Christmas Markets UK & Europe (2014) [Help me find some fab ones please!]

[ChippingInAutumnLover]

So, I am determined to find some good Christmas Markets this year! Please help me

Europe

We have a few days prior to Christmas (18th to the 21st) when I would like to go somewhere in Europe to a/some lovely Christmas Market/s.

Lots of pretty lights, mulled wine, atmosphere and preferably grapes in toffee (The ones in Bruges were A-May-Zing). I'm not looking for somewhere to 'shop' but a couple of nice decorations would be good (but definitely not a priority), I just want the atmosphere and to go somewhere new/different.

UK - I'd like to book up some weekends so we don't end up 'busy' & not able to fit them in!

I live in the SE & we'll be going to Winchester (flexible with this as we can either 'make a weekend of it' or just go for the day).

Happy to travel for the weekend as long as it's worth it

Where do you love/hate & why? Thank you x

Radios on Y??? Radisson BLU!!!

I would actually suggest to anyone coming to Berlin that you stay in a B&B or AirBnb flat in someplace like Prenzlauerberg, which is still central but full of charming little cobblestoned streets and squares, and cafes and boutiques. You can rent a whole flat on AirBnb for less than the price of a hotel room (50-60 euros).

Berlin is indeed a big building site! But the pretty parts are really really charming, and there is history everywhere you look.

Vienna is absolutely gorgeous though, and I've never had better hot chocolate in my life :)

The background of the city is imp to me, I wouldn't be happy going for xmas markets in big ugly building site!

Vienna sounds utterly amazing.

is vienna exepsnive

south bank maybe crap compared to europe markets...but for london they are fine and the south bank I think is lovely anyway...nice for a walk and even better with xmas market there....

We went to Paris last year. Horrible. Far to crowded. The year before we went to Lille, which was lovely. Not huge but nice atmosphere for wandering around. Not too expensive and for us so easy to get to (we went on Eurostar as Ashford is only an hour's drive and so, so convenient)We were a group of 4 with a table on the train, we donned our festive hats and cracked open the picnic and champagne as soon as the train left the station. Fabulous.

Thanks again everyone!

Really, really undecided though.

Vienna does look to be 'in the lead' but as I say, flights are too expensive now for this year :(

I can't believe no one has suggested Basel! It's quite a nice city, too.

I love the Manchester markets in the UK, mostly for the lovely food (and because I can get there in half an hour on the train)! Agree that Birmingham is grim.

i went to the South bank xmas market yesterday. was shite.

Chipping, are you doing the trick of erasing your cookies before every flights search, so they can't jack up the prices?

I read this tip on here a few months ago and it definitely worked last time I flew.

Chipping, just a thought, you've probably looked, but could it be cheaper to fly to Bratislava and go to Vienna from there, or just more hassle and expense ?

I second rothenburg. Beautiful medieval town enclosed by walkable walls. Has the biggest and best christmas shop I have ever seen, open all year round.

dreaming - seriously? No, I've never heard that?! Will definitely give it a go though, thanks!!

hifi - it's too early for the Southbank one to be atmospheric. It's nice for a stroll through much closer to Christmas :)

Temp I'll have a look at that too.

Frog that sounds nice too...

Oh so many options!!

Ryanair flies to Nuremberg which is the closest airport to rothenburg.

Berlin every time. We used to live there. Amazing city and very cheap to stay and eat out. Love it, love it, love it. I want to go now!!!

Totnes, in Devon. Actually still has lots of original and beautiful things made by locals...and really good bands playing too. You can stay in the quad at Dartington hall, which for my money is as Christmassy (?) as it gets, with a lovely pub and walks etc

Just to throw some more German ones into the mix: I live near Stuttgart, which has a lovely, very traditional Christmas Market, and while here it's also worth visiting the Ludwigsburg one, which is Barock style and absolutely beautiful, and the Esslingen one, which has a Medieval theme.
GermanWings flies London-Stutttgart.

Check out flights to Bratislava - it's only an hour away from Vienna, you might be able to manage it that way.

Cross post with temporary, sorry!

I'm going to Vienna for next year's Eurovision, and I'm flying with Ryanair to Bratislava.

Bath - very very lovely indeed (I am slightly biased), but it does get crowded and I really wouldn't recommend coming by car (roads into the city get totally gridlocked).

Berlin - atmospheric, varied, lots of lovely lights.

Brussels - sprawling, tacky, eccentric. Bonkers steampunk children's carousels (worth going for those alone).

We went to Brugge last year, the town itself was very pretty and xmassy, but the market was beyond awful. Hardly any actual christmas stuff, just stalls and stalls of cheap market tat and ethnic-y knitted hats and gloves from south america type stuff. Everything could have been bought in the UK, and the market outside the shopping centre in our local town and more atmosphere and that's saying something.

But, it was really easy to get to, we drove via the tunnel from the south east and stayed in a cheap hotel near the train station. I'd go again, just not for the xmas markets.

We're looking at Cologne this year, thanks for the tip re taking the eurostar rather than flying.

In the UK, I'd go to Bath but do not plan to drive in, its a nightmare on a normal Saturday!

Thank you all again :)

I'll have another read, think and plan tonight!

Cologne is lovely - but very busy and commercial - don't even think about it if you need a pushchair.

I like Dusseldorf - it's spread out through the old town with lots of different bits in all the small squares - can feel quite intimate and also quite busy and vibrant depending on what bit you are in. Easyjet fly LGW - DUS quite reasonably.

I live about 20 mins from Dus and we like to go for a wander :)

Aachen is mean to be very pretty - as is Valkenburg (NL) as suggested above - there is a lovely Spa hotel & casino just above the town with thermal baths etc in......

Solingen is meant to have a lovely market too - I've heard it's in the dungeons/caves under the castle -which has a cable car to get up to - not been myself yet - you'd need to fly to DUS of CGN to get there.

this link has all the Germany ones on - unfortunately it's in German but there are dates and pictures from the markets.

At the moment it's too warm though - our first markets opened at the weekend and gluhwein in 15c is just plain wrong........

I've been to Berlin and Paris. I loved Berlin partly because we could do the historical sites in the day time and then the markets in the evening (which meant we didnt need to go out for dinner too which saved cash!).

Sadly the panda who was at Berlin zoo died (aged 34). He was lovely :(

Paris wasnt as atmospheric and even though I was only there for the day I ended up doing other stuff quite quickly.

bath can anyone tell me how to get into bath avoiding gridlock is there a park and ride? we are gong soon