Spending Christmas Abroad? 7 Tips For Making It Magical For Kids!
They say it’s the most wonderful time of the year, and they’re not wrong! We’re a family that just loves Christmas! There’s nothing better than spending Christmas abroad, but I’m the first to admit that travelling with kids over the holidays can feel both exciting and daunting at the same time.
This year, we’ve decided to stay at home and embrace everything Norfolk has to offer at Christmas (you can read my list of the best places to meet Santa in Norfolk here), but in past years we’ve celebrated Christmas abroad on several occasions. From exploring festive markets in Holland and France to the magic of Disneyland Paris, we’ve learned a few tricks to keep the holiday spirit alive no matter where you are.
If you’re planning to spend Christmas away from home, then i’ve got 7 tips to make it magical for your little ones. Here are my top tips for celebrating Christmas abroad with kids:
- 1. Pack a Tiny Tree and Decorations
- 2. Do a Secret Santa on Arrival
- 3. Bring a Few Traditions With You
- 4. Explore Local Festivities
- 5. Bring Santa With You!
- 6. Make Travel Part of the Adventure
- 7. Capture the Memories
- Final Thoughts and Further Reading
Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
1. Pack a Tiny Tree and Decorations
Even a small hotel room can feel festive with a little effort. Some hotels will decorate your room for an extra charge, but this is almost always eyewateringly expensive experience, so we save the £££ and do it ourselves!
We always bring a tiny tabletop tree (like this one here) and a few decorations so our boys can have fun decorating. One year, the boys spent a happy evening with paper, crayons, and scissors (that we’d packed from home) making their own decorations for the tree. It’s a simple ritual, but it helps them feel like they’re at home and makes the room feel special for Christmas morning. Kids thrive in familiarity, so bringing their favourite traditions from home, like decorating the tree, will make them feel more settled.
2. Do a Secret Santa on Arrival
To build excitement, we do a Secret Santa as soon as we arrive — usually on Christmas Eve. This works especially well if you’re visiting Christmas markets, as it gives the kids something to shop for while you explore.
So how does this work? If you’re not familiar with a Secret Santa, everyone draws a name from a hat, and shops locally for their recipient. They buy only one present, not one for every member of the family (so it saves money too). It’s a fun way to get the kids exploring nearby shops, adds an element of surprise, and keeps the festive spirit alive even when you’re away from home.
🎁 Wondering what to buy family members who love to travel? Check out my gift guide for travelling families here: There’s something for everyone!
3. Bring a Few Traditions With You
Think about what makes Christmas magical for your family. Maybe it’s reading a favourite story by the tree, baking a special treat, or singing carols before bed. Bringing a couple of small traditions with you gives the kids comfort and continuity, even in a new environment.
We ALWAYS have new pyjamas on Christmas Eve and read ‘The Night Before Christmas‘ before bed: This is something we can (and do) do no matter what country in the world we’re visiting!
4. Explore Local Festivities
Every country has its own Christmas quirks: You’ll have already researched this before you travel, but markets, light displays, seasonal food, and local traditions are all perfect for bringing magic to kids.
In Holland, we loved strolling through the Christmas markets; in France, the festive lights along the city streets were unforgettable. Let your kids experience the local magic, even if it’s just trying a special hot chocolate or festive pastry. Don’t worry so much about making things familiar that the forget to embrace the fun of being on holiday at Christmas!
✨ Mum Tip – If you’re going somewhere cold PLEASE pack thermals and wrap up warm! Nothing kills Christmas magic faster than being cold. We wear these thermals on all our winter trips and I swear by them!
5. Bring Santa With You!
On our first overseas Christmas, the boys were so worried that Santa wouldn’t know where we were! We reassured them that Santa always knew where children were (and helped them use a letter writing set like this one to let him know, just in case!) then we made sure we had packed the one main present they wanted from Santa hidden in our suitcase!
We explained that their presents from mummy and daddy (and from their friends and family) would be waiting for them under the tree when we got home, because we just didn’t have that much luggage space. But we kept the magic of Santa alive by always making sure that their Santa presents found them. They have never been disappointed on Christmas day: if anything it shows that kids don’t need big piles of presents to make them happy!
6. Make Travel Part of the Adventure
Travel days can be long, but framing them as part of the festive adventure keeps kids engaged. Kids take their mood from us: if we’re stressed about travelling then they’ll be stressed too! We try to play Christmas-themed games like these in the car when we’re driving (we drove down to Disneyland Paris) and we have a family Christmas play list too.
Turning travel time into part of the holiday fun helps everyone stay cheerful. In the airport you can guess where people are going, and spotting Christmas trees and Christmas lights is a great choice to liven up travel days too!
7. Capture the Memories
Don’t forget to take photos, videos, or even small mementos from your trip — a postcard from the local market, a hotel key card decorated by the kids, or a tiny ornament you picked up along the way.
Since I was a kid, i’ve collected Christmas ornaments from around the world, so now the boys help to choose the perfect decorations for our tree, no matter what time of year we’re travelling. These little memories become part of your family Christmas story for years to come, and hopefully they’ll become traditions your kids will pass on to their own families.
Final Thoughts and Further Reading
Spending Christmas abroad doesn’t have to mean missing out on holiday magic. In fact, it can feel just as special and festive to be abroad at Christmas with a little planning, a few familiar touches, and a sense of adventure. Some of our favourite Christmas memories can be spent abroad.
Even if you’re not traveling this year, you can start thinking about how to bring the Christmas spirit on your next family adventure. After all, magic isn’t just about where you are: it’s about who you’re with and the traditions you create together. I’ve put some of my favourite Christmas travel posts below to give you a little inspiration:
🎄 Cologne Christmas Market: Everything You Need To Know For The Perfect Koln Christmas Market Break
🎡 Our Review of The Butlins Winter Wonderland Break This Christmas
🕍 Thinking of Visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas? Read This First!
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Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
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