For families summer is longest vacation and time to travel.
But summer 2025, heat waves blasted Europe, it was extraordinarily hot. Cities such as Athens, Seville and Rome had temperatures over 100 degrees and up.
In Athens, it was so hot the Acropolis closed at midday for three straight days in July. Summer was a heat record for Spain, Seville top temperature was 111 degrees, Rome was over 100 degrees, plus stifling humidity.
Bangkok is typically 90s temperatures in June and July, plus tropical humidity and heavy rains.
In summer heat, cities are even hotter than the countryside – dense network of paved roads reflect heat and there’s less shade. Alerts to the public are given out about dangers of extreme heat.
When it’s this hot, it’s not fun to do outdoor activities.
Take your family vacation in December to avoid summer heat, and enjoy wonderful holiday season in these four cities.
Athens – Greece
During December, Syntagma Square is decorated with large Christmas tree and brightly lighted up at night. Families are out strolling around in Athens, store windows are decorated, there are sparkling light shows on the exterior of buildings and live music.
During the day lots of fun things to do with kids in Athens – explore the Acropolis and Parthenon Museum, see extraordinary gold artifacts and statues of Greek gods and goddesses in the National Archaeological Museum, take a cable car to top of Lykavitos Hill for panoramic views of Athens.
Tip: Acropolis is closed Dec. 25 and 26, and Jan. 1.
Read our blog post with tips to plan your visit: The Acropolis
At Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Christmas World has lightshow installations, ice skating rink on the canal, Dancing Fountains, Christmas sweets and drinks in dining areas. More info: Christmas World
Stavros Niarchos Park is located in Kallithea suburb, accessible by Metro.
Stop into bakeries to pick up Christmas sweets.
Melomakarona are cookies with orange and cinnamon, soaked in honey syrup. Kourabiedes is an almond cookie, covered with powered sugar, shaped into balls or crescents.
New Year’s Eve is typically celebrated at home with extended family and friends, everyone gets together. At midnight, vasilopita is served, a special New Year’s cake with lucky coin hidden inside.
Cakes are available from bakeries with their own special vasilopita recipe.
Ingredients include fresh orange, almonds, mahleb (ground cherry seeds), topped with dusted powdered sugar or icing on top.
The biggest Athens firework display is on New Year’s Eve, fireworks over the Acropolis.
Seville – Spain
City streets glow with sparkling lights, spectacular light shows are set up in large plazas, nativity scenes are on display around the city, kids enjoy seasonal ice skating rink and amusement park, shops are filled with Christmas sweets.
The holiday season culminates Jan. 5 in a spectacular Three Kings parade, twelve days after Christmas celebrating arrival of three Wise Men in Bethlehem.
During the day there are many fun things for families to do in Seville – Alcazar is a must-see, but also rent surreys and explore Maria Luisa Park, visit immense Seville Cathedral and climb up La Giralda.
During the Christmas season, city streets are beautifully decorated with millions of lights, and every evening people leisurely stroll down Avenida de la Constitucion.
At night, go out like Spanish families with their kids, and walk around, staying out late. Toddlers come along too, though at the end of the evening, we saw parents carrying little ones on their shoulders.
Christmas celebrates birth of Jesus, there are many nativity scenes (belenes) around Seville. One of the most popular nativity scenes is at the Fundacion Cajasol.
In Seville Cathedral is a huge golden altar, in the center is a statue of Mary with Jesus on her lap.
Above the statue is a nativity scene with angels floating around, and a curious donkey and bull looking over Jesus in the manger.
The sweets and cake shops (confiterias and pastelerias) in Seville are filled with traditional candies and pastries throughout the holiday season.
It’s fun for kids to try four different kinds of traditional sweets – mazapanes, polvorones and mantecados, and turrones.
On January 6, Epiphany, families share a cake called roscon de reyes. The cake is a ring-shaped pastry with layers of cream in the middle, topped with candied fruits.
And any time of day, you’ll want to have churros and hot chocolate.
For all the details, read our blog post: Seville at Christmas
Where to stay
Planning a family trip to Seville, where are the best neighborhoods to stay?
We research hotels and apartment rentals to select hotels or vacation rentals with specific family amenities, but equally important is the neighborhood.
Our lists include accommodations close to eating options, supermarkets, proximity to playgrounds, and convenient public transportation to different parts of the city.
Check out Travel for Kids best Seville family hotels and Seville family vacation rentals.
Bangkok – Thailand
In December, Bangkok shimmers in the tropical nights. Temples are illuminated, light shows projected on buildings, shopping malls are beautifully decorated, Chao Phraya River Festival has light shows and cultural performances all along the river.
Bangkok has very little rain in December, comfortable day temperatures, cools down at night.
During the day, there’s fun things to do with kids in Bangkok – explore the Grand Palace and temples with golden and emerald Buddhas, climb up Wat Arun, see how many mythical creatures kids can count – garuda birds, yaksha guardian demons, bronze lions, magical monkeys.
Read our blog post: Tips for visiting Bangkok
Bangkok shopping malls are spectacular – large complexes with multi-story buildings, wide variety of shops, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, supermarkets with international food, indoor play areas, baby lounges, tourist information centers, and very family friendly.
There are lots of choices for food, from sit down restaurants, to food courts and take out: Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, hamburgers, pizza, noodles, ice cream, pastries and cookies, coffee and tea, drinks of all kinds, and familiar western food chains.
Exploring the malls is fun – ICONSIAM has an indoor floating market, outside is a park along with river with Dancing Fountains. Sea Life Bangkok OceanWorld is located in Siam Paragon complex, centralwOrld has a large indoor playground and Discovery zone for little kids. Emporium and Emsphere are located right next to Benchasiri Park, one of our favorite parks with playgrounds and picnic tables.
These shopping malls are easily accessible with BTS Skytrain. Here’s the map.
Viji Chao Phraya River Festival is Nov. 1 – Dec. 15, 2025.
Along both sides of the Chao Phraya River, temples are illuminated with lightshows, drones make magical figures in the sky, bridges are brilliantly lit up, there are cultural performances with Thai dance outdoors and spectacular fireworks displays.
Take a boat cruise, or view from the opposite side of the river.
More information: Vijit Chao Phraya 2025
Where to stay
Check out Travel for Kids list of best Bangkok family hotels.
Rome – Italy
Rome at the Christmas has a golden glow, at night Colosseum and buildings are illuminated, streets are decorated with Christmas lights, tall Christmas trees decorate spacious piazzas. On New Year’s Eve are big fireworks celebrations.
Rome is a great walking city, so get out and stroll around the Central Storico.
While you’re strolling around, smell the aroma of roasting chestnuts. Buy a paper cone, pop the chestnut meat out of the shell, and eat away.
During the day, there’s plenty of fun things to do with kids in Rome – explore the Colosseum and Roman Forum, visit Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums, climb up to the top of Castel Sant Angelo, run around the Appian Way.
At the big Piazza Navona is a Christmas market, stalls have toys and snacks. Little ones will enjoy a ride on the carousel.
In the Borghese Gardens at Villa Borghese is Christmas World.
Christmas World has an ice rink, ice slide on inner tubes, Snow Village, rides, live shows, holiday treats and festival food. More info: Christmas World
Nativity scenes are set up throughout the city in front of churches.
Pop into the Santa Maria Maggiore, “Church of the Nativity.” In the church is a reliquary ornamented with a silver baby Jesus in the manger. The reliquary contains five pieces from the Holy Crib in Bethlehem.
Step into any neighborhood bakery and check out Christmas cookies and breads. Supermarkets have a good selection also.
Panettone (classic or chocolate) and pandoro sweet breads are popular at Christmas, our favorite is pandoro, because slices are in the shape of stars.
There’s lots of Christmas cookies and treats – you’ll want to try them all:
baci di dama -“lady’s kisses”
pignoli – pine nut cookies
ricciarelli – powdered sugar almond cookies,
biscotti con marmellata – thumbprint cookies with jam
caramela – fruit hard candies
mandorle – sugared and chocolate almonds
Where to stay
Check out Travel for Kids list of best Rome family hotels and Rome family apartment rentals.
Buon Natale!
