Christmas Songs for Long Distance Relationships: 18 Songs to Send When You Can't Be There (2026)

TL;DR

Spending Christmas apart is hard, and a song is one of the few things that can cross the distance instantly. The best Christmas songs for long distance relationships either count down to the reunion ("Driving Home for Christmas", "I'll Be Home for Christmas"), admit how much you miss them ("Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)", "Merry Christmas Darling"), or simply say the one thing you want ("All I Want for Christmas Is You"). The full list of eighteen is below. To send something nobody else can, make a Christmas song about the two of you with the form just below: their name, how far apart you are, your video-call rituals and the day you will see each other again. Press Hear a free sample to hear two versions, then Unlock for $9.99 for both full songs, MP3s and a private page you can send to their phone.

In this guide

• Why Christmas songs for long distance relationships hit so hard
• Songs about coming home for Christmas
• Songs about missing them at Christmas
• Songs that just say I love you
• How to send a song across the distance
• A Christmas song about the two of you
• Long distance Christmas ideas built around a song
• FAQ
• Final take

Why Christmas songs for long distance relationships hit so hard

Christmas is the season of being in the same room: under the same blanket, at the same table, in the same photos. When a couple is split by a deployment, a university term, a visa queue or simply an ocean, every carol on the supermarket speakers is a reminder. That is why so many Christmas songs for long distance relationships come from wartime and from travel: "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was written for soldiers in 1943, and the most famous modern one was written by a man stuck in traffic on the way home.

A song works when a message does not. It is three minutes of shared attention across time zones, and it says "I am thinking about you" without having to find the words. The lists below are grouped by what you want to say.

Songs about coming home for Christmas

These Christmas songs for long distance relationships look forward to the reunion. Send one with the date you will see each other.

1. "Driving Home for Christmas" – Chris Rea. Written while he was stuck in traffic heading home, released in 1986. Hopeful, warm and the unofficial anthem of everyone travelling in December.
2. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" – Bing Crosby. The 1943 classic. Bittersweet if one of you will not make it this year; perfect if you will.
3. "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays" – Perry Como. Cheerful and old-fashioned, good for couples counting down to the airport.
4. "Please Come Home for Christmas" – Charles Brown / Eagles. A plea rather than a promise. The Eagles' 1978 cover is the better-known version.
5. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" – Darlene Love. The 1963 Phil Spector production, all big drums and longing. Loud, dramatic and fun.
6. "Christmas Lights" – Coldplay. A 2010 single about Christmas without someone, with a little hope in the lights at the end.

Songs about missing them at Christmas

When the reunion is still far away, these Christmas songs for long distance relationships simply say "I miss you".

7. "Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)" – Mariah Carey. From her 1994 Merry Christmas album, the quieter sister of her famous hit.
8. "Merry Christmas Darling" – The Carpenters. Released in 1970; "I wish I were with you" sung by Karen Carpenter is hard to beat.
9. "Blue Christmas" – Elvis Presley. Short, a little silly and universally known. Good for a playful message.
10. "Lonely This Christmas" – Mud. A 1974 UK Christmas number one with an Elvis-style vocal. Over the top in the best way.
11. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" – Judy Garland. "Someday soon we all will be together" is the long-distance line of every Christmas.
12. "River" – Joni Mitchell. For the honest, not-okay day when the distance is winning.

Songs that just say I love you

Not every song needs to be about the distance. Sometimes the best Christmas songs for long distance relationships are ordinary love songs that say exactly what you would say if you were there.

13. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" – Mariah Carey. "I don't want a lot for Christmas" is the whole long-distance mood in one line.
14. "Underneath the Tree" – Kelly Clarkson. A 2013 song about finding the one person who makes Christmas better.
15. "Mistletoe" – Justin Bieber. Light and sweet, for younger couples.
16. "Merry Christmas" – Ed Sheeran and Elton John. A 2021 duet; easy to send as a joke-and-a-hug.
17. "The Christmas Song" – Nat King Cole. Pure warmth, for couples who like the classics.
18. "Cozy Little Christmas" – Katy Perry. A 2018 song about wanting nothing but the other person, ideal for a video-call date.

Three songs to think twice about

Some famous Christmas songs turn up on lists of Christmas songs for long distance relationships even though their lyrics send the wrong message:

• "Last Christmas" – Wham! A 1984 song about giving your heart away and having it handed back the next day. Catchy, but it is a breakup song.
• "Fairytale of New York" – The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. A brilliant 1987 song about a couple trading insults on Christmas Eve. Not the mood for a partner you miss.
• "Baby, It's Cold Outside." A flirtatious duet from the 1940s whose lyrics many listeners now find uncomfortable. If you love the tune, John Legend and Kelly Clarkson recorded a rewritten version in 2019.

When in doubt, read the lyrics before you send. A song that seems romantic from the chorus alone can say something quite different in the verses.

How to send a song across the distance

Choosing from Christmas songs for long distance relationships is the easy part; making the moment feel special takes a little planning.

• Watch the time difference. Schedule the message for their morning, not yours. Most messaging apps can schedule a send.
• Listen together. Start the song at the same moment on a call, or use a streaming app's group session feature.
• Add one sentence. "This one made me think of your parents' kitchen" is worth more than the song alone.
• Make a shared playlist. Add one song each day in December; by Christmas Eve you have a countdown.
• End with a date. The best long-distance gift is a booked ticket. Send the song with the arrival time.

A Christmas song about the two of you

Every song above was written about someone else's relationship. Many couples apart at Christmas look past the usual Christmas songs for long distance relationships and want one that is only about theirs: the eight-hour time difference, the call that always starts with "can you hear me now?", the airport where you said goodbye in September, the first Christmas you will finally spend together next year.

That is what the form near the top of this page makes. It is the same flow as our personalized Christmas song page:

1. Their name, the way you say it.
2. Who they are to you: Girlfriend, Boyfriend, Wife, Husband.
3. Occasion: Christmas is already set.
4. A music style. Acoustic and Romantic ballad are the most intimate; R&B and Pop are warmer and more upbeat; Country suits a lot of couples who met at home and split for work.
5. About 300 characters of your story. For example: "Seoul to Chicago, 14 hours apart. We watch the same movie on call every Sunday and she falls asleep halfway. I'm flying in on December 23 with her favourite caramel popcorn."
6. Your name, and an optional message for the page.

Press Hear a free sample. In a few minutes you hear two different songs with full lyrics and 45 seconds of each; you can change the answers and try again (three free tries). When one sounds like you two, Unlock for $9.99 keeps both full songs as MP3s and a private gift page with their name, your message and a cover. One payment, no subscription. Send the link and they can play it on their phone, wherever they are.

What to write for a long-distance song

• The distance in real numbers. Miles, hours or time zones make it unmistakably yours.
• Your ritual. The Sunday call, the good-morning text, the parcel you send every month.
• The last time you were together and the next time you will be.
• One small thing you miss. The way they steal the duvet, their terrible singing in the car.

If you would rather write every lyric yourself, the AI Christmas song generator runs in the full studio where you can paste your own words. For a love song outside the holidays, try the love song generator.

Long distance Christmas ideas built around a song

• Christmas morning surprise. Schedule the gift page link to arrive when they wake up.
• Open presents on video. Play the song as they open the parcel you posted.
• Advent countdown. Send one of the Christmas songs for long distance relationships each day from December 1st, and your own song on the 25th.
• A song for the reunion. Play it in the car on the way home from the airport.
• A video of the year. Put a year of screenshots and selfies to your song with the music video generator.

More Christmas reading: Christmas song gift ideas for every person on your list, and how to make a Christmas song if you want to write the lyrics yourself.

FAQ

What are the best Christmas songs for long distance relationships?

"Driving Home for Christmas", "I'll Be Home for Christmas", "Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)", "Merry Christmas Darling" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" are the most loved. Pick by mood: reunion, missing them or simply love.

What can I send my long-distance partner for Christmas?

A personal song is one of the few gifts that arrives instantly and lasts. Use the form on this page to make one with their name and your story; hearing the sample is free and the full song is $9.99.

Can they listen without an account?

Yes. The gift page is a private link that opens on any phone or computer, anywhere in the world.

Can the song be in another language?

Yes. The song is sung in the language of the site you order from, so switch the site to your partner's language (Spanish, German, Japanese and seven others) before you fill in the form.

How long does it take?

Usually a few minutes from pressing the button to hearing your sample. Unlocking is instant.

Is it a subscription?

No. The $9.99 is a one-time payment for that song.

Final take

The right Christmas songs for long distance relationships say one of three things: I'm coming home, I miss you, or all I want is you. Send one of the eighteen above with a sentence of your own, and if you want a song nobody else on earth has, put the miles, the call rituals and the reunion date into the form above. The sample is free, and it gets to them before any parcel could.