city to relax and enjoy the Christmas celebrations, these cities give you the option to do both. Our luggage forwarding service will come in handy when you need to bring home all of the presents that you bought during your Christmas shopping spree.