Christmas Markets **General/Annual Bumper Thread**

El Director

Poochie05 wrote: »

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

Tallinn Market is beautiful. You’ll be glad to have visited it.

El Director

treenytru wrote: »

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

Brilliant plan, so much so I’m doing that next year. Thank you 🙏🏼

treenytru

El Director wrote: »

Brilliant plan, so much so I’m doing that next year. Thank you 🙏🏼

Happy to help!!

Will update with any tips once I get back

Grid.

Hi all......just wondering has anybody been to Riga or Salzburg , and would you recommend? Thanks

otnomart

Was in Salzburg some years ago, it was May, and I remember a year-round Christmas shop !
It was so charming that time of the year, so around Christmas-time it must be dreamy !
Don't miss the Mozart chocolates and the historic cafe Café Tomaselli.

Kablamo!

I'm giving Vienna a bash this year, if anyone wants to hit me with a review I'd be only delighted. I've done the Krakow and Cologne markets myself so quite apprehensive of the financial aspect of giving this one a go but it just looked so beautiful I got carried away.

miamee

Kablamo! wrote: »

I'm giving Vienna a bash this year, if anyone wants to hit me with a review I'd be only delighted. I've done the Krakow and Cologne markets myself so quite apprehensive of the financial aspect of giving this one a go but it just looked so beautiful I got carried away.

I spent one evening at the Vienna markets 3 years ago. They are so very, very pretty and magical (at least to me, it was my first year to go to any Christmas markets). However, it was very expensive. Aside from a few Gluhweins and a bite to eat, we didn't buy anything as we'd just come from, and were going back to Bratislava who also have a couple of cute (much less touristy) Christmas markets and similar items were much less expensive. I was mostly looking at decorations to take home. It's just a 60 minute train ride away as far as I remember.

The Christmas Market at the Rathaus in Vienna was my favourite but there are a few dotted around the city and all worth seeing. But don't miss the Rathaus

whoopsadoodles

As per title!!

Going to Hamburg next month for Christmas markets and just wondering what is best area to stay.

Have been googling of course but it's not helping much. Would rather just be told

Thank you.

endofrainbow

I'd stay somewhere central near the Haupbahnhof or near the lake. The main market is in front of city hall.

Hamburg's subway system is excellent and trains run every few minutes to all areas of the city.

Enjoy !

whoopsadoodles

Thank you

mel.b

Just thought I'd update this thread as I went to the Montreux Christmas market in Switzerland this year. I've been to lots of Xmas markets (Budapest, Nuremberg, Heidelberg, Cologne, Vienna, Salzberg, Colmar, Strasburg, Krakow, Brussels) and Montreux has been by far my favorite. The setting on the shore of Lake Geneva is spectacular and the stalls are brilliant. They are filled with beautiful homemade crafts and presents - things you'd actually by as gifts for people, rather than a lot of the Christmas decorations and 'tat' that I have found in other markets. We walked through the Christmas market every night, whereas, once is normally enough for me. While it was also busy (especially Sat night) it wasn't the insane crowds you get in places like Nuremburg and Strasburg where trying to get through the crowd is a mission in itself.

We stayed at Hotel Parc and Lac which is directly across the road from the market and only a few minutes from the train station. Switzerland is expensive and this was one of the cheapest accommodation options when I booked - which was way back in April 2017! We got a triple room for 3 nights for €440 (510 CHF). Despite it being one of the cheapest places, the room was lovely and I would absolutely stay there again.

To get to Montreux we caught the train from Geneva. We also did a couple of day trips - one to the Gruyer cheese factory, village and Cailler chocolate factory which included a fantastic train trip through amazing scenery and also a trip to the mountain top Rochers de Naye, where they had had so much snow, the guy operating the snow machine to clear the path actually asked me to a take a photo of him with his phone standing next to his machine and the path he was clearing as the snow was taller than him!

So if anyone's looking for a Christmas market I highly recommend Montreux - just book early in terms of accommodation as it does sell out.

BANNERMAN98

I've booked z trip to Vienna to see a European Christmas market and this one stood out. While I have the flights booked and I'll have one case with me, the issue is all the items I will buy over there, I will have a second fully loaded case with me. Anyone done something like this before?

VG31

BANNERMAN98 wrote: »

I've booked z trip to Vienna to see a European Christmas market and this one stood out. While I have the flights booked and I'll have one case with me, the issue is all the items I will buy over there, I will have a second fully loaded case with me. Anyone done something like this before?

I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. Do you want to add a checked bag?

BANNERMAN98

VG31 wrote: »

I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. Do you want to add a checked bag?

My apologies, what I was trying to ask is I will have a checked bag with me but I will buy a ton of stuff over there so I will have an extra case coming back with me.

Rmgblue

Can anyone recommend a city to visit for Christmas Markets. I am hoping to travel Dec 1 for 2 maybe 3 nights. Within that if you could recommend a hotel that would be great too.

fdevine

We went to Budapest a couple of years ago and loved it. Stayed in the Art'otel as the location worked well for us. It's not very central but has great views over the Danube to the Parliament.

Beautiful city, lovely people & lots to see and do besides the Christmas markets.

anne burnell

Check our Berlin . The markets there are fab . We stayed in the H2 in alendraplatz super hotel and very convient to all the markets and the train station

duffysfarm

went to Munch last year for the first time and found it good. Transport was good but only things i didnt like was that people didnt seem to be as friendly as lets say Berlin and a lot of the traders were very pissed off if you touched any of their goods for sale!

Greg81

Went to Stuttgart last year. Huge market in the city center. Great atmosphere. Stayed in the "Hotel am Wilhelmsplatz". centrally located, walking distance from the market. If you are interested in cars great museums of Porsche and Mercedes.

This year I am heading to Hamburg. Nothing booked yet.

redcup342

Rmgblue wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a city to visit for Christmas Markets. I am hoping to travel Dec 1 for 2 maybe 3 nights. Within that if you could recommend a hotel that would be great too.

Take a flight to Dusseldorf or Cologne

https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/our-top-events/duesseldorf-christmas-market/

Cologne's market is much much bigger and theres a few around the city
https://www.cologne.de/events/christmas-markets

The DOM in the background adds to it

Russman

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice/info,

We've booked flights to Munich (4 day stay) at the end of November to see the Christmas markets and are thinking of doing a day trip to see the markets somewhere else also.
Looking for suggestions really, at the moment we're thinking Salzburg or Innsbruck, is anyone able to compare both ?

Thanks !

EverythingGood

Russman wrote: »

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice/info,

We've booked flights to Munich (4 day stay) at the end of November to see the Christmas markets and are thinking of doing a day trip to see the markets somewhere else also.
Looking for suggestions really, at the moment we're thinking Salzburg or Innsbruck, is anyone able to compare both ?

Thanks !

Salzburg. Without doubt, plus the Bayer train ticket is €13 for 4 people. Great city.

VG31

EverythingGood wrote: »

Salzburg. Without doubt, plus the Bayer train ticket is €13 for 4 people. Great city.

The Bayern Ticket is €25 plus €6 per each additional passenger (up to a maximum of 5 per ticket). It's still great value though.

EverythingGood

VG31 wrote: »

The Bayern Ticket is €25 plus €6 per each additional passenger (up to a maximum of 5 per ticket). It's still great value though.

Gone up since I used 3 years ago for the Munich Beer fest so...

Rmgblue

Any hotel recommendations for cologne?

redcup342 wrote: »

Take a flight to Dusseldorf or Cologne

https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/our-top-events/duesseldorf-christmas-market/

Cologne's market is much much bigger and theres a few around the city
https://www.cologne.de/events/christmas-markets

The DOM in the background adds to it

grimm2005

Just after booking 3 nights in Vienna with 1 night in Bratislava for December. Have heard good things about the Vienna markets, anyone been? €170 for flights and accommodation for the whole trip so a bargain all in anyway.

Did you book seperately for Vienna? That's a great price, where are you staying?

Russman

grimm2005 wrote: »

Just after booking 3 nights in Vienna with 1 night in Bratislava for December. Have heard good things about the Vienna markets, anyone been? €170 for flights and accommodation for the whole trip so a bargain all in anyway.

I was in Vienna last year and it’s stunning. Granted it was my first time at a Christmas Market, but they’re just picture perfect. Don’t miss the main/big one at the Rathaus, it’s fantastic, and best seen in the evening when it’s dusk/dark. There are plenty of other smaller ones dotted around the city too, especially near the Cathedral. The big one out by the Schonbrunn Palace is also worth seeing.
Brilliant city.

miamee

grimm2005 wrote: »

Just after booking 3 nights in Vienna with 1 night in Bratislava for December. Have heard good things about the Vienna markets, anyone been? €170 for flights and accommodation for the whole trip so a bargain all in anyway.

I've been to both but it was four years ago. I did things in reverse to you, I spent several nights in Bratislava and one night in Vienna The Viennese markets are definitely the more spectacular to look at, no doubt about it. However after being at the ones in Bratislava, I found the items for sale like decorations etc. in Vienna overpriced and more mass-produced than the local, handmade stuff in Bratislava. I don't know if it will still be like that though! In Bratislava there was one Christmas market in the main market square of the old town with lots of gifts and other items plus some food stalls and a stage for musicians/choirs. Then down near the opera house (I think) there was a bigger stage, an ice skating rink (a €1 for an hour I think it was if you brought your own boots which most of the locasl did) and loads of food and drink stalls, basically it was the social area. Worth trying all of the flavoured hot drinks there, they were mostly €1.50 as far as I remember - good for keeping out the cold! That was our excuse and we stuck to it...

grimm2005

Thanks for suggestions folks, heard the one at Rathaus is the biggest alright, will probably manage to see most I think! We did Munich last year and it was great, loads of different markets to see.

@miamee, I've actually been to both cities before early last year so can attest to the difference in scope! More to see and do in Vienna but more expensive while Bratislava is pretty quiet but very cheap. Good call on buying gifts etc from Bratislava though, can imagine it'll be far cheaper!

bubblypop wrote: »

Did you book seperately for Vienna? That's a great price, where are you staying?

Did everything separately, I rarely ever do all inclusive bookings.

Booked one way to Vienna on 12th and one way back to Dublin from Bratislava on 16th. Both with Ryanair for approx €71 per person all in including priority and 2 cabin bags added on to both bookings.

We'll get the bus one way to Bratislava on the 15th from Vienna. There's a company called Regiojet which charge €5 for a ticket and you get free hot drinks, plug sockets and touch screen entertainment system on the back of the seats. Journey is only about 1 hour.

In Vienna we're staying in Wombats The Lounge hostel in a private double en-suite room. I've stayed with them in Berlin and Budapest and they're nice clean no nonsense big hostels with decent bars on site. About €55 a night for the room (€27.50 each).

In Bratislava we're staying a high rated hostel called Hostel Blues (again a private double en-suite room) for €40 for the night (€20 each).