Get more from your Christmas shopping budget when you ditch the train or plane and catch the coach instead.
As the festive season draws close it may be fun to combine shopping for gifts with a short break in Europe. And to make the most of your cash you could get there on a budget by coach.
The French state railway has a coach service subsidiary – iDBUS. Their coaches are Setra vehicles attached to the Daimler group. They only carry 48 passengers in sedan style seats so this may help dispel the idea that coach travel is cramped and uncomfortable. Their drivers, known as “captains” are all English speaking.
And to pass the time, there is free WiFi, a socket to keep your devices charged, reading lights and reclining seats so you can snooze.
At the moment, iDBUS are offering 30,000 seats at £20 (at £15 if you are heading for Lille) one way for travel between November 17 and December 17 to their four destinations.
Coaches depart from London Victoria to Paris, Lille, Amsterdam and Brussels.
Christmas in Paris, France
Anyone who has stood on top of the Arc de Triomphe and caught the lazer light show on the Eiffel Tower will know Paris as a City of Lights. At Christmas though the illuminations on the trees that fringe the Champs-Elysées and the fir trees on Rond-Pont take this accolade to a whole new festive dimension.
Warming hot chestnuts are sold at street corners, and Christmas markets appear whose wooden chalets sell all sorts of festive gifts as well a oysters, foie gras and bûches de Noël – yule logs.
Shop windows, of course, look sensational and for designer shopping check out Rue St-Honoré, the oldest and finest shopping boulevard made which has recently been extended to Rue du Faubourg-St-Honoré.
The city opens up its annual ice rink by Hôtel de Ville (December 19 to March 1) and for this year there is also one indoors in the Grand Palais. From December 14 up to January 4 there will be DJs and light shows which will look spectacular under its glass vault.
This year Paris is hosting a range of photographic events during November for the city’s Month of Photography, including the Paris International Photo Fair at the Grand Palais (13-16 November).
Incidentally, for those that want to be in Paris on Christmas day, it’s good to know that public transport will be open for business as usual as do many restaurants and cafés.
Book your iDBUS coach London to Paris at £20 one way until 17 December 2014.
Christmas in Lille, France
The coach drops you off at the Gare Lille Europe, just a short walk from the gorgeous, compact town centre that oozes youthful energy and affluence.
You'll feel and see it in Old Lille where the greatest fashion and designer shops show their wares. And though they are there all year, they come alive over the festive season.
Follow the irresistible aroma of cinnamon and roasted chestnuts to Place Rihour, an impressive square with an equally impressive war monument. For over a month, the 80 chalets of the Christmas market do what they can to entice shoppers. For edible goodies, look out for regional products such as gingerbread, waffles and crepes.
In the Old Quarter, the streets compete for attention with their decorations. At Rue de la Grande Chaussée it’s all about elegance and at Rue de la Monnaie there’s evergreen garlands with gold and red ribbons, to the trendy Rue Esquermoise where huge disco balls sparkle overhead.
Incidentally, Rue Esquermoise is home to Meert Restaurant & Tea House, where a list of teas as long as your arm, and the best waffles in town can be savoured.
Numerous antique shops and art galleries line the streets and a pleasant market enlivens the Place du Concert every Sunday morning. In the centre and pedestrian streets, you'll find the big department stores and international brands.
On the Grand Place, the Furet du Nord is one of the biggest bookshops in Europe. In the station district, the Euralille shopping centre, designed by Jean Nouvel, houses a hundred shops, restaurants and a hypermarket beneath its futuristic design. It’s not atmospheric but a place to shelter and shop if it should rain.
Book your iDBUS coach London to Lille at £15 one way until 17 December 2014.
Christmas in Amsterdam, Netherlands
You may be able to tip-toe through the tulips in the summer, but Amsterdam in winter is just as appealing. The tall gables are still elegant and there is some romance in sharing a brisk walk along one of its many canals and then stopping every now and again for a pint of Dutch beer.
Or even nipping into a museum or two. The Rijksmuseum, where you can see Rembrandt’s The Nightwatch looks spectacular after its recent refurb. Or the Van Gogh museum in the Amsterdam Hermitage is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
There isn’t one large Christmas market, it’s more a case of several dotted around 26 neighbourhoods.
Some years, when the temperatures drop -4°C, the canals freeze up and turn into skating rinks. But this is not reliable. However, there are three great ice rinks that are available come-rain-or-shine. One of these is the Jaap Eden, the city’s largest at 400 metres. If you are confident on the ice, there’s a skating disco every Saturday evening. Another one is on the city’s most famous square, the Leidesplein. This is also home to a small but quaint Christmas market. ICE*Amsterdam on Museumplein has the wondfrul Rijksmuseum as its backdrop and Brasserie Winters restaurant next door where Dutch dishes can be enjoyed in a wooden chalet.
During this time there are two other festivals in full swing: Het Hoofdgerecht food festival, and an animation festival.
Book your iDBUS coach London to Amsterdam at £20 one way until 17 December 2014.
Copyright © 2014 by The Travel Magazine. This article was written by Sharron Livingston and originally published on thetravelmagazine.net
*Image of De Waag in Amsterdam via Shutterstock
