Planning a Christmas Market Trip

Knowing which markets are the finest is one thing; making the trip work is another. The dates do not overlap, lodging in some cities books a year ahead, and half the disappointments come from misreading a calendar.

The dates are not what people assume

Most European markets open in the last week of November and close on 24 December, often in the early afternoon. That is trap number one: a trip planned between Christmas and New Year arrives after closing. Cities that run into early January are the exception, not the rule.

Check each city’s official dates the previous summer, when they are published. They shift from year to year with the Advent calendar.

When to book

For December weekends in the busiest cities, lodging goes six to twelve months ahead and prices double. Weekdays, Monday to Thursday, cost far less and the markets are breathable.

The compromise few people make: aim for the first week of December rather than the third. The markets are set up, the decorations complete, and the crowds have not arrived.

Chaining several cities by train

This is what turns a stay into a circuit. Three axes work well.

The Rhine, between Strasbourg, Colmar and the neighbouring German towns, with journeys of an hour or less.

The Germanic axis, from Nuremberg to Munich to Salzburg, where each stop has its own character.

Central Europe, from Vienna to Prague to Budapest, with journeys of three to four hours.

The rule: two nights per city minimum. One night leaves a single market evening, and evening is when these squares come alive.

What the guidebooks leave out

It rains often, and it is rarely the dry cold of the postcards. Central Europe in December hovers around freezing with damp air, which bites more than a Quebec minus ten. Waterproof boots matter more than a winter coat.

The markets resemble one another more than people expect: the same chalets, the same objects, often the same suppliers. What genuinely separates them is the city around them, the square they occupy and the speciality you eat there. Four markets in four days produces a fatigue nobody anticipates.

And mulled wine is paid with a deposit on the cup, refunded when you return it — a good share of visitors leave without claiming theirs.

The specialities worth the detour

Each market has its own, and it is the best guide to choosing. Nuremberg gingerbread, Alsatian bredele, Prague’s trdelník — though it is not originally Czech — Austrian punch, which is not mulled wine, and regional sausages that change every hundred kilometres.

Going from Quebec

December flights to Europe are cheaper than summer ones, except around 20 December when they spike. Arriving on a Sunday or Monday gives a better fare and quieter markets on the first day.

An adviser can check the official dates city by city, frame the rail circuit and book lodging before the wave — this is the kind of trip where booking late costs the most.

Voyages AquaTerra holds a Quebec travel agency licence. Our clients are covered by the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents, under the conditions set out in the regulation. Call an adviser at 1-866-628-6241.

To choose which markets to visit — their character, their history, what you find there — see our survey of the most beautiful Christmas markets in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rarely. Most European markets open in the last week of November and close on 24 December, often in the early afternoon. A trip planned after Christmas therefore arrives after they have shut. Cities that run into early January are the exception.
For December weekends in the busiest cities, accommodation goes six to twelve months ahead. Monday to Thursday, prices fall and the markets are far easier to move through.
Two at minimum. A single night leaves only one market evening, and evening is when these squares come alive, once the lights go on and the local crowd arrives after work.
Three axes. The Rhine, between Strasbourg, Colmar and the neighbouring German towns, with journeys of an hour or less. The Germanic axis, from Nuremberg to Munich to Salzburg. And central Europe, from Vienna to Prague to Budapest, with three- to four-hour journeys.
Not the postcard version. Central Europe in December hovers around freezing with a lot of humidity, and it rains often. A waterproof coat is more use than a very warm one.
On each city tourist board site, usually the preceding summer. They shift from year to year with the Advent calendar, so a date read in last year’s article is worthless.
Nuremberg gingerbread, Alsatian bredele, Prague trdelník — which is not Czech in origin — Austrian punch, which is not mulled wine, and the regional sausages, which change every hundred kilometres.