Christmas Markets

[Icedlatteplease]

I have two nights to go to a Christmas Market ideally Germany, flying out (easyjet prob) from Gatwick where should I go?

We have done Xmas markets in Berlin, Cologne and Edinburgh. Cologne was the best by far.

We'd like to go to Vienna this year but not sure funds will allow for it!

Cologne was amazing (several different markets)
Munich was great too.

lots done as day trips one after the other..

leipziger
stuttegarter
Nuremberg

Copenhagen was brilliant.

Brussels I did as a day trip (from England)& that was plenty of time (the best red toffee grapes EVER)

but that was pre covid, not sure what they're like now?

just remember, it's not always snowy & like the photos!! They mostly all sell the same mass produced Christmas stuff, but the atmosphere (food/drink) is brilliant.

If you're going for a few days I'd go to Cologne.

or Copenhagen (though, obviously, that's not Germany 🤣🤣)

@prepared101 Venice does look great, but definitely ££££.

I was researching Christmas markets and the general consensus seems to be that Cologne is one of the best. We're opting for Munich though as DH really wants to go there.

Not Germany but we really enjoyed Prague. Avoid Riga - it was dire with little sign of a Xmas market.

Nuremberg definitely. But Easyjet don't fly there (Ryanair do from Stansted). You could fly to Munich with Easyjet and do it as a day trip from Munich (1 hour on the train) so you'd get to do two markets in one trip.

Is the shopping expensive? I'm not sure whether I want to go if I can't afford to shop!

Just to add to the previous suggestions. Budapest, Bratislava, Tallinn are lovely too.

TBH with only two nights I’d choose based on the flight times - I’d want an early flight out and a late flight back so you might be able to narrow down a bit from looking at the flights.

In terms of ease of flights & niceness of market, either Cologne, Stuttgart (with day trips to Esslingen and Ludwigsburg markets) or Frankfurt (day trip to Mainz and Wiesbaden markets).

Stuttgart is my favourite of those three. Southern Germany tends to have the most traditional markets, and the local/suburban villages tend to have the loveliest markets. Public transport is super cheap and fast.

Innsbruck markets and town are really lovely. Really walkable, atmospheric, and plenty of non-market things to do as well

I realise it's Austria not Germany but would highly recommend

We've booked Budapest from Gatwick for two nights in December, 8am flight out and 12pm back so gives us a decent amount of time there. We've previously been to Cologne and Berlin, both great!

I wanted to ask this too.
I've been to several Christmas markets in Germany but many moons ago. Everything seemed reasonably priced, even tho I didn't have much money at the time. I've a lot more money now but find the UK markets ridiculously expensive (I do understand some of the reasons why).

I was wondering whether German (and other European) markets have become more expensive now that they are major tourist attractions, which they weren't so much several decades ago.

Just don't go to Bruges, was pretty dire was disappointed (2018)