A Festive European Holiday: Christmas & New Year’s in Amsterdam, Brussels, Alsace & Paris

Fly Polaris to Amsterdam: depart: EWR, arrive: AMS

Evening departure: Unwind in the Polaris Lounge’s new dining room before your overnight flight, setting the tone for a restful start to your holiday adventure.

Stay: Rosewood Amsterdam

Land early Christmas morning and head straight to your elegant Rosewood retreat—drop your bags and with early check-in, shower off that flight! Then step into the quiet streets while everyone is at home.

Morning: Anne Frank House (11:15 am)—Settle into Amsterdam’s history with a poignant visit to this intimate museum. While it is a heavy experience for Christmas Day, I found it very moving. A must-do.

Afternoon: Stroll through Amsterdam’s enchanting canals to Soho House Amsterdam for lunch by the fire. Explore the iconic Red Light District, its historic canals even more atmospheric under festive lights.

Pro tip: Wear comfortable shoes for the cobblestone streets!

Festive dinner: 6:30 pm at VanOost inside Pillows Hotel—A holiday dinner tasting menu that celebrates Dutch flair with seasonal fare. Cap the night with cocktails at the stylish Fitz’s Bar in the same hotel.

Sleep away the jetlag in your upgraded room!

Take the train from Amsterdam Central to Brussels, but before you go, stop by Barney’s Coffeeshop for some of the local... greenery.

Stay: Hotel Amigo, a Rocco Forte Hotel (Fora Partner)

Walk from the train station to the hotel to drop your bags or with early check-in, a quick freshen up.

After dropping your bags, wander Brussels’ Christmas markets—steaming frites, oozing raclette, perfectly caramelized waffles, and spiced mini donuts bring warmth to winter evenings. I could not get enough of the wood-fired smoked salmon at Marche aux Poissons.

Go to one of the restaurants on Grand Place for moules frites or Flemish beef stew. After dinner, watch the nightly light show on the gorgeous buildings.

After complimentary breakfast at the hotel, take a tram or walk to do a tour at Belgian brewery icon, Cantillon Brewery. You will learn about the history of brewing in Belgium and the ways this family-owned brewery maintains it's quality and tradition. Even if you are more of a wine person (same), there are a lot of similarities in the beer-making process and I’ve never seen such historic machinery.

Explore more beer culture at Delirium Café with its legendary Guinness record setting 2,000 beer list.

On your way home, for tender, fluffy waffles at Maison Dandoy—a local institution across the street from Hotel Amigo. I recommend the Liege waffle over the Brussels!

Wake up early for your Brussels to Colmar train via Strasbourg. Don’t go to the wrong train station and miss your train like I did! Travel insurance is key, folks.

Check into L’Esquisse Hotel & Spa and step into the fairy-tale charm of Colmar’s streets and Christmas markets. Colmar is maybe the cutest place I’ve ever seen. Sip mulled wine beneath festive lights and enjoy local artisanal goodies. Don’t miss the whimsical Ferris wheel champagne experience and Koïfhus market stalls.

Dinner: Michelin Jean-Yves Schillinger—an elegant celebration of Alsatian terroir in the hotel.

Spend a day getting massages and swimming in the L’Esquisse spa.

On your last full day, do a private wine tour with locally owned ALSASMARTOURS. Jerome, the owner, grew up in Alsace. There is no better way to learn about the history of a place than to understand the terroir, especially in this region where the land, languages, and culture are impacted by war (going back and forth from being German to being French). You can visit wineries and taste Riesling, Pinot Gris, Cremant, late-harvest wine, and Pinot Noir at:

• Camille Braun—Orschwihr

• Lunch at BORHER in Rouffach (the lobster tail and white truffle pizzette were to die for).

• Emile Beyer—Eguisheim

• Jean Huttard—Zellenberg

This curated day pairs scenic vineyards with intimate tastings and local culture.

Walk to the Colmar train station for your 2.5 hour ride to Paris. Arrive at Gare de l’Est and take the metro to your Park Hyatt home base. With a room upgrade, I ended up in a stunning Executive Suite.

Thanks to Fora partner Essentially French, I had a private shopping experience at Maison Mellerio next door—one of the city’s oldest jewelers. You learn about their centuries of archival history and Parisian craftsmanship.

New Year’s Eve dinner at Jean Imbert at the stunning Hôtel Plaza Athénée. You will be surrounded by candlelight and live strings. Do not try to take a cab! This hotel is so close to the fireworks that all the streets will be closed and metros may not operate on their normal schedule. Get as close as you can and then walk.

A word of warning that everything is closed on New Year’s Day! I was able to find an emergency pharmacy that was open for my French skincare restock, thankfully.

Enjoy your complimentary breakfast via in-room dining. This was a lifesaver at 5:30 am before our very early flight. Utilize Fora partner, Blacklane, for a private transfer to CDG. Arrive very early in case of lines, there are multiple checkpoints to get to your gate. Prepare for the long flight home and lament the fact that you are leaving Europe!