Swedish travellers are going on New Year's trips like never before. The trend is that more people than ever before are choosing to go abroad to celebrate New Year's and over the past 5-year period, bookings during the New Year's weekend have increased by 33 per cent, according to Ticket Privatresor's statistics. So where is the most popular place to travel to toast the champagne? We present the Swedes' top 10 list.
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ShareSwedes' top 10 for New Year holidays
London is Sweden's number one favourite city for New Year's travel. "It is a powerful experience to toast the new year with New Year's fireworks at the London Eye and singing when Big Ben strikes twelve," says Karin Starkman Ahlstedt, Communications Manager at Ticket Privatresor.
1. london
In the centre London there's a real party with fireworks on the London Eye. When Big Ben strikes twelve, visitors join in the singing. The celebrations continue on New Year's Day with a festive parade through the streets of central London.
2nd Berlin
1-2 million people gather on the two-kilometre long party route to the Brandenburg Gate. A huge light and laser show lights up the sky at midnight and ends with one of Europe's best fireworks displays at midnight.
3. New York
Hundreds of thousands gather in Times Square in the heart of New York to celebrate the New Year. The most famous tradition is the 'ball drop', where a large crystal ball slides down from a tall pole to reach the bottom at midnight.
4) Amsterdam
Amsterdam residents love to party, especially on New Year's Eve, with festivities and fireworks in many of the city's squares. There's everything from exclusive fancy dress balls to street parties.
5. Barcelona
On the city's beaches and large squares, such as Placa Catalunya, people gather to celebrate the 12th stroke. Don't forget to buy twelve grapes, one grape for each beat, to bring good luck for the next twelve months. To be consumed with cava!
6. paris
7th Prague
8. Helsinki
9th Rome
10. Copenhagen
Have you celebrated New Year abroad?
We have celebrated New Year's abroad a few times, including in New Zealand, Budapest, Kiev, Malaysia, the Philippines and Portugal. But mostly we have been away on longer trips, that is, we have not travelled just to celebrate New Year. Twice we have been lucky enough to celebrate with other Swedish travel bloggers!
In the new year 2012-2013 we managed to join the round-the-world sailing family from Mary of Rövarhamn at a beach bar in Langkawi, Malaysia. Last New Year's Eve we were lucky enough to be invited to the home of Åsa and her family who have moved to Portugal and blog at Bortugal. Have you ever celebrated New Year abroad and where? Is there a place where you dream of celebrating New Year?
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Steve says:
When I read the headline, I immediately thought of when you celebrated New Year in Kiev. As you can see, you are making a big impact with your blog.
Personally, I have always celebrated at home and will continue to do so.
30 December 2015 - 9:18
Deciree says:
We have only been home for New Year. There is nothing that attracts me anyway to be somewhere else. 🙂 Happy ending.
30 December 2015 - 10:23
Åsa says:
It was great to celebrate New Year with you! I can't believe it was a year ago! We have bloggers here now too, but on New Year's Eve we'll probably be hospitable. Maybe we'll go to the social? Happy New Year to you in any case! /Åsa
30 December 2015 - 10:45
Marina says:
Mostly at home and some years it has been elsewhere. This year it will be Sälen with (hopefully) skiing! Happy New Year to you!
30 December 2015 - 10:49
Ama de casa says:
We have been to those cities, but never over the New Year.
We usually celebrate New Year at home nowadays, but it's also a bit foreign. When I was little, I celebrated on the Canary Islands and in the Caribbean, but in adulthood it has mostly been in Sweden. Until 2003, then 🙂
30 December 2015 - 10:54
Ami says:
We always celebrate New Year in Sweden, but this time we are staying here in Spain. So we'll probably toast the new year in some Cava 🙂.
30 December 2015 - 11:29
Comsi Comsa says:
***** Happy New Year 2016 *****
30 December 2015 - 11:35
admin says:
Steve, haha it's fun that we're making tracks! 😉 You will certainly have a great New Year at Getingstorp!
Deciree, great to be home then! 🙂 Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Åsa, we had a super nice New Year last year, thanks to you! It will be interesting to read more about the blogger meeting, both with you and with Lanclin ðŸ™'
Marina, hope you have a great New Year with skiing in Sälen! Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Ama de casa, oh have you been to all the cities? That's not bad! I have "only" been to seven of them, but never at New Year. The Caribbean sounds nice, but Spain is probably not so bad either! 😉
Ami, it sounds wonderful to celebrate the New Year with cava in Spain! 🙂
Comsi Comsa, you too! Wishing you a Happy New Year!
30 December 2015 - 12:26
BP says:
We have probably celebrated New Year away more than at home, although we haven't travelled just for New Year, like you. In the Alps, Key West, Paris, Benidorm and more. Will be fun to see how it feels this year then;-)
30 December 2015 - 13:40
Renates Reiser says:
So many cool places you have celebrated New Year! I'm pretty boring on that front myself, haha. The only time I've celebrated abroad was in Krakow, but it was pretty great 😀 I'd love to have been in London or New York where the celebrations seem to take off! By the way, I wish you a very happy new year of travelling 😀.
30 December 2015 - 16:06
Ditte says:
We have celebrated the Swedish New Year a few times in Thailand, in London and in NY, but a long time ago and not at the same time.
On a cruise between Morocco-Madeira and the various Canary Islands, we have celebrated one New Year, another in Tenerife and several times in the Alps.
Then there is the Chinese New Year, which we have celebrated all over Asia....
I am not keen on a big city anymore for New Year, but why not Zanzibar, Mauritius, Sri Lanka....But unfortunately the sun is no longer my friend so we will have to find another suitable place.
Nice to read the list and I have visited the cities, but don't feel like celebrating New Year there.
30 December 2015 - 18:29
Alexandra says:
I've only celebrated one New Year's abroad that I can think of, in Sydney (not only that though, there's a huge New Year's celebration there). I would love to celebrate New Year's in Berlin, I like Berlin.
30 December 2015 - 19:17
admin says:
BP, it was mixed places! 😉 Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Renate, Krakow is a nice city! Wishing you also a very happy new year of travelling!
Ditte, perfect with two different New Years to celebrate! Then there will be a lot of celebration! 🙂 I do not know if I necessarily have to celebrate in a big city either. Maybe it can be fun sometime, but a nice beach somewhere is not bad either!
Alexandra, Sydney sounds exciting! We are curious about Berlin, because we have not been there. We probably want to go there sometime, but it may not be on New Year's Eve.
30 December 2015 - 20:47
Cari says:
An awesome New Year was in Rio on our honeymoon. What a party on Copacabana.
However, New Year's Eve south of Cancun was not so festive. Mostly Americans at the apartment hotel and they did not celebrate with fireworks. Our family with two children and sparkling wine waited in vain for speed and party and fireworks. Anti-climax.
Then the party in Zanzibar was cooler. No fireworks but they had a beautiful celebration.
Thank you for your lovely blog.
30 December 2015 - 21:51
Mias Mix says:
What a nice picture of you! And what wonderful destinations you celebrated the New Year in. I have been to all but 3 of these cities, but never on New Year's Eve. However, I have celebrated New Year in Hannover in Germany, Cairnes in Australia and Wellington in New Zealand.
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
30 December 2015 - 22:02
Ruth i Virginia says:
Unbelievable - I've actually visited all the cities on the list,
but never at New Year.
Special New Year's Eve - Dago Teahouse in Bandung, Indonesia (1979-80).
High above Bandung and with a wonderful full moon. Don and
I held each other and wondered how the next two years would go.
would be. He would work with the Indonesian Geological Survey.
We had just arrived in Bandung after a flight from Washington via
San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore and Jakarta. It was overwhelming.
Our 2 1/2 years in Bandung were among the best we have experienced.
I would never in my life want to be in Times Square or any other place, where
there are crowds. Thinking of my Saigon family at 1200 this morning, when...
It's midnight at their house.
31 December 2015 - 1:05
Anna i Dubai says:
Happy New Year from Beirut!
31 December 2015 - 9:57
admin says:
Cari, wow, Rio and a party on Copacabana sounds like a great New Year's Eve celebration! How boring to sit and wait for fireworks... and then there are none. I thought fireworks were common in most places, but maybe not. Party in Zanzibar sounds cool too. We've been there - amazing island - but not at New Year.
Mias Mix, glad you like the picture! Australia and New Zealand are great places to celebrate New Year. We have actually also celebrated New Year in Wellington once! 🙂
Ruth in Virginia, impressive that you visited all the cities on the list! What a fantastic New Year you describe in Indonesia! Great to read about! By the way, my dad has worked at SGU (Swedish Geological Survey) 🙂 I don't think Times Square would suit me either 😉.
Anna in Dubai, wishing you also Happy New Year!
31 December 2015 - 10:56
Maria says:
I celebrated New Year in Riga one year, it was great fun 🙂 Of the ones on the list, I might have chosen Barcelona or Amsterdam 🙂.
01 January 2016 - 0:35
Anna, New York – My Bite of the Big Apple & Travel on a Cloud says:
Interesting list! I haven't actually celebrated New Year abroad yet.
At Times Square I would (believe it or not) NOT want to stand, as it requires surveillance of a place at least half a day in advance ... 😉 Would rather sit on a rooftop bar somewhere. But of course it would be cool with New Year in New York.
03 January 2016 - 19:08