A Christmas travel diary through Amsterdam, Brussels & Paris — while 8 weeks pregnant
There’s spontaneous travel… and then there’s booking a Christmas week trip across three European countries and later finding out you’re eight weeks pregnant. I bought my ticket months before I knew, so by the time December rolled around, I was balancing Christmas markets in one hand and Dramamine + a cup of yogurt in the other.
Some mornings I woke up nauseous, but I refused to let it stop me. A little rest, a tiny snack, a few deep breaths, and I kept it moving—European holiday edition.
Here’s how the whirlwind week went.
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✨ December 24–27: Amsterdam — A Cozy, Canal-Side Christmas
Hotel: Holiday Inn – the niu Fender, Amsterdam
A modern, peaceful corner of the city with enough quiet to retreat, but close to everything we wanted.
December 24 — Christmas Eve in Amsterdam
After the flight, I checked into the hotel, took a nap, showered, and grabbed a light lunch upstairs—nothing too heavy, because first-trimester nausea is no joke.
By 7 PM, we were at the Museumplein Ice Rink and Christmas Market, surrounded by sparkly lights and holiday music. Before that, my mom and I visited the Anne Frank Museum—a powerful and grounding moment that added depth to our trip.
Dinner at The Burger Room was simple, warm, and perfect for tired travelers.
December 25 — Christmas Morning Joy
Christmas morning hit a little differently. I woke up feeling queasy, so I started my day with Dramamine and yogurt, which became my daily ritual on this trip.
Once I steadied myself, we had breakfast at Omelegg – City Centre, known for comfort-food-style egg dishes—exactly what I needed.
Then we met in my mom’s room for our gift exchange, wrapped in pajamas and laughter. It felt cozy and intimate—like having Christmas at home but with Amsterdam rooftops in the background.
Dinner was at Café-Restaurant Stork, a beautiful seafood spot right by the water. Cold fingers, warm food, and a Christmas Day sunset—pure magic.
December 26 — “Do What You Want” Day
By this point in the trip, I had my system: wake up, feel nauseous, take Dramamine, eat yogurt, breathe, move on. It worked.
Everyone had a free day to explore:
• Shopping at Nine Straats
• Making custom chocolate bars at Tony’s Chocolonely
• Doing the Heineken Experience
• Attempting a leather-bag workshop (or opting for a nap—honestly, the nap won for me)
At 5:30 PM we regrouped for the Amsterdam Light Festival, drifting through glowing art installations along the canals.
Dinner at the greenhouse-style restaurant De Kas felt otherworldly—bright, fresh, and beautifully calm.
Then the group split for the night: half of us went to Winter Village Amstelveen, and the rest joined the Red Light District Pub Crawl. A very “choose your own adventure” ending to our Amsterdam chapter.
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🇧🇪 December 27–28: Brussels — A Short but Sparkly Stop
Hotel: Holiday Inn Brussels – Schuman
December 27 — Winter Market Sparkles
After a slow breakfast (pregnancy nausea = slow mornings), we made our way to Brussels. We arrived around 3:30 PM, checked in, showered, rested, and prepared for a night out.
Around 6 PM, we headed to the Brussels Winter Market—rows of sparkling stalls, holiday scents, vendors calling out in French, and me sticking to gentle snacks while everyone else indulged in waffles and mulled wine.
I brought €100 specifically for gifts and small activities, and Brussels made it very easy to spend every last bit.
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🇫🇷 December 28–31: Paris — The Grand Holiday Finale
Stay: Airbnb in Sevran, Île-de-France
December 28 — Arrival + Night Out
We grabbed breakfast at Arts & Bagels in Belgium and headed to Paris, arriving at 3 PM. After checking into the Airbnb around 4:30 PM and taking time to rest, we headed into the city for a Paris Pub Crawl at 9 PM.
Paris at night shines in a way that never gets old.
December 29 — A Full Paris Day
This was our big sightseeing day—so of course, I started it with my morning nausea routine: Dramamine + yogurt.
Some of us visited Place du Tertre, where artists sketch in the square. I got my portrait done—one of my favorite souvenirs ever.
Then we:
• Strolled the Champs Élysées
• Stopped at cafés to rest
• Picked up French cheeses and butters
• Visited the Arc de Triomphe at 1 PM
• Had lunch at Carette or Café Lucy X Mezza Co.
• Walked around the Eiffel Tower
• Looked for “the lady with the newspaper” (a funny mission created by our group)
• Did a quick stop at the Louvre
At 5:30 PM, we boarded a sunset Seine River cruise. The reflection of winter light on the water made the whole city look like gold foil.
Dinner at Francette wrapped up the night in the perfect Parisian way.
December 30 — Final Stroll
For some of our group, this was departure day, but before anyone left, we squeezed in a morning visit to the Petit Palais Museum—free, beautiful, and serene.
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🎄 Final Thoughts: Christmas in Europe While 8 Weeks Pregnant
Would I recommend traveling across three countries while navigating early-pregnancy nausea?
Surprisingly… yes.
I was tired, queasy, and moving slower than usual—but I was also surrounded by Christmas lights, canals, architecture, family, and once-in-a-lifetime moments.
If this trip taught me anything, it’s that motherhood starts with adjusting, pacing yourself, and still embracing joy wherever you can.
Europe made that easy.
