Celebrating Christmas and the New Year in Russia<\/a> is a great way to give the kids two Christmases, because the country is still preparing for its Orthodox celebrations at the start of January.<\/p>\n There are Christmas markets everywhere and Christmas cheer is well and truly in the air. You\u2019ll get to see in the New Year in the grand surroundings of St Petersburg, one of Russia\u2019s most iconic cities.<\/p>\n After celebrating New Year in Russia\u2019s second city, you can take a comfortable high-speed train over to Moscow, the Russian capital. Here you\u2019ll find even more Christmas markets to explore with the family, as well as traditional sights like the Kremlin and Red Square.<\/p>\n Finland makes for a fantastic family-friendly New Year\u2019s Eve break, because Finnish Lapland<\/a> is the year-round home of Santa Claus.<\/p>\n For young kids, this is a great way to spend the New Year, especially if one Christmas Day wasn\u2019t quite enough for them! Meet Santa Claus in his Lapland village, ride Rudolph\u2019s sleigh through the snow, and enjoy both New Year and Christmas at the same time.<\/p>\n Finnish Lapland is beautiful and you and your family can stay for the duration of your holiday in Finland<\/a> in a wilderness lodge, experiencing the Northern Lights at night and beautiful, snowy scenery throughout the day.<\/p>\n Lapland is enormous though. If you\u2019re looking for a quieter family getaway over New Year, then look no further than the remote wilderness of Swedish Lapland<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here, in the icy northern climes of Sweden, the whole family will be amazed by the raw beauty of this untouched part of the world.<\/p>\n But just because it\u2019s remote, doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t comfort or luxury. You can spend New Year relaxing in the unique interior of an ice hotel, enjoying a family meal in a gourmet, wilderness restaurant, or adventuring into the tundra in search of the Northern Lights.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a sightseeing odyssey, then a great family-friendly adventure to enjoy over New Year is a ride on the Polar Express<\/a> Train.<\/p>\n This excellent train route will take you and your family across Swedish Lapland and into the Norwegian Arctic, giving you the chance to experience the best of these two northerly regions in Europe.<\/p>\n The journey begins in Kiruna in Sweden and ends in Narvik, Norway. Along the way, the family can make the most of dog sledding and snowshoeing activities, enjoy the Northern Lights, and watch endless snowy landscapes glide past from the comfort of the Polar Express.<\/p>\n There are a wonderful mixture of activities to experience and sights to see on the Polar Express train journey, making this a great adventure that all the family can get on board with over the New Year period.<\/p>\n However, your family might not be looking for a journey into the wilderness for New Year\u2019s Eve. In which case, there are plenty of city break options awaiting you in the Baltics.<\/p>\n One of the best family-friendly New Year\u2019s Eve breaks can be found in Riga<\/a>, the understated capital of Latvia. The quiet streets of Riga are a pleasant place to take the family. As well as enjoying all the museums and the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Old Town, there will be some great firework displays and cultural events to see.<\/p>\n There are ice-skating rinks in the capital, markets selling hot food and drinks to beat the chill of New Year and, best of all, it\u2019s not only a family-friendly city but a budget-friendly city too.<\/p>\n Travel north of Riga, and you can find the equally historic and family-friendly city of the capital of Estonia.<\/p>\n Tallinn is best known for its beautifully preserved Old Town. Over the New Year holidays, the historic centre of this medieval city is transformed into a lively marketplace where you can find delicious food and drinks, and an exciting calendar of cultural events.<\/p>\n![\"Moscow.](\"https:\/\/www.baltictravelcompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Moscow.-Photo-by-Daina-Kontrima.jpg\" "\\"Moscow.")
<\/p>\nFinnish Lapland<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
Swedish Lapland<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Northern](\"https:\/\/www.baltictravelcompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Robert-Jonasson.Swedish-Lapland-Visitors-Board.jpg\" "\\"Northern")
<\/p>\nPolar Express Train Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
New Year in Riga<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Riga.](\"https:\/\/www.baltictravelcompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Riga.-Photo-by-Daina-Kontrima.jpg\" "\\"Riga.")
<\/p>\nNew Year in Tallinn<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Tallinn](\"https:\/\/www.baltictravelcompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Tallinn-Christmas-Market_Sergei-Zjuganov.jpg\" "\\"Tallinn")
<\/p>\nReykjavik <\/strong><\/h2>\n