Christmas Markets **General/Annual Bumper Thread**

HeidiHeidi

I love the one in Marienplatz in Munich..... but then i just love Munich full stop so I'm biased!

The one in Nuremburg is also nearby and easily gettable-to by train if you fancied seeing a different one. It's supposed to be one of the best ones (or was when I was there which was about 15 years ago :eek: )

Daisy 55

Budapest is lovely! Traditional. Lots to do on a break an d it's a cheap city too!

Lex Luthor

Heidelberg, its not over run, not too big and is a lovely city

otnomart

Agree, Heidelberg is a great spot.
Was there in Spring and it was so charming (oh, and there was a year-round Christmas shop); it must be absolutely dreamy in December!
Only 1 hour by train from Frankfurt.

darragh o meara

Some good deals for xmas market trips on Facebook. There's a page called "Recession Travellor " which is worth following.

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor wrote: »

Heidelberg, its not over run, not too big and is a lovely city

I was there in Nov in the run up to Xmas...spent about 1.5hrs walking around the market and town and had a nice dinner in one of the restaurants

Pulled in just as it was getting dark...the square is just typifying Xmas with the big stall selling the gluhwein and food on the bbq

alchemist33

Anybody been to Zurich? Flights are cheap and the photos of the markets look good but I've never seen it mentioned.

Greg81

I am heading to Stuttgart? Anybody been before? Christmas Market and Porsche Museum.

Ryanair opened new route and tickets are (were 2 days ago) 19.99 one way.

darragh o meara

Greg81 wrote: »

I am heading to Stuttgart? Anybody been before? Christmas Market and Porsche Museum.

Ryanair opened new route and tickets are (were 2 days ago) 19.99 one way.

I've been in Stuttgart a few times but not at Christmas. Be sure and check out the Mercedes museum while your there, it's well worth it.

gizmo81

What's Edinburgh like? Just want an overnight trip so somewhere close enough and reasonable.

Nekarsulm

gizmo81 wrote: »

What's Edinburgh like? Just want an overnight trip so somewhere close enough and reasonable.

It's very convenient to the town centre, and very atmospheric.
When we were there it was frosty, and a mist formed in the market as it's lowlying.
Very enjoyable, and Edinburgh is compact and easily walkable.

gizmo81

Nekarsulm wrote: »

It's very convenient to the town centre, and very atmospheric.
When we were there it was frosty, and a mist formed in the market as it's lowlying.
Very enjoyable, and Edinburgh is compact and easily walkable.

Thanks very much Nekarsulm, I want to bring the mother so the easily walkable is a great piece of info.

Sounds lovely the way you describe and what I was imagining.

grimm2005

Just got flights and 3 nights accommodation to Munich for €140 each for myself and herself around 9th December. Decided to jump at it since Ryanair launched the route last week and flights were cheap.

Have only been to Brussels one before, anyone know how Munich compares?

Nekarsulm

gizmo81 wrote: »

Thanks very much Nekarsulm, I want to bring the mother so the easily walkable is a great piece of info.

Sounds lovely the way you describe and what I was imagining.

Just to clarify, it's not a flat city by any stretch of the imagination, but it's compact.

rainbow kirby

We're going to Prague in early December - taking our toddler (20 months then) and I'll be around 7 months pregnant. Any tips?

alchemist33

grimm2005 wrote: »

Just got flights and 3 nights accommodation to Munich for €140 each for myself and herself around 9th December. Decided to jump at it since Ryanair launched the route last week and flights were cheap.

Have only been to Brussels one before, anyone know how Munich compares?

I'll let you know about December 4th

Munich is a lovely city in general. I'm expecting extra Bavaria-ness in December.

Uriel.

rainbow kirby wrote: »

We're going to Prague in early December - taking our toddler (20 months then) and I'll be around 7 months pregnant. Any tips?

Enjoy it. Been three times, all at Christmas. Love the city.
Old town is great but very busy. Markets are dotted around the city. Wenceslas square is huge and tends to have the biggest market as a result. Try the sweet bread they make (it's circular with sugar and cinnamon on outside) it's lovely. As with any market there's loads of huts making and selling that as it's one of the local traditions.

alchemist33

Uriel. wrote: »

Enjoy it. Been three times, all at Christmas. Love the city.
Old town is great but very busy. Markets are dotted around the city. Wenceslas square is huge and tends to have the biggest market as a result. Try the sweet bread they make (it's circular with sugar and cinnamon on outside) it's lovely. As with any market there's loads of huts making and selling that as it's one of the local traditions.

There's one at the castle too, but the market at Old Town square was by far my favourite.

Nekarsulm

Anyone booked with Ryanair lately with a view to visiting Christmas markets?
Can you be sure at booking that they won't cancel the flight near the date?
Hoping to go to Leipzig, but who wants to risk setting up accommodation etc. if you're gonning to disappointed at the last minute?

EverythingGood

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Anyone booked with Ryanair lately with a view to visiting Christmas markets?
Can you be sure at booking that they won't cancel the flight near the date?
Hoping to go to Leipzig, but who wants to risk setting up accommodation etc. if you're gonning to disappointed at the last minute?

They've announced every route / flight /day that will be cancelled between now and March. i've flights booked to various cities over the coming months, I'm confident enough that they'll get me there on those flights.

Nekarsulm

EverythingGood wrote: »

They've announced every route / flight /day that will be cancelled between now and March. i've flights booked to various cities over the coming months, I'm confident enough that they'll get me there on those flights.

That's fine and dandy, but who's to say another bunch of Pilots won't decide to move to Norwegian, or wherever, and the whole fiasco doesn't keep rolling on.
Its a matter of whether of not you trust them anymore.

Explaining to kids (and the wife!) that their long anticipated break is cancelled is not the kind of Christmas experience that I want!

EverythingGood

Then go with Aer Lingus somewhere or another airline

Nekarsulm

EverythingGood wrote: »

Then go with Aer Lingus somewhere or another airline[/QUOTE

]That's exactly what I'm going to do !

ollaetta

grimm2005 wrote: »

Just got flights and 3 nights accommodation to Munich for €140 each for myself and herself around 9th December. Decided to jump at it since Ryanair launched the route last week and flights were cheap.

Have only been to Brussels one before, anyone know how Munich compares?

They don't in my opinion. Been to both and Munich would wipe the floor with the Brussels market.

Avoid the crowds at Marienplatz and checkout the Medieval Christmas Market on Wittelsbacherplatz for something different.

Fennjenn

Hi all, thanks for all the info above!

Myself and my bf want to book a trip to Christmas Markets and we are undecided between Vienna or Prague.

Can someone shed some light on which would be the better experience? I've been to a number of German/Belgium ones and loved them!

We are a bit apprehensive about going with everything going on at the moment and with what happened last year in Berlin.

Would both locations be safe? I know it's very hard to predict or tell - I'm just looking for some info/advice!

Thanks a million

keane2097

Vienna is lovely but quite expensive.

Colsin91

I thought that the one on the Champs-Élysees was magical. I would highly recommend it!

APower86

Has anyone been to both Vienna and Budapest Christmas markets? Is there anything which would sway you to visit either location over the other? Finding it difficult to choose between these two....

Poochie05

Anyone any experience of Helsinki markets? Might also take ferry to Tallinn from there.

treenytru

APower86 wrote: »

Has anyone been to both Vienna and Budapest Christmas markets? Is there anything which would sway you to visit either location over the other? Finding it difficult to choose between these two....

Why not try both? My mum and I are flying in and out of Budapest at the end of November with a day trip planned for Vienna. 2.5 hr train ride one way to get there...trains leave every hour and only 13 euro each way.

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/vienna-to-budapest-by-train.htm