Photo courtesy of Blogging Experiments.

When you work or live abroad, it is not always easy to organize a Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving Day is not a holiday in other countries, and it is often difficult to find the right ingredients. Sometimes it’s just easier to make a long weekend of it or let someone else do the cooking. I’ve looked around for some alternatives, and there are some pretty nice ones out there. Just make sure to reserve well ahead of time. The US Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday in November, which is 26 November in 2009.

Thanksgiving in Geneva

I’ve combed the Internet looking for local dinners at clubs and hotels. This year I’ve only come up with two in the Lake Geneva region.

The Ramada Park Hotel, located at 75/77 avenue Louis Casaï, in Geneva, near the airport is offering a menu which includes mulled cider; fresh fruit and berries or tomato juice; New England clam chowder or herb-flavored split pea soup; roast turkey with cranberry sauce and chestnut dressing, served with mashed white and sweet potatoes, steam brussels sprouts, yellow corn, and mixed herb salad and a variety of corn breads and pecan rolls; followed by pumpkin pie, apple and mincemeat pie, Indian pudding, and coffee or tea.

The Grand Hotel Kempenski Geneva is serving a buffet dinner on Thursday 26 November, starting at 19 H, at the Restaurant FloorTwo.

The CHF 89 menu offers a wide variety of traditional American Thanksgiving dishes such as stuffed turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, as well as other traditional American favorites. The price includes a glass of warm apple cider on arrival, but not the wine.

If you feel like getting away for a long weekend, there are more options. EuroCheapo lists a lot of good information for cities all over Europe. For more specific destinations, read on.

Thanksgiving in London

In London, the luxury hotel The Chesterfield Mayfair is offering a gourmet version of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, with two courses for £27 or three courses for £30.  You can choose from among 3 dishes for each course, from interesting takes such as pumpkin and ginger soup with maple syrup croutons, traditional roast turkey with cornbread stuffing, chipolata sausages, or pecan pie with cinnamon ice cream.

If you’re looking for a pub-style Thanksgiving party or others held in American restaurants, View London lists a number of other options in varying price ranges.

See Halloween in London: no one does it better for hotel ideas, or check out Hotel Direct for current promotions on hotels in every category.

Thanksgiving in Paris