The best four destinations to travel in December by train

Where to travel in December? The best OUIGO destinations to travel this holiday season. 

The holidays are long behind us and you're already immersed in your daily routine. Are you looking forward to a getaway? Visiting the best cities in Spain at Christmas time? With OUIGO it's easy and affordable to discover new places, and December is a wonderful month to do it. We tell you where to travel in December cheaply and by train in Spain.    

OUIGO invites you to four destinations to travel to in December.

The Christmas season is coming, cities are filled with light, music, colour and a special joy that can be felt in the streets and squares. The shop windows decorated with red, green, gold and white garlands; the theatres, with shows for all audiences; and the street markets, with their tall fir trees and traditional figures create a magical atmosphere that is worth discovering.  

Don't miss these four incredible destinations where to travel in December to enjoy, buy gifts and typical Christmas products and live a unique experience! 

Madrid 

The first days of December, when the Christmas markets are installed, the festive atmosphere takes over Madrid with hundreds of craft stalls, traditional figures, Christmas tree ornaments and Christmas food. These markets are ideal for finding original gifts for the family or that gift for the office Secret Santa. 

The market in Madrid's Plaza Mayor is the oldest in the capital, although nowadays there are several markets you can visit, such as the Mercado de Motores, the Mercado de Artesanía de Recoletos or the Christmas market in Ópera, where you can taste excellent sweets and empanadas. 

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Another classic of the city is the Christmas tree in Puerta del Sol and the Christmas lights in the most central streets, such as Gran Vía and Preciados Streets. A spectacle that leaves both children and adults open-mouthed. And, speaking of shows, the Christmas theatrical billboard in Madrid is full of creativity for all tastes and ages. 

Christmas shopping is another must on your trip to Madrid. In addition to the flea markets, you will find the perfect gifts in countless shops with opening hours adapted to these days. And, after so much hustle and bustle, what better way to get your strength back than by enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate with churros in one of the capital's cafés. 

Feel like walking leisurely like the locals do? With OUIGO and its cheap train tickets you can travel at high speed from Barcelona, Tarragona or Zaragoza. 

Barcelona

Barcelona is worth a visit in the Christmas month of the year. The capital of Catalonia dresses up in its best clothes every December to contribute to an atmosphere full of excitement and expectations. As soon as the sun goes down, the street lights are switched on to illuminate the promenades and shopping typical of this time of year. 

Christmas markets are not lacking in the city, the most celebrated being the Fira de Santa Llúcia, on Avinguda de la Catedral, which has become a traditional route for locals and visitors to buy original and handmade objects to give as gifts, ornaments for the Christmas tree and moss and figurines for the Nativity scene. Very close to the Fira de Santa Llúcia is the Plaça de Sant Jaume, where the city council sets up the city's Nativity scene every year

Barcelona is a city that lives facing the sea and its port also joins the party with the Port Vell Christmas Market, which invites you to enjoy the coastline of the city with a very Christmas decoration and lighting, with a large Christmas tree with more than 30 meters of LED lights and a floating Nativity scene. It also has a gastronomic area with seasonal specialties. 

The rest of the city is not far behind and the streets are decorated with millions of lights that connect the shop windows of the most commercial streets, where you will find thousands of original details. 

Poble Espanyol de Montjuic is transformed into a Christmas village where young and old can visit Santa Claus' House, enjoy live music and shows and take part in craft workshops.  

Don't miss out on Barcelona at Christmas time travelling at high speed and low prices with OUIGO from Madrid, Zaragoza and Tarragona. 

Zaragoza

The capital of Zaragoza is another of the Spanish cities that most lives the magic of Christmas. From the moment the lights are switched on, the decorated avenues and squares are illuminated to invite the people of Zaragoza and those who visit the city to allow themselves be enveloped by the festive atmosphere. 

The main stage is the emblematic Plaza del Pilar, the largest pedestrian square in Europe, which hosts a fabulous market where you can buy decorations and gifts and enjoy activities for children and adults. In front of the Basilica del Pilar, you can visit a unique Nativity scene in Spain, comprising 56 life-size figures covering an area of approximately 1200 square meters.  

Throughout the month of December, the city council and other Zaragoza institutions organise fun and cultural activities, such as light and sound shows, an ice skating rink and the wishing tree, a nine-metre high Christmas tree on which you can hang your wishes for the New Year and take a selfie. 

If you want to enjoy Christmas in Zaragoza, book your cheap train tickets with OUIGO and travel to the capital of Aragon from Madrid, Barcelona and Tarragona. 

Tarragona

Tarragona inaugurates the month of December by illuminating most of its streets and squares with lights and Christmas motifs that invite you to immerse yourself in the warm Christmas atmosphere.  

A large Christmas tree on Tarragona's Rambla Nova symbolises the festivities of this time of year, along with deep-rooted traditions of popular culture, such as the tió (a Christmas tree that releases sweets and small gifts for the little ones) and the different nativity scenes that can be visited in the city's squares and parks.  

A visit to the Christmas Craft Fair on Rambla Nova is a must, as well as taking part in the various Christmas activities that are held throughout the city: carol choirs, a performance of the theatrical work dels Pastorets (the Little Shepherds) and, if you go with children, the Christmas playground. 

Travel cheap to Tarragona in December with OUIGO from Barcelona, Zaragoza and Madrid.