The Best Places to Celebrate New Year's Eve in Europe

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Direct Ferries Blog
By Hannah 15 December 2025
fireworks by the Eiffel Tower

The Best Places to Celebrate New Year's Eve in Europe

With fireworks illuminating the skyline, snow-dusted streets buzzing with activity, Christmas markets still open, and a whole lot of singing and dancing, Europe at New Years feels extra special. If you fancy waving goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026 somewhere a little different this year, we’ve put together our pick of the best places to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Europe.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is one of the best cities to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Europe. The Scottish capital puts on quite a show with its famous Hogmanay Festival, a 3-day celebration which dates back to 1993 and sees the streets come alive with street food stalls, live music performances and festive parades.

New Year’s Eve celebrations in Edinburgh officially kick off on the 29th December with a torchlight procession, where over 10,000 torchbearers light up Edinburgh’s picturesque streets, parading past some of the city’s most famous landmarks. Celebrations continue on the 30th December at Princes Street Gardens, where you can enjoy plenty of traditional Scottish music at the Night Afore Concert.

But the main event takes place on the 31st December with Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party. Thousands of people from all over the world head to the city on New Year's Eve to see the spectacular firework displays over Edinburgh castle and enjoy the incredible entertainment. The atmosphere is electric as the city transforms into one giant party, with strangers linking arms belting out Auld Lang Syne.

How to get to Edinburgh

Edinburgh is well-connected to the rest of the UK. You can get trains to Edinburgh from UK cities such as London, Manchester and Newcastle. If you're coming from Northern Ireland, you can also get ferries from Belfast to Cairnryan and from Larne to Cairnryan. Once you've reached Cairnryan, Edinburgh is less than a 3 hour drive away.

Ferry options:

  • Route: Belfast to Cairnryan
    Duration: 2 hours 22 minutes
    Operators: Stena Line
    Cairnryan to Edinburgh: 2 hours 30 minutes - 3 hours drive
     
  • Route: Larne to Cairnryan 
    Duration: 2 hours
    Operators: P&O Ferries
    Cairnryan to Edinburgh: 2 hours 30 minutes - 3 hours drive
colourful fireworks above Edinburgh
Colourful fireworks over Edinburgh

Berlin

New Year’s Eve festivities are big in Berlin. Brandenburg Gate is the place to be come the 31st December with its huge open-air party attracting visitors near and far. The celebrations begin at 2pm with a selection of events in store, from light shows to live music performances and DJ sets. 

At Brandenburg Gate, you’ll also find plenty of food and drink stalls, where you can warm up with hearty German delights like Bratwurst and sip beer from steins. An amazing firework display follows the midnight countdown, with with celebrations at Brandenburg Gate coming to an end at around 3am – but as you would expect from Berlin, that doesn’t mean the party stops. Known for its world-class clubbing scene, there are plenty of places you can carry on the celebrations until the morning.

If you prefer something a little more low-key, Berlin has you covered too. From traditional New Year’s Eve concerts at the Berliner Philharmoniker to romantic cruises along the Spree River, there’s something to suit everyone in Berlin on New Year’s Eve.

How to get to Berlin

Although there are no direct ferries from the UK to Germany, you can get a ferry from the UK to the Netherlands and then continue your journey to Berlin by train.

Ferry options:

fireworks at Brandenburg Gate
Firework display at Brandenburg Gate

Paris

Our list of the best places to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Europe wouldn’t be complete without Paris. The French capital is one of the most beautiful places to enjoy the festivities with twinkling lights and firework shows making the City of Light shine even brighter.

On New Year’s Eve in Paris, crowds flock to the Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe with a traffic-stopping video show and firework display. Despite this being the main event in Paris on New Year’s Eve, the city has plenty more to offer.

Known for its exceptional cuisine, you can’t not visit Paris and indulge in the delicious French food and New Year's Eve is the perfect time to do so. Many restaurants are adorned with fairy lights and offer mouth-watering festive menus. Whether you're looking for a romantic candlelit dinner for two or a fun get together with friends, there's a restaurant in Paris to suit your plans. Just make sure you book well in advance!

If romantic is what you’re after, then a Seine River cruise is a magical experience on New Year’s Eve – sip champagne as you sail past iconic landmarks and watch the night skies illuminate with fireworks. Or, if you’re looking for a family-friendly New Year’s Eve event in Paris, why not head to Disneyland? Disneyland Paris on New Year's Eve is also magical, especially for the little ones with its enchanting firework displays and fun parades. Not forgetting the chance for them to meet their favourite characters – it’s one for the memory books.

How to get to Paris

You can either get the ferry or the Eurotunnel to France from the UK. Dover to Calais is the fastest ferry from the UK to France, taking just 1 hour 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can get the Eurotunnel to Calais in 35 minutes. Once you've reached Calais, you can continue your journey to Paris by car or train.

Ferry Options:

  • Route: Dover to Calais
    Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Operators: Irish Ferries, P&O, DFDS
    Calais to Paris: 3 hour drive/2 hour train ride

Eurotunnel:

fireworks by the Eiffel Tower at night
Fireworks by the Eiffel Tower

The French Alps

The Alps at New Year’s = a true winter wonderland. There’s nothing more magical than ringing in the new year up in the mountains. At this time of year, France’s beautiful Alpine villages look like something out of a fairytale with snow-covered streets and twinkling lights creating a warm festive glow. Wooden chalets provide the perfect place to retreat to post New Year’s Eve celebrations too, with cosy lounges with blazing fires and outdoor hot tubs.

New Year’s celebrations in the Alps can be as lively or as chilled as you want them to be. Days can be spent skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, hiking and sledging or they can be spent sipping champagne in the spa or hot chocolates in the mountains. The après ski scene in France is even more exciting over the New Years period, with outdoor DJs and firework displays creating a real party atmosphere. If that’s not your thing though, you can enjoy a fondue-filled evening in one of the fairy lit restaurants or head back to your chalet for a home-cooked dinner with the whole family.

Some of the best resorts in the French Alps to celebrate New Year’s include Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens, Val d’Isère and Tigne, although wherever you go, you’re guaranteed a good time.

How to get to the French Alps

You can get a ferry to France from the UK. We'd recommend getting the Portsmouth to Caen or Portsmouth to Le Havre ferry and then continuing your journey to the Alps by car.

Ferry options:

snow-dusted trees on the slopes in the Alps
Snowy mountains in the French Alps

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is another one of the best places to spend New Year’s Eve in Europe, with festive lights illuminating the streets, ice skating rinks taking over town squares and exciting events all over the city.

The main event is located at Museumplein, offering entertainment for all ages. At 6.45pm, the Electric Fireworks Junior programme begins - ideal for the little ones who won't be up at midnight! The main event kicks off at 22.30pm with live acts and a huge countdown ten minutes before midnight, followed by a spectacular firework display. Although Museumplein is free on New Year’s Eve, we’d recommend getting down early to beat the crowds and get a good spot. Dam Square is another popular place to gather on New Year’s Eve, where large crowds create a vibrant party-like atmosphere.

Elsewhere in Amsterdam on New Year’s Eve, you’ll find everything from elegant dinner parties to pub crawls, indoor festivals and all-night parties. Canal cruises are also a popular way to spend New Year's Eve in Amsterdam, with fireworks creating a magical setting for cosy drinks and dinner on board.

How to get to Amsterdam

You can get a direct ferry to Amsterdam from Newcastle. You can also get a ferry from Hull to Rotterdam and then either drive or take a 30-minute train to Amsterdam.

Ferry options:

street in Amsterdam at dusk
A street in Amsterdam at dusk with festive lights

Dublin

Fancy celebrating New Year’s Eve the Irish way? It’s always a party in Dublin, but head here for New Year’s and you’re in for something extra special. Dublin’s New Year Festival is a 3-day celebration, featuring fun events across different venues. 

New Year's Eve celebrations in Dublin begin on the 30th December at Dublin Castle with ‘Echoes of Ireland’, a series of concerts by Irish musicians. On New Year’s Eve itself, the Ignite and Excite Procession usually starts around 4pm. This enchanting parade sees thousands of people flock to Dublin’s streets with marching bands, street performers and people dressed up in fancy costumes - it’s perfect for all ages. Afterwards, the Countdown Concert Matinee begins with live performances and special guests, guaranteed to keep you entertained until midnight. And when the clock strikes twelve, the NYF Dublin Fireworks Spectacular lights up two locations - Howth Harbour and Dun Laoghaire Harbour - as Auld Lang Syne rings out across the city.

Throughout Dublin, you’ll also find many more New Year’s events, with hotel’s and restaurants offering themed dinners and pubs and bars spilling out into the streets as live music plays until the early hours. And if it's a big party you're after, you can't go wrong with a trip to Temple Bar.

The celebrations continue on New Year’s Day, with concerts at Dublin Castle and Meeting House Square - the perfect way to end your time in Dublin!

How to get to Dublin:

You can get a direct ferry from Holyhead to Dublin with Irish Ferries and Stena Line. Holyhead is easy to reach from the rest of the UK, with direct trains from destinations including London and Chester.

Ferry options:

Grafton Street in Dublin lit up with festive decorations
Grafton Street in Dublin lit up with festive decorations

So there’s our round-up of some of the best destinations in Europe for New Year’s Eve. Whether you fancy keeping cosy in a wooden chalet in the Alps or watching the fireworks from a boat on the glistening Seine in Paris, there’s something to suit everyone. Book your ferry tickets at Direct Ferries today and make it a New Year to remember…

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